Daily Devotional Time: Psalm 1

Psalm 1 is a passage that offers comfort and encouragement for believers:

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.

A sure-fire way to live a blessed life is to follow the guidance of verses 1-2. The man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful is blessed. So many Christians forfeit this blessedness, though, because they walk in the counsel of the unGodly. Instead of turning to the Word of God for guidance and encouragement, they turn to their lost friends, who then give them worldly advice.

Christians also forfeit this blessedness by standing in the way of sinners... that is by adopting some of the practice of sinners. It begins with following their advice, the next thing you know, you are living their lifestyle. Sin carries consequences, and robs the Christian of fellowship with God.

Blessings are further forfeited by sitting in the seat of the scornful. Anger and hatred eat at the heart and the soul, and the flesh tends to latch on to those emotions easily. The Christian that turns away from those emotions and refuses to sit in the seat of the scornful will be blessed.

Now, if you go through life with a checklist of things that you shouldn't do, you'll find yourself getting frustrated and discouraged. Instead of looking at what you shouldn't do, focus on what you should do. Verse 2 says "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

The way you avoid walking in the counsel of the unGodly, standing in the way of sinners and sitting in the seat of the scornful is by delighting in God's word, the Bible, and meditating in it day and night. The man who spends his time in God's word has a certain stability and peace about him that the psalmist compares to a tree planted by the rivers of water... or as Charles Spurgeon put it, "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."

So what are the blessings that go along with a Bible-centered life? Verse 3 says, "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."

1. There is the stability that the psalmist compares to a tree planted by the rivers of water. The roots run deep, nourish the tree, and prevent the tree from being uprooted. Trees planted in moist areas have vast and extensive root systems that extend the life of the tree. Such is the case with the man who spends his time in God's word. He is well-nourished (Spiritually speaking), and his faith is deep and vast like that tree's root system. This creates a well-rounded, stable person.

2. He brings forth fruit in his season, and his leaf shall not wither. The man who is well-grounded in His faith as a result of a Bible-centered lifestyle is productive in his service to the Lord. A popular saying is that you "should not be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good." In actuality, the opposite of that saying is true. The most heavenly minded are the most earthly good. The difference is that the things they accomplish are of an eternal value.

3. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. This doesn't mean that you get rich, or that you are automatically successful at everything. What it does mean is that the man who is Biblically centered will follow God's will, and in doing so will succeed because God will prosper him. Nehemiah followed God's leadership, and thus was able to confidently say, "Our God will prosper us." It is okay to expect God to bless your efforts, if you are Bible-centered and following His will.

Life is not always easy for a believer, even a Bible-centered believer... but it is never pointless. So, go ahead, pick up your Bible. Read it, and meditate on what you read daily.