The Invitation
Psalms is a poetic book designed to evoke emotion or awareness of experience. It functions as a verbal or virtual temple. Psalms declares the works of God, describes the history of God’s people, and looks forward to God’s future promises. It is within this book we receive an invitation to personally meet with God.
While Psalms is one complete book, it is composed of five smaller book sections and an introduction. Chapters 1–2 introduce the key themes that set the tone for the rest of the book. Psalm 1 celebrates the person who meditates on and obeys the teachings and laws of God. It lays the foundation for the importance of the Word of God and reminds us that God is always constant, ever-present, and available to all who seek him.
Knowing the LORD
The varying books of Psalms use different names and descriptive words to display God’s person and character to its readers. Chapter 1 introduces God as LORD. Any time we read LORD completely capitalized in Scripture, the author is addressing God by his personal name, Yahweh.
Yahweh means self-existent or eternal. He is the Existing One who always was, always is, and always will be. The LORD is a holy, just judge, who is all-knowing and always available to his people.
Two Types of People
Psalm 1 focuses on two types of people: the blessed man and the wicked man. The word “blessed” in Psalm 1 is defined the same way as the word blessed in Matthew 5:3–11 when Jesus preached about the Beatitudes. Blessed can also be translated as happy, fortunate, or privileged.
It is a privilege not to walk in the counsel of sinners, stand in sinners' way, or sit with scoffers. It is a privilege to sit and delight in God’s Word and to be known by God.
As believers, we are aware that we must avoid entertaining sin. While we may not be physically sitting in a coffee shop having a bagel with a person of questionable character, we may be entertaining the advice of ungodly sources. We may find ourselves following cynics and skeptics on social media. The podcasts we listen to and the books on our shelves reveal much of our hearts and the places we’ve drawn our metaphorical chairs. In a world plagued by media and influencers, we have to be aware of what is whispering into our ears.
The Path of Grace
The opposite of a blessed life is a life void of a restored relationship with God. Anyone who has not received Christ as their Savior continues to walk a path marked by sin. Ephesians 2 informs us that every person at one time walks in darkness, follows the course of the world, and is a son of disobedience. It is only by the grace of God through faith in Christ that man is delivered from the path of wickedness and grafted into a blessed life.
God is not unaware of sin and its effects. He sees and knows every way of the wicked. Though sinners may seem to prosper on earth, they will never be able to stand before the judgment of the Almighty.
“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.” — Psalm 1:1
Just as the Lord knows the ways of the wicked, he also knows the way of the righteous. We can flip the narrative of Psalm 1:1 and choose to walk in the way of the godly, stand in the way of the righteous, and sit in the seat of the upright.
Planted by the Stream
To choose a blessed life, we must be “like a tree planted by streams of water.”
The original audience was located in a dry, desert area. Trees were few; well-established trees were even fewer. For a tree to survive and thrive in the desert, it must have its roots digging deep into a water source. A desert tree is planted near an oasis. Its roots search and long for a spring to give it life. A tree planted far from an oasis or a tree with shallow roots will not thrive. It will barely survive.
Growing as a Christian is similar to a tree in the desert. We need to be planted next to the source of life (Col 2:6–7). God’s Word is the well that will never run dry. It is God alone who will sustain and grow a believer. If we are not rooted in Scripture, we will not bear fruit.
Psalm 1 reflects the urgency of Joshua 1:8:
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
A Call to Reflection
Where is your life planted today? Are your roots digging deep into Scripture? It is not enough to have an outward life painted to look clean and neat. If your heart is not rooted in Christ, the facade of a good life will eventually crumble.
Heed the warning of Psalm 1. The LORD knows the ways of the righteous and of the wicked. He desires to have a relationship with you. You are invited to know God and walk with him.
For further study in Psalm 1, check out the W.E.L.L Method and its journaling guide: Journaling Guide
