Psalm 1:1-2

¹ Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

What posture does the blessed person take?

What is their delight? How do they demonstrate that delight?

Reflect

I wasn’t a particularly rebellious teenager, but I remember my dad’s reaction one of the few nights I came home after curfew. He was sitting on the couch and he looked at me over the top of his reading glasses and said, “bad company corrupts good manners.” That was it. Just a reminder that if I was acting out of character, maybe I was being influenced by the company I was keeping. Perhaps he’d even recently read Psalm 1, because that’s one of the points the psalmist is making.

In our modern world we tend to shy away from anything that seems too black and white. We’ve grown more comfortable with shades of gray. But Psalm 1 draws a bright line right down the middle of the road and insists we pick a side. There is a way of thinking, behaving, and belonging that will bring blessing, and one that won’t.

Verse 1 gives us three descriptions of people on one side — the wicked, sinners, and mockers. They are people who have not only rebelled against God, but have moved so far away from him that they hold him in disdain. They have chosen their posture towards God and their company and counsel is to be avoided. Verse 2 describes the blessed as those who delight in something altogether different. They are preoccupied by the law of the Lord. Notice the blessed are not described in terms of behavior, but by where they focus their attention. Their influence is the Lord.

When we see the word “law” our minds might go to a list of regulations or rules. While there is some legal language in the Hebrew scriptures, the word here is likely a general term for guidelines or instructions. The Bible puts up guardrails that keep us from veering into a ditch. We recognize that in the Bible, there is so much that is useful for instruction including visions, letters, proverbs, parables, poetry, and stories. The narratives that illustrate God’s love and faithfulness are right there with his commands for his people. In God’s word we discover that the instructions God gives flow from his goodness, mercy, wisdom, and love. It’s a joy to spend time in God’s Word.

And what do the blessed do because they delight in the law of the Lord?  They meditate on it. In other words, they will ponder it — mulling it over and over in their minds. It will be a source of direction and a place of reflection. It will help them see the world more clearly and come to know God more deeply. Undoubtedly they will find their behavior altered because their focus is on God and their desire is to walk in his ways.

For the blessed, the Word of God is source of joy and delight. It reveals God as loving, faithful, just, and merciful and his will as right and good.

Respond

Before the Lord, consider what you spend time meditating on. Do you delight in God’s word? Do you spend time pondering it? When you’re making decisions throughout the day, how do the guidelines and instructions of the Lord factor in? How does your behavior reflect your focus? As you pray through these questions, know that the Father’s love for you is immeasurable. Be honest with yourself and him.