The Blessed Delight in God's Law

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

—Psalm 1 KJV Bible

We don't know who wrote this psalm, but it is a perfect introduction to The Book of Psalms. The book is a Psalter — a collection of hymns and praises.

This psalm characterizes us as dependant on God. It illustrates this dependency by using the metaphor of a rooted plant — a comparison made many times throughout the Bible.

In verses 1 through 3 we see a tree planted in good soil with a plentiful water supply. The tree is not just growing, but being the best it can be — it is thriving. How could it not? It has everything it needs to be exactly what it is meant to be.

In contrast, verses 4 through 6 show us what we are if we are cut off from God — if we are spiritually dead. We are the chaff — the dried up, undesirable growth. At the harvest, the farmer separates us from the good stuff. And the farmer keeps only the good stuff.

O God, help me to delight in Your law. For in Your law I will thrive. I will be exactly what You meant me to be. And I will bear good fruit for Your harvest.

(The above posting is an excerpt from Ruminating on the Psalms, Volume 1 by James M. Thomas, available in paperback and ebook (Kindle, etc.) at lulu.com and amazon.com .)


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