Psalm 1 – delight is in the law of the LORD

Blessed is he whose delight is in the law of the lord

Psalm 1 

     Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man 
             who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked 
     or stand in the way of sinners 
             or sit in the seat of mockers. 

     Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, 
             and on his law he meditates day and night. 

     Ps 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, 
             which yields its fruit in season 
     and whose leaf does not wither. 
             Whatever he does prospers. 

     Ps 1:4 Not so the wicked! 
             They are like chaff 
             that the wind blows away. 

     Ps 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, 
             nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 

     Ps 1:6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, 
             but the way of the wicked will perish. 

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Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

I really wondered about this concept a lot last year. The part about meditating on it day and night.

The question is whether there's more to life than meditating on the law of God day and night. It's a matter of focus. There's a difference between strictly meditating on the law of the Lord and doing what Paul wrote below:

The Believer’s Freedom

1Co 10:23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

1Co 10:25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

1Co 10:27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake— 29 the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

1Co 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Notice especially, within the full context of the passage:

1Co 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

This made me begin to wonder, am I spending too much time doing the literal meditating on the Word of God - as opposed to the Law of God since I'm Christian and not subject to the Law - and thereby missing out on things? Missing out on so many good things that God created for us to enjoy?

I try hard to include life applications in the things I write. But then, am I limiting myself even in that, by having tunnel vision on the Word and missing out on the world? And by that, I mean enjoying the things God created in the way He meant for us to enjoy them.

After all, Jesus used all sorts of common things in life in order to speak to people about the Father and the Kingdom of Heaven. Just think about the parables He told.

I feel like I used to do more of that. Not so much lately. COVID is probably to blame for some of that. But then, is COVID also a convenient excuse for the introvert in me to not get out?

My view

We had a retreat at church on Dec 31st to review 2022 and look ahead to 2023. This is part of what I considered at the retreat.

I based my morning - looking back at 2022 - on the passage below. It's an Old Testament passage, but I wanted to try to apply it to my life today.

The Offer of Life or Death

Dt 30:11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.