Where Choices Lead
The Lord watches over the way of the righteous.
Psalm 1:6
With no cell service and no trail map, we had just our memory of a fixed map at the trailhead to guide us. More than an hour later, we finally emerged from the woods into the parking lot. Having missed the turn-off that would have made for a half-mile hike, we took a much longer trek.
Life can be like that: we have to ask not simply if something is right or wrong, but where it will lead. Psalm 1 compares two ways of living—that of the righteous (those who love God) and that of the wicked (the enemies of those who love God). The righteous flourish like a tree, but the wicked blow away like chaff (vv. 3-4). This psalm reveals what flourishing really looks like. The person who lives it out is dependent on God for renewal and life.
So how do we become that kind of person? Among other things, Psalm 1 urges us to disengage from destructive relationships and unhealthy habits and to delight in God’s instruction (v. 2). Ultimately, the reason for our flourishing is God’s attentiveness to us: “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous” (v. 6).
Commit your way to God, let Him redirect you from old patterns that lead to nowhere, and allow the Scriptures to be the river that nourishes the root system of your heart.
By Glenn Packiam
REFLECT & PRAY
Dear Jesus, give me the grace to turn away from the things leading me down the wrong path. Lead me to the river of Your presence, and nourish me with the Scriptures. Make my life faithful and fruitful for Your honor.
What friendships or habits do you need to make a break from? How can you create more time in your schedule to read the Bible?
Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 1 sets up a key theme for the rest of the book as it explains the benefits and blessings people can gain from habitually walking with God—they will be fruitful and prosper (v. 3). This prosperity may not be seen in material possessions or life circumstances, however, but rather in a relationship with God.
Psalm 1 tells us to “delight . . . in the law of the Lord” and to meditate on it “day and night” (v. 2). The Hebrew word used for meditate means “to mutter.” The definition can be expanded to mean one uttering something to oneself. This form of meditation is deliberate and thoughtful; it’s comparable to the act of studying. A deliberate focus on and study of God’s Word is a practical way readers can learn how to apply Scripture to their daily lives. Julie Schwab
Psalm 1 tells us to “delight . . . in the law of the Lord” and to meditate on it “day and night” (v. 2). The Hebrew word used for meditate means “to mutter.” The definition can be expanded to mean one uttering something to oneself. This form of meditation is deliberate and thoughtful; it’s comparable to the act of studying. A deliberate focus on and study of God’s Word is a practical way readers can learn how to apply Scripture to their daily lives. Julie Schwab
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