“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers, 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 which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does, prospers.”
Such a good word, this whole psalm. There is a blessing in avoiding evil and pursuing righteousness. It’s not just the meditation on His Word that gives the blessing, but the psalm in context is about the man who is living the Word. Such a person is continually supplied by the water of life in an abundant way. I’ve met people like that. I want to be like that.
Then there’s the daily reality of living it. That’s the hardest part of memorizing Scripture–the obedience part. Or as Psalm 1 puts it, the one who meditates and lives it. In a good moment I might easily be able to wax eloquently about this. But in the grit of the right-now reality, somebody five minutes ago provoked that teeth-grinding irritation that comes when someone repeats the same offense a thousand times. To not take offense at all would perhaps be wisdom. To forgive is a must. But in this very moment I need to help to get there. Obedience is a journey. And the fruit is the ever-bearing tree of life. What do I want more? Life and obedience? Or offense and a life like chaff. There’s only one real option.
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Memorized: Psalm 1 (Feb 7)
