Psalm 1: Comparisons…..

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.
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.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Comment: I am not planning to do all of the psalms as my Old Testament share of my devotionals. I intend to intersperse about 7 t0 10 0f them between looks at other OT books. Today we look at what is probably in the general community one of the best known of the psalms. It talks about how we spend our thinking time. We all walk with people, stand and chat, sit in groups and discuss things. The first two verses see a person who avoids spending his time with bad advisers, evil people and mockers of God. Rather he spends time exploring the many aspects of God’s revelation. Verse three pictures the outcome of such a life by comparing it to a tree planted in the right place! The fourth verse sees the people who spend their time in skepticism and evil thinking and acting as of no substance – like dead grass blown away by any decent wind.

The end of the psalm discusses the end judgement of everybody and offers two outcomes only ‘black and white’ – the wicked perish; the ‘righteous’ are in God’s good standing. We all like to offer excuses and think in ‘the greys of life’; the ‘if onlys’; the ‘you have to be understanding’; shades of experience. This Psalm teaches that underneath it all black and white must have its place in our thinking!

Prayer: With my human bent towards evil, help me to choose to think, speak and act aright in humility before You and all people, O God.