Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 1 (ESV)
The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
What are the “Blessed” like and not like?
Lord God, You have given me comfort, wisdom, and direction through the Words of the Bible. I delight in Your Word; it comes to life and speaks to me as I read it and meditate on it. Your Word gives me a foundation for life and makes me content. Your Word soaks into my soul and becomes part of who I am. When I follow the instructions in Your Word, it molds my decisions. Your Word and Your Spirit help me to discern evil. When people are not living according to Your laws, I can feel it in my soul. Help me to be a light to lead the unbelievers to Your saving grace, but isolate me from their ways so I do not fall into temptation for evil. The ways of the wicked will perish and I don’t want any part of that. Bless me in my hunger for Your righteousness. Open my heart and my mind to Your guidance so that I can follow Your will in all that I do and be satisfied. Let the fruit in my life be a reflection of Your loving kindness. Amen