“But his delight is in
the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psl.1:2)
The first three verses of Psalm one
give us a thumbnail sketch of the godly man, not so much to evaluate others,
but more importantly, to judge ourselves. Briefly, the godly individual is
characterized as someone who knows how to rightly discern people, and wisdom to
choose friends accordingly (v. 1); who has an affinity for Biblical precepts as
laid down by God alone (v. 2); with stability and fruitfulness that lasts
through times of storm and drought (v. 3). Or as Warren Wiersbe puts it, he’s
separated from the world, saturated with the Word, and situated by the water.
It’s the second of these three
attributes that stands out to me today, the fact that the godly man or woman
both delights and meditates in God’s
law. I see a cycle working here that to me would surely account for the
stability exhibited in verse three. The more one meditates on the Word of God,
the more he or she will delight in it. At the same time, when we find delight
in God’s Word, the more we’re inclined to meditate on it. By the way, meditation,
which is focused thinking, should not be confused with imagination, which is
undisciplined “wool-gathering,” and is a heathen activity, as the Psalmist
points out in the next chapter. “Why do
the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” (Psl .2:1).
Are
you ever amazed by how a later reading of a text or passage brings new
perspective for you? It’s not because the Word has changed; it’s because you
have. The Bible is “self-adjusting.” By this I mean, it speaks to you where you
are in your walk with God. It provides milk for the new believer as well as
meat for the seasoned Christian—often with the same text, no less!
Here’s what I’m saying. Don’t wait till
you delight in the Bible to read it. You can jump in at ether place—meditation
or delight—because one invariably leads to the other. The Psalmist didn’t say
the godly man reads the Bible day and
night, only that he meditates on it.
Picture it like this: “In his law doth he marinate
day and night.” J
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