The Blessedness of Godliness

Psalm 1:1-3 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.  2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  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.

These verses have a simple, yet profound message.  First, stay away from ungodliness (vs. 1).  Second, delight in God’s Word (vs. 2).  Third, enjoy the benefits that right living brings (vs. 3).

Staying away from ungodliness is easy to say, but difficult in practice.  There is ungodliness all around us.  We see it daily.  It takes constant effort to avoid sin and its influences, but there are blessings to be had when we do.

Verse 2 speaks of meditating in God’s Word “day and night”.  The idiom here means constantly or regularly.  We need to have more than a casual acquaintance with the Bible.  It needs to be our delight.  The Hebrew word translated “delight” means “take pleasure in” or “have a longing for”.  Bible study should be something Christians desire and look forward to.

The results of avoiding sin and meditating in God’s Word are stability (“like a tree”), productivity (“bringing forth his fruit”), endurance (“shall not whither”), and prosperity (“shall prosper”).  Those are incredible blessings that any believer would desire.