Psalm 1
[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.
Who is the man that is blessed? The answer to that question is not the one typically given by the American Christian. The answer is not “the guy with the most stuff”, or “the guy with the most friends”. The answer is, “The man who doesn’t listen to, or surround himself with, or receive honor from the men of the world.” He has no desire for the wo
rld’s vanity fair. He is in the world, but he is not of it. The blessed man desires above all to hear from the Lord, to be surrounded by the presence of the Lord, to be honored by the Lord. So he grows in patience and stability. He is willing to wait. He puts down deep roots next to the stream that flows from the Throne of God. He fills his mind with God’s Word. Patience has its perfect work in his life. The blessed man grows into a substantial person, one not blown about by every wind of doctrine. He bears fruit in season. When he is a young father with small children, he blossoms into a man concerned with their early needs. When his children are grown or nearly so, he becomes a mentor to young men, those without his wisdom, either those who themselves are now young fathers, or those that are young men who never had the benefit of a father. When he gets a little snow on the roof (or the roof falls out), his counsel matures even further as the many years of interaction with the holy Word and the Holy Spirit substantially change him. His words are fewer, but they are full. While the men of the world grow lighter, and more afraid of the future as their bodies weaken and their strength fades. The father in the faith grows in glory, in eternal weight, as he reflects the glory of His heavenly Father. He knows God and is known by God. He is a man with unexplainable peace. He is sure of his future with the Lord. He is occasionally afflicted with doubt, we all are from time to time. But those periods of spiritual disturbance grow shorter and shorter. He is a blessed man, and the Lord’s blessing does not end in this life. It is just a foretaste of the joy to come.
Application
1. Seek the honor that comes from the Father alone. Abandon all attempts to impress or to find validation from the men on the world.
2. Put down deep roots into the waters of God. Spend daily time with Him in His Word. Let your mind be filled with the Truth of God.
3. Don’t look for instant gratification. You will bear fruit in season. Let patience have its perfect work in you. Much of the spiritual life happens by increments. You are a tree, not a weed.
4. Surround yourself with other men who desire to be “blessed” men as well
When our church still offered a faith-based boy scout troop, our number was 113 for Psalm 1:1-3. These verses described the men we hoped and prayed our young men would grow up to become. A strong parallel (among many) for verse 1 is 1 Cor 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” — we need to avoid hanging out with people who would influence us to slowly and steadily move away from God’s instruction and towards sitting with the scoffers who would mock God and other Christians. Great post, thanks for sharing!