Meditation on Psalm 1

Blessed is the man
Who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Or stand in the way of sinners,
Or sit in the seat of scoffers;
But his delight is in the instruction of the LORD,
And on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
whose leaves don't shrivel up.
In all that he does, he prospers!

Evil men aren't like this,
but are like ashes that the wind blows away.
And so they won't stand in the day of judgement,
nor amongst the community of the righteous...

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous man,
but the way of the evil man will be destroyed.


My prayer in response...

LORD, please bless me as you have named me:
Make me a man after your own heart.
Help me to stop walking in ways that are deceitful and misleading.
Help me not to lie down in laziness...negligent of the family and friends you have given me.
Help me not to sit in judgement, dishonouring my elders with my scoffing cynicism.

Instead LORD, stoke the fire of the joy of following Jesus within my heart.
May my life be overflowing with encouragement and blessing for others.
May the meditation of my heart and the words of my lips be pleasing in your sight!

LORD, your steadfast love never ceases!
It flows like a river and waters my soul.
Help me to grow like a tree, planted and nourished by the living waters of your Spirit.
As one firmly planted, help me to yield fruit
according to the seasons in which you grant me life.
Let me spring forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
May the abundance of your good gifts not shrivel up in the burning sun of the barren desert of this life.
LORD, grow me in your Word
so that everything I do
would encourage those around me to grow
in their love for the one who destroyed death on our behalf.

Help me not to play the evil man,
whose good behaviour belies so much hypocrisy,
whose shallow character will be exposed by the depths of your judgement.
May the refining fire of your discipline renew a steadfast spirit within me....
prevent me from being blown away like ash in a bushfire.
Instead LORD, cultivate within me the character you desire.
For your judgement will be final and complete.

Who, without Christ, will be able to withstand your anger?
Where can we turn but for the Mediator you have provided?
Who will live outside the gathering of your people around the cross?

You know the way of the ones granted righteousness in Christ
and you know the way of those who will die in the barren wasteland...
without Jesus, without the Spirit and without hope.

Amen.