Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
There’s no denial from anyone that we live in a consumption culture that is saturated with speed-reading, skimming, and thoughtless scrolling. We (as a culture) barely have the attention, time, or mental capacity to do anything more than simply scratch the surface of whatever we read (I’ve already maxed out on Twitter’s 280 character limit!).
Unfortunately, this has negatively influenced the way we (as a Christian culture) engage God’s Word. Instead of chewing on God’s Word, meditating on it, and letting God richly nourish our souls, we live at the surface of the text and never settle there long enough to allow God to speak or move deeply in our lives. The danger is that we could be left with a superficial and shallow spiritual life. The psalmist gives us a much-needed corrective word. If you’ve read the psalms, you’ll notice the contrast between the first psalm and the other 149. Psalm 1 isn’t a prayer but a statement about human existence. The heart behind Psalm 1 is the springboard that launches us into deep, nourishing, and life-giving transformation through communion with God!
Here’s the challenge to us as we meditate on God’s Word until it penetrates our hearts:
- Read slowly (and attentively) for the purpose of an encounter with God.
- Meditate and consider what the Holy Spirit is illuminating to us about our lives.
- Respond in prayer to God.
- Contemplate and rest in God’s abiding love!
OUR REWARD: Blessed by God, everlasting refreshing and nourishing waters, life that never withers, prospering in righteousness and abounding life!
Today’s post is by Zach Gallman
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
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