How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

                                                                                                                        Psalm 1:1-3 

Everyone wants to be blessed. To be blessed of God is to have favor from God actively demonstrated in your life. Psalm 1 paints a picture of the blessed man or woman and it begins with what they should avoid.

(1) Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. A believer should avoid taking spiritual advice from those who do not belong to God. Obviously, an advice giver should be someone who has experience in the area in which they are giving advice. A wicked person does not have the capacity to give sound spiritual advice therefore the godly person should avoid all such opinions.

(2) Blessed is the man who does not stand in the way of sinners. The world marches to the beat of a different drummer and that beat is taking them down a path to spiritual destruction. Believers should avoid any lifestyle that does not honor God.

(3) Blessed is the man who does not sit in the seat of mockers. One thing you can expect from those that the Bible identifies as wicked; they will have an absolute disregard and lack of respect for the things of God. These mockers make fun of things they do not understand and by doing so, put themselves in a precarious spiritual position. The blessed avoid all such empty chatter.

But the Psalmist goes beyond pointing out the things that a blessed man avoids by stating that, unlike the world, his delight is in meditating in the law of the Lord day and night. God’s word is spiritual food for the believer. To go without a deep and passionate study of the Bible is to go without the spiritual nourishment and fellowship that God desires for you to enjoy. It also keeps the believer from falling into doctrinal systems that are far from the truth of scripture. For the Christian, everything in the Old Testament should be appreciated in light of the gospel and the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can meditate on the law, but not for the purposes of salvation, rather the believer can, by extension, meditate on all of God’s word both from the old and new covenants.

So how do we apply the law to the Christian life? I believe the law has two main functions in the life of the believer.

(1) The law is designed to lead us to Christ or if we are already saved, it can act as a reminder of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross and deepen our appreciation and devotion to Him. Consider the following:

But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious… 

                                                                                                          1 Timothy 1:8-9a

No doubt you have seen a speed limit sign on the highway. Imagine if everyone drove the speed limit all of the time with no exceptions (I know that’s not reality). But if that was reality, there would be no need for the signs. Only when you violate the law does the sign come into play. The officer who pulls you over might say, “I clocked you doing 87 in a 65.” He makes reference to your speed and compares that to the law, clearly marked on the sign. This is what it means that the law is made for the lawless, not for the righteous. Often, the exact opposite is portrayed. Many believe that being a Christian means adhering to a stringent set of rules. But the truth is that Christians have been set free from the curse of the Law and are no longer judged according to their mistakes. At the same time, the non-believer is the one who remains under the curse of the Law having rejected the salvation offered by God’s grace through Jesus Christ. So the Law is designed to lead us to Christ and can afford all believers an opportunity to worship God for the greatness of His gift of salvation.

(2) But the Law can also assist us in living our lives for Christ. This is not done as a set of rules rather the Law reminds us of how we are to treat others. Jesus sums up the Law in two actions, loving God and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40). The New Testament writers echo the same sentiment with an emphasis placed on the treatment of others as a means of fulfilling the Law of God. Consider the following:

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

                                                                                                                     Matthew 7:12 

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

                                                                                                            Romans 13:8-10 

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

                                                                                                                          Galatians 5:14 

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            James 2:8

So the Law can assist us in focusing on what is of most importance, loving God and loving others.

Finally, the Psalmist paints a picture of what this blessed life looks like. This person will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. This person will never cease to bear spiritual fruit. This person’s leaves will not wither and in whatever they do, they will prosper. This analogy is a description of a life that is spiritually strong and is positioned to make a major impact on this world for the kingdom of God. This is the result of a life devoted to God and His word.

Do you meditate on the word of God? What role does the study of the Bible have in your daily life? I would like to encourage you to make the study of God’s word a priority in your life. It can make an eternal difference!