Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper....
Psalms 1:1-3
God's Word is full of promises of blessings. Great blessings for our families, even generations to come are promised. The greatest promise is fulfilled in Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah. His Blood and our belief and acceptance of its atoning work bridges the gap between man and God forever. The Bible is sometimes called the law of the Lord, and it is our guidebook. But even more amazingly it spells out the character of God and explains His infinite Mercy and Love for us. As you read the Bible you can meet the Almighty God Himself as a real, responsive, intimate person. It says in the Gospel of John that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. Jesus is the Word of God in tangible form.
Psalms 1 begins with a blessing for a godly person. This does not mean we all must become religious and follow every letter of the law. It means that we hold God's Word above the logic of the world, and the opinions of man. But the key that I want to bring forth here is the phrase: "his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
What does it mean to delight in the law of the Lord? I know people who delight in Starbucks, or ice cream, or perhaps in their grandchildren. Things I could definitely delight in. I love reading the Word of God, to me it is always alive and relevant. But I have heard others, even pastors and leaders--godly men and women--who speak of seasons where the Word is dry and difficult to read. But that doesn't mean that they would place God's Word lower than other sources of counsel. There is simply a special blessing for those who have pursued God and find His law their delight.
I am one who delights in the law of the Lord, but have found myself in busy seasons where my day and my life is so full of other things that I am not meditating on the Word. I thank God that He has so imparted His Word to my heart that it is there at the tip of my tongue when someone is in need of encouragement, or wisdom--including myself. But again, this Psalm is promising a special blessing.
How can we attain God's richest blessings in our busy world? To begin with we must realize just how precious His Word is. Read Psalm 119, it gives the best overall picture of how valuable the Word of God is. There are many people in this world who don't have access to a Bible, yet they would consider it very precious if they could obtain one. Many of us have heard stories of those in China who have torn a New Testament into individual pages, so that they could share pieces among house churches. Others dedicate their lives to translating it into new languages, to reach more people. It seems to me those who have perhaps several Bibles are the ones who use it more for a reference book than as something precious. The people who read the Word regularly are those who seem to know the heart of God the best. Those who come to us and ask for prayer because they can't hear God and need his direction, are the ones who spend little time reading, let alone meditating on His Word.
The word for meditate is a word that indicates chewing, like a cow chews its cud. Bring it back into your mind as you drive or do chores, and turn it over in your mind. Pray and ask God for His Revelation on a subject or specific scripture. Perhaps you can begin by memorizing these 3 verses, or choose one that is your favorite from anywhere in Bible. Perhaps God would have you pray a portion of scripture for a season over a loved one, or yourself. These are different ways to bring the Word into the forefront of your mind. Your life will begin to change, because your perspective will begin to change. This isn't a formula, and you won't see results overnight. But God's promises are true. I would love to see more of God's people prosper so that the Gospel can go forth in greater measure.
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