Daily Fiber
for the soul

by Edward E. Thomason

PSALM 1
 SLICE ONE: LEARNING
 (feed your head)

The "crust" of the matter:
A contrast of Life’s choices

 Ingredients this serving:
This is a summary psalm:
Ps 1:1-3 Blessings of the godly
Ps 1:4-6 Perils of the ungodly
The progress of sin:

Lesson: Beware the opinions, practice and company of sinful people.

Ps 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Comments to munch on:


"Walk." The godly do not listen to and live by the opinions of the ungodly; "Stand." The godly do not stand with and have anything in common with those who practice sin;   "Sit." The godly do not fellowship nor rest with those who scorn God.

1. Do you see the progressive nature of sin in this verse?
2. Discuss the kind of council the ungodly offer?

 

The prosperity of the godly:

Lesson: The godly find delight and blessing in the council of God.

Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 Comments to munch on:
"Meditate." To "chew the cud." (Get all the sweetness and nutritional value from God’s word.)

1. Do you agree that what a man "thinks upon in his heart" is a what he often becomes?
2. Can that which occupies our thoughts serve as a "spiritual index" of sorts? If so, what should we do about it?

Ps 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Comments to munch on:
The "rivers" (plural) of water are ample to nourish it in all seasons. God’s word is like many rivers with its message of pardon, grace, promises and assurances along with its councils for righteous living. The godly man is an evergreen tree (alive and flourishing), a fruitful tree, and so that "whatsoever he doeth" (good deeds) always seem to prosper. (This verse does not say the godly will prosper "materially" but prosper in their good deeds.)

1. Discuss the kind of tree that a godly person is in the sight of God.
2. Discuss: Where does it grow? How does it come to be there? What does it yield?

 

The prospects of the future:

Lesson: After considering the blessings of the godly, the psalmist says it is "not so" with the ungodly.

Ps 1:4-6 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Comments to munch on:
The ungodly are like "chaff driven by the wind." Worthless, dead, of no service - once they are separated from the wheat they are doomed to perish. The ungodly face a double doom. They will be condemned and separated from the saints. 

They will not stand (they will fall) in the judgment of God and will not be a part of the congregation (assembly) of the righteous, a reference to heaven.

As long as the ungodly are associated with the godly they should thank God. Like in the days of Noah and Lot when they were separated from the wicked, destruction came upon them.

SLICE TWO: LIVING
(nourish your soul)

1. Who are your closest friends? (People of the world or Christians?) Who do you consult and listen to most often for advice and opinions?
2. Do you delight in the law of the Lord or the lewdness of the world? Upon what do you spend time meditating on? (How to get rich. Hobbies. Work. Trivial pursuits. God’s word and how it applies to your life?) Which is best?

A FEW MORE CRUMBS
(fragments overlooked)
Lesson: "The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous." The way is often not seen by the eye of man but God knows where the pathway is leading.

Let us trust in His leadership and council.

Edward Thomason - copyright © 2000