Psalm 1 is teaching us what it means to delight in the Lord. How are you delighting in Jesus?
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Remember this podcast is not designed to replace your personal devotion time with God. There are hundreds of resources out there on how to walk daily with Jesus. Our recommendation is to simply start with one of the Gospels of Jesus in the New Testament and read few verses each day. Use the Replicate Ministries HEAR Journaling Method to respond: Highlight what stands out to you, explain what it means, apply it to your life, and respond in obedience.
Episode 1: Psalm 1
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 1 is like the introduction to the writings in the Psalms. In the introduction, it tells of basically two ways of living, dividing the world into two categories— those who are satisfied and fruitful vs. those who are parched and scorched. This Psalm and the Psalms generally are telling us how humanity interacts with God and the world.
These two categories show us that one prospers, and the other does not. But It's interesting to note that things are not what always they seem. There may be people in your life you meet that have little or nothing at all in terms of worldly possessions and wealth, but you would find them full of joy and filled to the brim with satisfaction. While others might have all the possessions this world can offer but they are as miserable and wretched as they come.
The writer of this psalm is talking very specifically about how you could have everything in the world and in fact have nothing, while on the other hand you can have nothing and can be the richest person alive! Fascinating isn’t it?
What is it in this Psalm that sets the two types of people apart? I suppose that one might say “Well, obviously there is one type of person who is good, does what's right, is kind, and goes out of their way to help people, and the other is just downright selfish and nasty.” What if it was something else altogether. What if a person's behavior wasn’t what separated the two types of people?
A good friend of mine once said, “Holiness” or desiring God, “ may not always be our strongest desire, but it is for the believer, their deepest desire.” What separates the two kinds of people is not that they obey the best, or do the best, or build the most out of their lives. It's that at their very core, their deepest longing— even when they don’t always do good— is to delight in God!
My question to you, is how are you experiencing God? Do you feel anchored and satisfied in Him OR are you finding your pleasures and happiness in other things. How are you going to delight in God this week?
Your question of the day is, What new rhythms you need to start as a family.” Read this Psalm again, pray that your deepest desire is to mediate on God’s word day and night!