Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked Or stand in the sinners’ way. Do not sit in the seat of mockers But delight in the Lord and obey. The Lord blesses every man Who meditates day and night, Who loves the law of the Lord And lives to do what is right. He is like a tree by water streams That yields its fruit in season. Whose leaf does not wither But prospers with good reason. The wicked are like chaff That the wind blows away. They have no defense in court Or hope on Judgment Day. The Lord sees our efforts. By His Word we are blessed. He watches all our ways, So strive to do your best.
How do we do our best?
- Delight in God’s Word
- Have deep roots
- Choose righteousness
Psalm 1 explains the two paths in life and the choices we have in life on a daily basis. It challenges us to not walk in the ways of this world; the ways that leads to rebellion against God, that leads to doing what the world is doing: acting in self-interest. So where do we get our values? Where do we get God’s blessings? How do we learn to do our best?
We must not only read God’s Word, but meditate on it night and day. By doing this, we are like a tree that is planted by a beautiful stream of water. The water is the Word of God and it becomes the source of nourishment to our souls. We will bear fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23). Our leaves will not wither. We will thrive. We will prosper. Our life will be pleasing to God. It does not mean we will succeed in the things of this world, but we will become successful in God’s eyes.
God watches us. He sees our efforts. May God find you faithful, sincere, honest, committed, and dedicated to walking, standing, and sitting with Him. Commit every day to this. Strive to do your best.