Day 1 – Psalm 1 – Source of Growth

I. Read Psalm 1.

1 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;
² but his delight is in the lawof the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ 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.
⁴ The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will 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 wicked will perish. (ESV)

Introduction – In this first day of our 31 Days with God, we will reflect upon the source of our growth. This very first Psalm begins the book of Psalms with a vivid picture of the source. Godly people are like fruitful trees that drink in the water of God’s Word. They don’t wither; they prosper. It also pictures wicked people as chaff, the dry and scaly husks which blow away. Many Psalms speak simply of the righteous and the wicked, but this Psalm shows the source of their faithfulness. The righteous are nourished by God’s Word. The roots of their lives reach down into the pure water of God’s revealed Word. The righteous receive the counsel of the law of the Lord. They do not take counsel from the wicked. Such people do not obey God’s Word. They have dried up and become husks. The result is the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor in the congregation of the righteous. The wicked will perish.

In your own words, respond to the questions (in your own journal).

1.  In verse one, the blessed person’s life is contrasted with three unwise actions. Are these actions speeding up or slowing down? What does this direction mean?
2. In verse two, the blessed person “delights” in the law of the Lord. What are three ways you could show more delight, affection, or love for God’s word?
3. Draw or imagine a picture of the godly person in this Psalm using the image of a tree by a stream.
4. List a few ways you could be more like this tree.

II. Pray Psalm 1.  Write out a short prayer using the text and ideas of these verses in the Psalm.  Express your heart to God as you respond to His word and ask Him to help you to apply the truth of this Psalm to your life.

III. Sing this Psalm. Worship Him using this Psalm.

• Psalm 1 from the Reformation era. Listen to or download this Psalm and view the musical notation (in the Outline).
• Psalm 1 in Anglican Chant.

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