The Bible and the Blessed Life | Psalm 1:1–2
“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.”
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.”
Yesterday, we noted that blessedness includes negatives and positives, what we should not and should do. The psalmist says that you’re blessed if you do not partner with unbelievers, and you are blessed if you delight in Scripture. Both are essential to this deep-rooted blessedness.
Changing our companions isn’t enough. We need the Word of God as the foundation of our lives, which is why the blessed man delights in the law of the Lord. Some read Scripture, but they never delight in it. The blessed man, though, meditates day and night, wrestling over its meaning and its application. He reads it, prays over it, and considers it throughout the day. He understands that “blessed is he who keeps the law” (Pv 29:18), so he worships by being a doer of the Word. Romans 12:1–2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Do you delight in the written Word? This may indicate whether you know the Living Word, Jesus Christ. The Scriptures speak of Him, and yet, some who read them never come to Him (John 5:39–40). Scripture says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Cor 13:5).
If you know Christ but don’t know how to get started in the Bible, start small. Five minutes of reading and then prayer is far better than none. Get in a Bible-teaching church, and ask your pastor what kind of reading plan might be right for you. In this way, you will not only be delighting in God’s Word, but you will also be partnering with those who will want to see you grow and flourish in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.
