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,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
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.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
CONSIDER THIS
Every living thing has a story to tell. Literally! DNA reads like a script of sequential building blocks and is found in the cells of every creature on the planet. And they are considerably determined to tell this story. The flower’s objective when offering nectar resembles the bee’s reasoning for carrying it back to the hive, which mirrors the bear’s motive for making a meal of the hive, mating, and feeding her cubs. They all have an instinctual desire to pass on their genetic code. To tell their story, even if only biologically. It’s as if the creator of life considers himself an author and has hardwired storytelling into the DNA of creation.
As image-bearers of this Creator God, humans are uniquely drawn to stories. The words “once upon a time” or “in the beginning” unlock a sense of wonder and curiosity in us. We gravitate toward characters we see ourselves in and live in search of our own happily ever afters.
Simply put, we are creatures of story. The question is: which one?
The word Torah means “teaching” or “instruction.” But it’s also commonly used to refer to the origin story of God’s covenantal relationship with the people of Israel outlined in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. That said, Psalm 1 is a pronouncement of blessings to those who delight in the wisdom and commands of Yahweh. But also, those who delight in his story. More pointedly, who delight in letting God be the one who defines our narratives day and night.
I used to have an aversion to the language of “blessing” in Scripture, for fear of the pitfalls of prosperity gospel theology. But Psalm 1, much like the Sermon on the Mount, is an invitation to rethink what we define as blessing and what we believe its source is. In Matthew 6:22–23, Jesus says: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
I believe Jesus wants to give us healthier eyes to see what blessings are. If the lens that we see the world through is the story of God, blessings aren’t simple treasures that make us prosperous by cultural standards. Rather, blessings are the gifts that make our stories look more like his.
Through this perspective, faith becomes actively choosing to make God’s story our own. Sin is consciously removing God from being the main character of our story. The curse, or consequences of our sin, is that our stories look less like his. And the gospel is the work Christ has done to bring our stories back into alignment with the story of God.
As an artist, I used to think of my creativity as an offering to God. A thing that, if I worked hard enough at it, he might be impressed with. But the more I’ve been delighting in the story of God, the more I realize that good and perfect gifts are not given to the Father of lights. They come from him! And each is an invitation to redefine not only what we think about blessings, but who we believe is the source of them. If we are the main characters of our stories, then we must be the source of our own goodness. We must manage to be the heroes of our own tale, while also being the author and finisher of our own fate. But Scripture suggests that we are but characters in a bigger narrative, one that centers around a good and loving Father.
I believe Psalm 1 is a poem that invites us to see our lives through a healthier lens. To delight in a better narrative. The invitation is good, friends. And the story only gets better.
THE PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for entering into our story. Thank you for the grace that invites us into yours. Help us to see you as the main character of our lives. That in all things, you might receive glory, in all things we might delight in you. Amen.
For the Awakening,
Lo Alaman
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2 Responses
God the Father sent Jesus into this sin darkened world to bring forth light. Jesus came into this world to open the eyes of the blind. Jesus is the very thoughts of God incarnate. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He lights the path back to the Father so that those who have eyes to see, can find their way back to God the Father. As we follow Christ back along the way, we are to reflect this glorious light so that other’s who are groping around in this darkness can be led back to the Father of lights, as well.
Healthy Eyes?
If you’ll keep Jesus
Always in your sight,
You will delight
In His presence
Both day and night.
Look unto Jesus.
See Him who
Is invisible.
Behold the Lamb of God.
Look not at the things
That are seen,
But at the things
That are unseen.
Then humbly
Show and tell
What you’ve seen and heard!