Getting Started
Soooooo it's already the middle of August. Where did March, April, May, June and July go? When life seems more chaotic than stable, days, weeks and months tend to fly by. And now many of us are getting ready to head back to campus next week! How are you entering this school year? Do you feel rested or still reeling from the chaos of this Spring and Summer? Take just a few moments to close your eyes and ask yourself those questions.
Once you've taken a few deep breath, read this psalm a few times, paying attention to any words or phrases that stick out to you.
Psalm 1
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,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 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.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Questions to Consider
- How does the psalmist describe the person who is blessed? Consider writing down all of the descriptions. Which description resonates with you?
- What do you think it means to "delight in the law of the Lord."?
- How does the psalmist describe the wicked person? Consider the word "wicked"- what thoughts or feelings come up in you when you read that word? The hebrew for wicked can also be translated as "criminal" or someone who doesn't follow God's law.
- Contrast righteous with wicked. What do you think it means to be rigtheous? What about wicked?
Closing Reflection
Reading this psalm, I long to be the type of person who is like "a tree planted by streams of water." I want to be rooted, unmoved by the chaos of the world, nourished by God's Word and his presence in my life. But this psalm reminds me of how easy it is to become one of the "wicked"- those who do not follow God's Word. The life of the wicked is marked by instability. They are easily blown away "like chaff"- the dead and useless husks of a plant that was once alive- by the troubles that life brings.
In this psalm, we learn that the way of life is found by devoting ourselves to God's Word, knowing it so well that it stays on our hearts and minds throughtout our days and nights.
If we want to be rooted and filled with life this school year, able to stand firm no matter what troubles might come our way, we need to be people who are committed to Scripture, committed to connecting with God daily through His Word.
Right now, ask God how he wants you to commit to his Word this school year. Here are a few ideas:
