When Our Delight Overtakes Our Distractions {Psalm 1-4}

Did you know there are only two kinds of people in this world?

Psalm 1 is actually an introduction to the rest of the Book of Psalms. It introduces us to the two different kinds of people that can be found throughout the Psalms and actually, the whole Bible. It speaks of the blessedness of the righteous and the misery and future of the wicked. It seems as though the author introduces us to the two ways of life in order for us to consider which category we fit in. I also found it interesting that all of this is based upon what we do with God’s Word, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  

“Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the way of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on His law [teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.

And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season;
Its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.” –Psalm 1:1-3 (AMP)

Psalm 1 describes two ways to live: the way of the world, or the way of the Word. Those who “walk in the way of the wicked…” are simply people who settle on the world’s values. They are those who seek independence from God, those who have only a human or earthly perspective on life; who choose to live according to the world’s standards and not God’s. For a time this way of life may seem to be a prosperous life, but Psalm 1 makes it clear that it is only for a time, for in the end they will suffer and be blown away like chaff. 

BUT, not so the one who depends and delight in The Word of God! This one recognizes the worthlessness of the world’s wisdom and values and chooses to follow God’s Word. This is the one who chooses a life of faith (Jeremiah 17:7–8) that leads to fruitfulness, blessings and fellowship with God; both now and for eternity.
As I’ve meditate on these verses, I believe the key to the difference between the two is found in verse 2, “but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Did you notice the progression: delight, then meditation? Delight is a response of the heart to something or someone—in this case, to God’s Word.

The word “delight” means a high degree of gratification or pleasure: joy, extreme satisfaction, something that gives great pleasure. (Like being able to enjoy a hot fudge sundae with all the fixings guilt-FREE! :-). It means we’re devouring and digging into the Scriptures to find every bit of treasure we can! No one ever described it better than the author of Psalm 119, 

Since I love your commands more than gold, even the purest gold.-Psalm 119:127
Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.-Psalm 119:72

David felt his desire for God was even more important than sleep,
When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches. -Psalm 63:6

Job would say that his love for God’s Word was more important to him than food.
I have not departed from the commands from his lips; I have treasured the words from his mouth more than my daily food.- Job 23:12

I found myself asking, “Is my delight for God’s Word like these men are describing?  Do I desire being in His Word more than food, sleep, or riches?

The second response the author uses is the word, meditate. Meditation involves careful thought—it takes work, which needs to involve our will. To meditate means to saturate your mind. This word “meditate” has been described as a cow chewing their cud. It is the idea of mulling over something in the mind, and giving deep thought to it.

The trouble is our lives are becoming more and more distracting. We’re becoming experts at multi-tasking, surfing, and skimming articles, but it’s getting harder to simply slow down and meditate on what we’re reading. Therefore, we’ve got to be intentional about finding a way to begin meditating on God’s Word if that’s truly our desire.

I’ve come up with a few suggestions, but it’s going to be up to you to discover what works best for you.

·         Find a consistent time, place, and plan. Be intentional about your good intentions!

·         Read slowly and carefully.

·         Read out loud (which is implied in the Hebrew word for meditation in Psalm 1:2).

·         OR, listen to the Word read out loud to you, rewind and listen again.

·         Read prayerfully.

·         Read with a pen in hand.

·         Memorize texts that jump out to you.

·         Read with others and talk about what you’ve seen. (On WitW)

I’ve started trying to memorize Scriptures that jump out to me, by writing them down in several places throughout my home. First I’ll add them into my journal, then on sticky notes that are placed on the refrigerator, mirrors, etc. and finally on a decorative plate that I pass by often. I find by writing the verse(s) out several times it helps to truly break down the verse to gather it’s true meaning, and I can remember it far easier, which means I’m more apt to follow it.

One example of this was after my mother went home to heaven; I became overwhelmed with the task of settling her estate! I immediately went to work calling companies to cancel all her accounts and so forth, and I found my brain became so filled with the daunting task that I was becoming very forgetful about other important or even simple tasks, and the stress was becoming overwhelming. The Lord jumped in almost immediately with the verse in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God…” It kept popping up everywhere; even the song, which includes Psalm 46:10 was sung at my mother’s funeral, and I knew instantly it was meant for me. Since, I can’t begin to describe to you how many times the Lord has used it to speak to my heart and the instant peace that washes over me. (He is so good!)

I believe the greatest benefit that comes from delighting in and meditating on God’s Word is knowing the God of the Word more deeply and intimately, rather than simply knowing His Word. When He begins to reveal Himself to you more and more through your time spent in His Word, your heart will also be able to echo the words of Job, David and the author of Psalm 119.     

I pray all of us will lay hold of the blessings of Psalm 1 as we begin to delight in God’s Word and seek to strengthen our relationship with our Lord and Savior this year through intentionally meditating on His words to each of us.

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Through the month of May we'll be reading through The Book of Psalms and I can think of no better place to begin if you truly desire to know God better. If you'd like to join us for this adventure, I want to invite you to join a wonderful eclectic group of women from all over the world on a Facebook group we call Women in the Word! Simply click the link and there will be someone there to welcome you to our group!