Read
BOOK I
(Psalms 1–41)
The Way to Happiness
1God blesses those people
who refuse evil advice
and won't follow sinners
or join in sneering at God.
2Instead, they find happiness
in the Teaching of the Lord,
and they think about it
day and night.
3 They are like trees
growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
in everything they do.
4That isn't true of those
who are evil—
they are like straw
blown by the wind.
5Sinners won't have an excuse
on the day of judgment,
and they won't have a place
with the people of God.
6The Lord protects everyone
who follows him,
but the wicked follow a road
that leads to ruin.
Reflect
Have you ever noticed the prominent role that trees play in the Bible? The creation account in Genesis begins with God planting two very special trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After our first parent’s disobedience, we were banned from access to the Tree of Life. But the amazing, good news of the Bible is that at the end of the book, in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation, God restores our access to the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:1-5).
In a very real sense the Bible is a story about trees.
Here in the very first psalm, the life of the righteous is compared to a fruit-bearing tree, flourishing by streams of water. The psalmist presents a picture of tranquil beauty. Is that a picture of my life? Sometimes I feel more like windblown chaff – rather worthless and lacking a sense of direction.
But that’s where the other tree at the heart of the Bible comes into play. It stands on a hill called Calvary. There my Saviour bled and died. There he showed me my true worth. There my sins were washed away, never to be remembered again. That’s where I was forgiven by the grace and forgiveness of Christ.
What a beautiful tree!
Respond
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice. Help me to always remember that you are the true source of my righteousness. At your prompting help me to rid myself of the worthless chaff in my life. Wind of God, blow on me. Water of Life, refresh my soul. May I be fruitful, Lord, for You. Amen.
David Kitz
David Kitz is an actor, an award-winning author, and teacher. For more than thirty years, he has served as an ordained pastor. His love for drama is evident to all who have seen his Bible-based performances. He has toured across Canada and United States with a variety of one man plays for children and adults. Raised in Saskatchewan, David now lives in Ottawa with his wife Karen. Books in print: The Soldier Who Killed a King, Little Froggy Explores the BIG World, Psalms Alive!, Tunks on Tongues