Psalm 1: Two ways to live

By Sean Theunissen

In Psalm 1, the Psalmist also uses the illustration 

of a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit. 

Psalm 1 (NIV)

I love how black and white Psalm 1 is in distinguishing the righteous and the wicked. The former brings blessing; happiness; favour; purpose. the latter brings instability; judgement; decay; uselessness.

My initial reaction in reading this is: I've seen loads of people walking in the counsel of the wicked and looking pretty fruitful and prosperous, can you look at the world in such simple terms. We'll also find out later on in our study that David, who is a man firmly withdrawing from sinners and evil men, struggles physically and emotionally. He cries out regularly for God to rescue him from these men who are hunting him down. In those moments its hard to see the fruit and prospering is not a word I would use to describe his situation.

I don't know about you but I've definitely been in situations where you feel like you're doing the right thing and others who are clearly walking at a 180 degree angle from God seem to be doing ok.

Reading it like this is reading it from the wrong perspective, it's a worldly view, it's the gloss we see in the instant, the here and now. God works on us deep below the surface and for longer than our levels of patience can sometimes endure.

The Psalmist also uses the illustration of a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit. It's interesting to note that the tree isn't the beneficiary of the fruit. Our fruit is not for us, it's for the benefit of others, it's for the purpose God set for it. Our lives are to reflect His glory and often that is best shown in the drought, when all around is dry and withering yet our roots go deep. This is only achieved by delighting in His Word, a burning desire to know our Maker, it's like planting yourself next to a pure living stream that never runs out, where your roots just keep growing deeper and finding richer and richer soil.

The wicked on the other hand are compared to chaff, there is no weight to them, like windblown dust, they bring no benefit to anyone. Who on their death bed regrets a life of getting to know God as much as they possibly could, and how many masses have regretted a life of indulgence in self.

Lord there is no other rock but You. Everything else we put our trust in is just lightweight, there's no depth. We can't find your depth, there is no limit to you, and everything in you is good. Help me to learn what meditation is truly all about, what it is to not get enough Bible reading time, to be desperate to get just five minutes more. Lord bless these devotionals, speak through them, let fruit come from studying You. Amen.