Psalm 1

Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
:3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season,
:4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
:5 Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.
In the first of the Psalms we are immediately faced with two choices. To go the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked. What choice will you make? This way or your way? There are really only 2 options.
The opening word of this Psalm is a call to blessing. If you want a blessed life you must make a choice to not do certain things.
1. Don't think like people who have no time for God.
2. Don't act like the people around you who are going their own way.
3. Don't link your life to people who will pull you away from God.
4. Don't speak like people without God in their life.
Wise people focus on God's word. They meditate on His promises and instructions for living. While standing in long lines at the grocery checkout (I will face this today), they think about God's abundant provision of daily food. That can be difficult when you are tired and the lines are long, can't it? When they are faced with difficult decisions, wise people seek God's direction from His word. They memorize scripture so it is always available even when a bible isn't.
Those who choose to walk through life without God are easily blown about by the wind. They may stand fine right now among sinners, but when God evaluates their life they will lose.
Psalm 1 is the gateway to the other psalms. It gives us some principles that will help us to incorporate the rest into our lives.
1. We are encouraged to think of the psalms as providing God's guidance and wisdom.
2. We are challenged to think carefully, to meditate, on what we learn in these psalms. A quick glance will not give us enough time to pull out the riches God has for us here.
3. How we respond to each message will determine our ultimate destiny. Our obedience or lack of obedience will demonstrate whether we are on the right or wrong road.
4. We are confronted with the fact that God's ultimate purpose for us as His children is that we are blessed, not just in heaven some day, but every day in the here and now.