Like A Tree – Psalm 1:1-3
Introduction: Psalm 1 is anonymous. It is one of the “orphan psalms.” The theme is God’s Word and how it is to be loved, pondered, and obeyed by His people. It shows us God’s Word as the great safeguard against the blandishments and philosophies of the unsaved man. This Psalm belongs more to the category of “wisdom” rather to the hymns and prayers that make up most of the book. This psalm introduces the entire collection of psalms by describing the type of person who reads and uses them.
1. A Safegaurded Life (1:1)
a. The foolish advice or council of the ungodly. The word “happy” or “blessed” (´ashrei) refers to the joy and satisfaction that comes from knowing that one is right with God, even though at times the world may bring difficulties. The word “man” in this verse is referring to persons in general, here any believer who is trying to live in obedience with God. You may ask, “Should all of our advice come from only Christian minds?” Well, that would be good. The advice of unbelievers may be necessary in matters of commerce, law, medicine, or other technical fields, but this psalm is concerned with spiritual matters such as ethics, morality, and faithfulness to the Lord in daily life. Sometimes we are looking to hear some specific advice just to do the wrong thing. Man’s will does not line up with God’s will. We must be careful to not take the advice or “walk in the council of the ungodly.” Even then, we may get the go-ahead from man, but the final say must be from God. (Isaiah 40:20, Prov. 4:14-19)
b. The friendly association of sinners. If you walk in the counsel of the ungodly, you’ll soon find yourself standing in the way of sinners. That is, you’ll be stopped in your tracks and eventually find youself in the company of those who mock and dismiss the things of God. We must surround ourselves with the people who we know are trying to live in the lines of God’s will for their lives. I am not saying to isolate yourselves from the rest of the world. In fact it is our duty, given to us from God Himself, to interact with the lost people and be a witness to them. I am saying to have a friendly association with sinners, but we must be careful not to let them be an influence on us, but the other way around. As a new believer, you should have someone strong in their walk with God to consult with for questioning, prayer, and fellowship. It is our job to witness, but not to “stand in the way of sinners.” The Bible tells us that “one plants, another waters, but God brings the increase.”
c. The full acceptance of scorners. Christians, too much of the time, try and fit in with the mockers. We try to be accepted by the ungodly. As a believer in Jesus Christ, we do not need their acceptance. The Bible tells us that we are already accepted in full by our Heavenly Father. We do not need to be concerned with earthly acceptance, but be concerned about God’s acceptance. It is God who “Was, Is, and Is to come.” The Bible tells us in Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” The earthly will fade away. Our life here on earth is “like a vapor”, Job says. You will never see a hurst pulling a u-haul trailer. Let’s not be so concerned about “sitting in the seat of the scornful.”
2. A Spiritual Life (1:2)
a. Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, not under it, but in it. As believers were not under the law (Romans 3:28). In it we can glean principles, precepts, and see pictures of our Lord and Savior. Meditate day and night in the Word. Meditation involves studying a passage of scripture, memorizing it, praying about it, and exhorting oneself to fulfill it. Many Christians say they are meditating in the Word when they are simply reading it. As crucial that is, it is not meditating. It is wonderful to just read through the different stories of God’s Word, but to meditate is more emotionally deep. Spiritual success depends on the constant study and application of God’s Word. The Bible tells us in Duet. 6:6-9, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” The Hebrew word translated "meditate" speaks of what a cow does after grazing all day. As she chews the cud over and over again, she extracts every nutrient. In other words, to meditate means to ponder a section of the Word day and night, extracting more from its inexhaustible supply each time (Jon Cursor). We are to memorize God’s word for the transformation of our minds. These verses are telling us to read it, teach it, speak it, and live it. We are to do this in the morning, night, through our day. The way to do this is have the Word stored in your heart. When you are presented with certain situations through your day, the Holy Spirit will pull these words out of your memory bank for you to help you asses the options.
3. A Successful Life (1:3). The promise of prosperity is qualified by the context: “whatever he does” will be determined by living in obedience to the Scriptures. That is what will prosper.
a. Prominence (like a tree). To be prominent, is to be widely known. We are to project outward from the line which we started in our faith. A tree is a prominent part of nature. We are also to be prominent in the world. Let our faith be known. Always move forward. We are to be bold like a tree. Just like a tree is always growing, so should our faith.
b. Permanence (planted). This quality of the Christian life is crucial. We must be permanently planted in God’s Word. We need to be permanent in our faith and not let anything shake us. We are to be rooted by the Word of God. This means that if a decision came up, a problem, or a doubt, we should always refer to God’s Word for assurance. This permanence gives us security. There are many Christians who float in the wind and compromise their faith with the world. We are to stand firm with security and permanence.
c. Position (by the streams of water). As important it is to be planted, we must make sure we don’t plant our self in a field that’s getting chopped down by lumber workers. We are to plant ourselves by streams of water. Water nourishes and feeds the tree to grow strong and permanent. Just like the tree has water, we need God’s Word to nourish, feed, and council us. We should also have a pastor of our lives. Not just the one you listen to every Sunday morning. I’m talking about a pastor (someone in your personal life) who you can consult on a personal level. This will be just another Christian whom you trust for biblical advice and not just opinion. If you want opinions just ask your spouse. As you know, our troops over in foreign countries right now have certain positions to fill. If one soldier dos not plant themselves in the right position, the mission could be damaged. If we do not assume the right positions, we to can damage the mission for Christ.
d. Productivity (fruit). When a tree is healthy, drinking water, and firmly planted it doesn’t only grow, but it bears fruit. If we are reading and meditating God’s word, position ourselves in the correct area, and firmly plant ourselves, we too will bear fruit for Jesus. By our fruit, others can tell what really mattes to us. If we are always buying new things and that is our fruit than we know that money is important to you. What is the fruit in your life? Do you have any fruit? Is your fruit sour or sweet? What types of fruit is your life producing?
e. Perpetuity (leaf does not wither). We are to be in the state of being perpetual. That is never ending, for eternity, or “leaf does not wither. When the weather gets to cold leafs wither and fall off of the trees. We are to stand in the cold. When life gets cold we need to look at it as a test that will only make us stronger. We cannot fold to harsh times and bad weather. The leaf of God does not wither and we are the leaf. When we wake up and open our Bible and start to doze off, do not wither. That is satan fighting for your mind. I once read a book that suggested the term, “no Bible, no breakfast.”
f. Prosperity (everything he doeth). If we abide in God, everything we do will prosper. We may not always see it right away, or even ever see it. We must choose what we want our ministry on earth to be about, us or the generations to come. We need to leave a legacy for Christ, not our name. There are two habits that can make it easier for you to focus on God constantly. First, memorize four or five Bible passages that really speak to you. These passages can be anywhere from one to several verses in length. Make it a practice to pray these passages to the Lord through the day. As you pray through a passage, personalize it to your needs or concerns. Second, regularly ponder these passages or other scripture, thinking of what they mean, of how you can internalize them, apply them, and of how you can promote them to others.
Conclusion: A mature Christian mind is one that sees all of life in light of a Christian worldview and is growing in intellectual excellence. A worldview is the sum total of all the things one believes, especially reality, truth, knowledge, and value. A Christian worldview is a biblically grounded set of beliefs all about all of life, from work, recreation, and finances to God, life after death, and morality. One tries to think of all of life in light of the teachings of the Holy Scripture, and more specifically, of the Lord Jesus. There is no secular/sacred separation in such a mind. All of life is an occasion for discipleship and worship for a mature Christian mind. Further, an intellectually excellent mind is one that is informed, that makes important distinctions when a less mature mind fails to do so, and that has deeper and deeper insights into issues of importance. To develop such excellence, one must regularly read, listen to tapes, and expose one self to excellent teaching. You must also be willing to engage others, believers and unbelievers, in conversation about important worldview issues. Regular practice of these things, if combined with a growing ability to listen non - defensively, will bring motivation and opportunity for regular growth in intellectual excellence.
