Applying The Psalms

Thoughts From Psalm 1:1-3

Where do you belong?

“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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

Psalm 1:1-2

Everyone wants to feel as though they are accepted somewhere. One’s life would be sad indeed if they never felt as though they were part of anything, as though they never belonged. Yet the first verse of the first psalm warns us that there is a group we would do very well not to become too comfortable with—habitual sinners. 

Sadly, wicked people are everywhere. We go to school with them, work with them, shop with them, fill our gas tanks with them, eat at restaurants with them, watch them on television, and hear them on the radio. It has been this way almost from the beginning. God is not going to take His people out of the world in which they live (John 17:15). Rather, He asks His people to work hard at leading wickedness to righteousness, leading lost souls to the One who can make them saved souls (Matthew 28:18-20). Yet it is not only righteousness attempting to influence wickedness. The roles have often been reversed to the detriment of those who were once faithful.

Someone said that the progression of Psalm 1:1 is that of thinking, behaving, and belonging. Let me encourage you never to take the first step on the road leading away from God and toward Satan. Let me encourage you never to seek acceptance, to seek belonging, from those whose actions alienate them from God. Simply put, the child of God does not belong with the wicked. Instead, he finds his focus and His delight in the law of God. Not only that, he finds that his mind is too filled with meditations of heaven to allow entry to base, worthless thoughts that can prevent his ultimate goal.

So, where do you belong? Jesus answers, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). What a wonderful answer it is!

Planted and fruitful

“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.”

Psalm 1:3

My grandfather had several small ponds on his farm. I recall one in particular that never went dry in all of the years he owned that property. That pond weathered several droughts without any difficulty. I remember more than once looking out over those dusty fields, my grandfather praying desperately for rain, and our eyes constantly being drawn to that small circle of bright green in the back left corner of his field. It was like an oasis in the desert. While everything else withered away, the plants and trees on the banks of that small pond flourished because their water source, their source of life, never went dry.

A Christian can enjoy a life every bit as abundant and vigorous, yet they too must remain at the side of their life source. We face days when the heat of trials and difficulties hammer down upon us. We face days when we begin to wilt under strain and stress much like a plant under harsh conditions. I think of Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.  “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Paul never despaired because he was never forsaken. His feet, mind, and soul were planted firmly at the side of his Savior. Because of that he was able to receive exactly what he needed to survive, even thrive, under whatever condition he happened to be facing.

Nothing is different for the faithful child of God today. We do not find our source or life or guidance in the opinions of men. Neither are we forced to rely upon our own devices as we traverse a treacherous and often perilous spiritual landscape. Rather, the One who died for us is also blessing us (Ephesians 1:3). Those who cling to Him and find their delight in His Word (Psalm 1:2) find themselves planted on the banks of a stream overflowing with pure, refreshing water. They find that regardless of the situation, they possess the precise spiritual fruit they need to overcome. It’s all due to their faithfulness to the One who is always faithful. So, where are you planted?