As we continue our study of Psalm 1, I want to recommend a book by Howard and Bill Hendricks called “Living By the Book”. It is a helpful resource if you are looking for help engaging God’s Word.
In simple step-by-step fashion, you’ll learn how to: Observe, Interpret, and Apply the Scriptures. They suggest six things to look for in a Bible passage. I would like to apply those things to our study on Psalm 1.
But before I do that, how did you do in yesterday’s reading? As you read Psalm 1 did you make some observations? Did you see some key words or phrases?
Let’s go back and read the Psalm again today but this time we are going to look for things that are emphasized and things that are repeated in the passage.
Emphasized: Hendricks says that the Spirit of God uses a number of tools to emphasize ideas, events, people, and other material in Scripture. As you read Psalm 1 today, what does the happy person do and not do? What is the source of his delight? What does he do to experience such delight?
Repeated: Hendricks says that there is probably no tool of teaching more powerful than repetition. Repetition reinforces. Are there any words or ideas repeated in Psalm 1?
What are some of the emotions we see in this Psalm?
Continue to read and observe today. As you meditate, begin memorizing verse two; “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2
Let that verse begin to settle in your heart today.
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This Psalm takes about two ways to live. Either it is a godly one which we can see is blessed or it is not and leads to eternal death. We chew on God’s Word or we ignore it. We soak in the “moisture” of God’s Word or we choose to try to grow in the desolate desert. We are tossed around, buffeted by the world, or we put our roots down deep next to the Living Water of His Word, confidant we are continually sustained by that Water.
So what does a blessed child of God do? According to this Psalm the blessed person happy and that comes from delighting in God’s Word. That means to be blessed one must feed on it regularly, like Eric said Sunday. A Sunday feeding of God’s Word which is just a small part of Pastor’s prep time given out in 30 or so minutes, can not sustain the soul to a vibrancy that it needs to be fruitful. To be fruitful we have to give away what we learn to the lost. This needs to be a team effort as Jesus directed – Go make disciples. We can prosper by planting seeds. or culivating or outrite evangelism. In this the one planted close to the water (Jesus) delights.
Those planted close to the living Water then do not, indeed, do not want to seek ungodly advice, or hang with with people who are in the midst of sin, not walking on their path, but trying to redirect them to the delight of the One who will and does bless eternally.
The Message puts Psalm 1 like this:
1How well God must like you— you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. 2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. 4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust—Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. 6 God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.
I have to ask myself how often do I mediate on His Word or thought gleaned from it and then apply it to my life so as to bear fresh fruit thoughout the days of every month/season?
Thanks Craig for your encouraging thoughts on Psalms 1. I loved your summary of the tree replanted in Eden, and the the thrill that God’s word brings, and it is so thrilling! But I have ato ask myself, why do some not feel the thrill? As I was reading and dwelling on the scripture, it reminded me of a lesson we recently had at BSF. Vs ! says “blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked”…and goes on to say “but his delight is in the law of the Lord.” But many of our Christian brothers and sisters do not know the laws of the Lord. we do not stop to realize whose counsel we do seek. Do we seek God first… or do we pick up the phone to ask a friend’s opinion, or even the spiritual leaders of our church. Those may be very Godly people, but it is God’s words and His laws we should be seeking first and foremost. Only then can we be sure the counsel we seek is of God. It is not fashionable in our culture, to speak of the “laws of God” because we love to dwell in the grace of Jesus and the freedom we have through His blood. And yes, we are grateful. But are we also grateful for the law.
The law has become unpopular even in our church culture, where just a little sin is ok. To be honest with one another seeking the true counsel of God is painful. And some can not easily hear God’s laws that bring the truths of wrong doing, myself included. When we love the Lord, it is hard to hear the counsel of His words “calling us out” so to speak. Even harder if it is coming from someone else. It pains us how the law is a mirror to our sin. Maybe some are offended. Which brings me back to the fact that the laws of God are not taught enough in our churches, because they should offend, only in a way that the fruit produced is a Godly sorrow. Indignance and belligerance to God are born of pride, but may be the result of a culture that is ignorant to the fullness of what his word including the law says. Knowing God’s laws and commands and desiring to be in His will, take our desires out of the equation. Is that not lacking in our society today. How can we marvel in the freedom we have through the blood of the lamb. if we are not deeply convicted of the laws we can not keep, the sin and brokeness they bring, and how we can do nothing about them. To delight in His laws, are to see our flaws…hard to do in a “feel good” “it’s all good” culture.
I have concluded that the “thrill” of hearing God’s words is gone for most, because they do not seek Him in His fullness, because it might be hard, or maybe they really just don’t know, because teaching the law is also hard.
God be with you, and God prosper you in whatever you do.
Thanks Dana,
Bloging is new to me, I never considered that my brothers and sisters in the Lord might actually be part of the conversation.
With that said, it seems to be the 80/20 thing. The 80 do not know what they are missing by being involved with an ongoing daily reading/consideration of God’s Word. As Eric said just recently we will starve Spritually if we do not feed regularlly on His Word. The thing is we often do not recognize how emaciated we become because the world hides that fact. I know often I do not put enough effort into study/mediation/prayer/outreach etc., and I suffer for that because the fruit is lesser than it could/sould be.
Eric or any pastor can only encourage the flock, but we to can encourage our fellow flock members to go deeper, get involved with him so they can taste fruit and want others to have the same expericene. It can become contagious when in season you/me/us see the lost come to Christ when we submit and are obedient to Him.
Blessed is the man who delights in the Law