Monday, July 1, 2013

Psalm 1
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.
3 That person is like a tree planted by 
    streams of water, 
    which yields its fruit in season
   and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff 
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the 
   judgment,  nor sinners in the assembly of the 
   righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the 
   righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to  
   destruction.
Reflection
The book of Psalms was assembled, meaning that it is a collection of various prayers and praises. Because of this its order is quite intentional. It is arranged into five books and the order in which the Psalms come is no accident. With this in mind it is important to note that Psalm 1 sets the tone for the rest of the book of Psalms. Reread the first two verses. The Psalm sets its agenda that there are at least two paths. One is the path of sinners (in other translations
unrighteous). The other is the path of the righteous and this path is clarified as walking in the delight of the law of the Lord. In a more modern translation “Blessed are those who delight and meditate on God’s Word.” What could you do to walk the path marked by delight and meditation on God’s Word?