Going to move on from the #DaysOfGratitude posts and, for the next month or so… journal some of my thoughts on the Psalms.

On one hand, it’s a way to keep me accountable to a reading goal that I’m setting myself for the few weeks that I’m on vacay, away from home. On another hand, it’s also a way to anchor some of the posts about Gratitude.

Let me explain…

Why “Thoughts on Psalms”?

When I say that this series of posts is also about anchoring some of the gratitude posts, what I mean is this…

There’s a lot of books, blogs & sites out there that talk about positivity, gratitude, motivation, etc., and there’s a lot of good, useful stuff out there. But as a Christian, my anchor point needs to be the Word of God and not just what society holds up as virtuous or worthy of attention.

There will be times when those two run in parallel… but other times when they don’t. So I just want to reinforce my tether to the eternal anchor.

I’ll include the Psalm and then note the things that stood out for me today.

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

³ He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

⁴ The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.

My 3 Thoughts

1. The “To-Do” List: When you look at verses 1 & 2… the ‘requirements’ for godly living, living that would allow us to claim our identity as part of what the Bible qualifies as The Righteous, are pretty simple and straightforward:
   • Don’t take counsel from those who don’t love God.
   • Love & think about God’s Word… let that be the source of our counsel.
     
   • Now… does that sound exclusionary? Perhaps… but think about it. You wouldn’t take medical advice from a car mechanic and just because a heart doctor can fix a heart valve, doesn’t mean he can fix the valves in your motor that take gas to the combustion chamber.
   • If I want instructions on how to live my life in a way that pleases God, I need to feed my thoughts and actions from a qualified & competent source.
2. The Results: From verses 3 & 4… the contrast between the two resultant lives is stark.
   • The righteous… a tree planted by a rich source of nourishment, that provides nourishment in its turn (fruit in season) and everything he or she does prospers.
   • The wicked… like chaff that the wind blows away… in other words… accomplishments amount to little if anything.
     
   • I’ve got to admit, there have been a lot of times when I’ve felt more like the wicked than the righteous, when it comes to accomplishments and what is visible. I could beat myself up about it (and I do, regularly), but I can also readjust course and ensure that I’m providing the right input to guarantee the desired output.
3. Knowing the Way: Verse 6 intrigues me… “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
   • Doesn’t it seem like the author is comparing apples and oranges?
     Does it mean that the Lord doesn’t know the way of the wicked?
     Obviously… if the Lord knows one… He knows the other.
   • One commentary suggests that ‘knows’ in this case, must mean more than simple intellectual awareness, rather, given the contrast of ‘the way of the wicked [perishing]”, ‘know’ must be more akin to ‘knowing with affection and approval’.

Food for Thought…

I sure don’t have every answer, but here’s one thing I know. I’d prefer to live like a tree planted by water than as chaff that the sun dries up and blows away. I’d like my life to count for something. So the choice is clear… spend more times loving & thinking about God’s word.

If you’re not someone who typically spends time reading the Bible… would you care to join me over the next couple of weeks?