Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1
The book of Psalms opens with a promise that should capture our attention:
Blessed.
That is what God wants for us. And the Psalmist wastes no time telling us how to get there.
He begins with a few behaviors to avoid. Don’t walk with the wicked. Don’t stand where sinners stand. Don’t sit with those who mock. All are important.
But in verse 2, the tone changes. Here, God tells us the two positive steps we must take to enjoy a blessed life:
First, delight in the law of the Lord.
To delight means to find genuine joy in something.
We are blessed when we learn to enjoy God’s Word. It is not a burden or duty or obligation. It is a gift. God loved us enough to give us His Word and His Son! That alone is worth celebrating and cultivating delight in.
Second, meditate on it day and night.
This one requires something more from us. Delight may come naturally once our eyes are opened. But meditation requires discipline.
It requires effort, focus, attention, and intentionality. Day and night means we live our lives immersed in the Word. Not only do we read it, think about it, and dwell upon it. But we orient our life around it—at all times—constantly returning again and again to what God has said.
Do you want to be blessed? Delight in the law and meditate on it day and night.
Both matter. Both are needed.
Together, we find the pathway to a blessed life. May we do both today.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I desire two things today. Give me joy in your Word and focus my heart and soul on it. May Your Word shape my life more than anything else. Amen.