Psalm 1
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,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 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.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
This morning I got to watch the rest of Aladdin with my children. My wife is on a girl’s weekend trip with some other amazing ladies in our neighborhood, so the kids and I are here at home having fun without her (but we do miss her like crazy). We started watching a movie last night, and we decided to finish it this morning.
Now let’s read that again and list all the amazing things in that last paragraph:
- I am married to an amazing Christian lady
- we have two awesome kids
- we have amazing friends
- we have a house in an awesome neighborhood
- we have the ability to rest, go on fun trips, and enjoy luxuries such as movies
That list is not complete either. My real life feels like a fairy-tale. It can be as happy as Jasmine and Aladdin when they fly together on the carpet for the first time singing about a whole new world.
But....this is inside our house. What about when you step out the front door? What’s going on, out there, in the whole rest of the world?
If you’re anything like me, you’re uneasy about the climate outside. I can’t remember a time when the world felt more polarized than it feels today. A lot of people I love think the new president of the United States is the BEST thing ever. A lot of people I love think the new president of the United States is the WORST thing ever.
So what am I to think?
Fox News loves him. CNN hates him. Franklin Graham endorses him. The New York Times and the Washington Post quickly publish articles to raise concern about him.
I appreciate the news because the news informs me of current events. But I must not allow those media outlets to inform my way of thinking. I can’t let others decide for me what I think; not even Franklin Graham.
I desire to be like a tree planted by streams of water whose leaf does not wither. I don’t want to be blown around like the chaff. The secret to solid thinking and stability is written here in Psalm 1.
As a follower of Christ I must heed the words of Psalm 1 before spouting and spewing an opinion. As a follower of Christ I must slow down and take some time to be alone with God, to meditate on the word of God. I must create some space for God to work on my soul.
I will only be helpful to my community and to my world when I listen to the word of God, when I delight in the word of God, and when I act according to the word of God.
