learning DAILY

Psalm1:1-3, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night; he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth its fruit in its season., whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.           

Shortly after moving into our present house, the wind blew over a tree in our yard.  We decided that the tree was healthy but did not have its root deep enough in the soil to withstand the wind when it came.  The image presented in this psalm is that of a healthy tree that has roots deep in the soil in order to get nourishment from the water found there. 

There are two types of people in this Psalm – the blessed and the ungodly.  Blessed means “happy” or “inward joy”.  There may be a strong exclamation of emotion that results from thinking about a subject; here it would be meditating on God’s Word.  The other type of person considered is the one that would encourage another person to live without being concerned for living in obedience to God.

This Psalm states that a person is able to walk securely with the Lord by delighting in His Word.  By meditating continually, thinking about what the Word tells us, we will not be as those who do according to the ways of the world.  The Jeremiah Study Bible suggests, “The image of this Psalm is a tree watered by the constant supply of water from the river.  The suggestion is of strength, stability, and endurance.   Suppliers of grace, drawn from the Word of God are what sustain God’s people.  They put down roots in Scripture and draw strength from it for their lives.”  The results are shown in the fruit that is produced in God’s work. 

George O Wood wrote in A Psalm in Your Heart that there are two choices for each of us: to follow God and His will or to “stand in the path of sinners”.  By choosing the second way a person has chosen to sit with scoffers and make fun of those whose desire to seek God and follow Him.  Choosing to walk with the ungodly is to “be like the chaff which the wind drives away”; but choosing to delight in God’s Word brings “prosperity in whatever you do”.  There really is no choice in my opinion.

If you would like to get this blog sent to you automatically when new posts are posted please leave your email address with “Follow by email.” Don’t forget to check Follow as well.

Remember – if you receive this blog through email, you can go to the regular blog page by moving your cursor to the top of the page and click on LEARNING DAILY header.  Then you can see the archived articles and comment section. You can also leave a comment by clicking on the date in the Comment Section.