Day 268 · Year 1 · The Story of Scripture
A tree by streams of water
The Psalms open with a picture of a life that lasts.
Today's passage
Psalm 1:1-3
1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
Berean Standard Bible · public domain
Reflection
Psalm 1 sets the table for the whole Psalter: there are two ways to live, and only one of them has roots. The person who 'meditates on his law day and night' is like a tree planted by streams — not flashy, but steady. The wicked, by contrast, are 'chaff that the wind drives away.' Notice what the tree does: it does not strive; it draws. Spiritual depth is mostly about where you are planted, not how hard you are flexing. Today, the question is not 'am I producing enough?' but 'am I drinking from the right stream?'
From the great tradition · paraphrased
Benedict of Nursia · Medieval · 5th–6th c. · Italy
Benedict's whole rule of life is essentially Psalm 1 turned into a schedule — daily Scripture, daily prayer, daily work — so a soul has steady streams to drink from.
Paraphrase only. Scripture, not any teacher, is the authority.
Think it through
- What three things does the blessed person not do in verse 1?
- What does the blessed person do, and what is the result?
- What 'stream' do you need to plant yourself by this week?
A prayer to pray
Ask God for the small daily disciplines that keep your roots in his Word.