The blessed one
by Neil Bergmann
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Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers (Psalm 1:1).
Read Psalm 1
There are two different ways to read this psalm. First, this psalm encourages each of us about how to live our lives. In Romans 12, Paul talks about rejecting the patterns of this world and, instead, discerning God’s will. What Paul calls the patterns of this world is what the psalmist calls the ways of the wicked, the sinner and the mocker. What Paul calls God’s will, the psalmist calls the law of the Lord.
The psalmist also uses some other images. One is a fruitful tree versus chaff blown away by the wind, representing a fulfilling life as God’s disciples instead of a wasted life following false dreams. There is also the image of a road, where we have a choice between two paths, one watched over by God and one leading to destruction.
As believers in Christ, our actions don’t determine our eternal fate. We know we are redeemed and saved by God’s grace. However, our decisions determine how we live our lives here on Earth. Following God’s will, the law of the Lord or God’s commandments (they all mean much the same thing), is the true path to happiness, so don’t be distracted by the false promises offered by the world around us.
The second way to read the psalm is to ask: Who is the blessed one whose delight is in the law of the Lord? Jesus, of course! Jesus appears in the very first verse of the whole Book of Psalms. As we read through the psalms with post-resurrection eyes, we can see that Jesus’ incarnation was always part of God’s plan. Jesus lived, died and was resurrected so that we would know that our salvation doesn’t depend on anything that we can do. Jesus has done it all.
Jesus also came as the ultimate teacher on how to live our lives here on Earth, and this is where our decisions are important. As the psalmist here pictures it, we have a choice in our lives about which path we take. We can choose to follow the way of the world, where we take pride in our own achievements and in our worldly wealth. That path does not lead to happiness; it leads to disappointment. Instead, we can choose the path where God watches over us and where we can participate in sharing God’s love with all people and creation. There lies true happiness.
God of all wisdom, help us to make wise choices in our lives. Watch over us as we walk the way that you have planned for your righteous and redeemed people. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale, Queensland. He enjoys the quieter pace of life after retirement, especially being able to spend more time with his wife, Margit, and their daughter, Elina.
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