Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

In Psalm 1, two groups are contrasted: the blessed (who are also the righteous) and the wicked. Each of us belongs to one of these groups. The groups have nothing in common, nor are they associated in any way – they are complete opposites. The blessed experience happiness because they seek to honour God (and no one or nothing else) in everything they do, as a result, they flourish because He nourishes them (Psa 1:3,6) — unlike the wicked.

In the first two verses, the Psalmist states that the blessed meditate on the law of the Lord day and night and do not mix with the wicked (also described as sinners and scoffers). Meditating on the law of the Lord guarantees happiness by deepening our appreciation of, and relationship with, the Lord Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law (Mat 5:17).  Meditation can be done continuously, as there is always something new and wonderful to discover about God and His Son in His Word.

The Psalmist, in addition to describing what the blessed focus on, tells us they divinely prosper (Psa 1:3). The picture of the tree (the blessed), fully nourished, standing tall, yielding fruit with healthy leaves, contrasts sharply with the chaff (the wicked) blown about in the wind. The wicked have no stability, no certainty and no true purpose. The blessed, in contrast, stand strong, pointing to their magnificent Creator, who is the source of their strength.

There are important lessons in the way the tree is described. Its location, for example, is significant; it stands by a river, thus it is never thirsty, reminding us that the Lord Jesus Christ promises that whoever drinks of the water He gives will never thirst (Joh 4:14). Its fruit pictures two benefits God can direct to others through the blessed. He can nourish those around them and encourage them to keep up the good fight (1 Tim 6:12). The tree also has healthy leaves and therefore provides shelter from harsh weather and turns disturbing howls of wind into peaceful rustling, reminding us that the blessed are God’s messengers of divine comfort and peace. The blessed are therefore not only happy because they themselves are flourishing but also because of the benefit, as an avenue of God’s love, they are to others.

The Psalmist finishes by looking into the future. It is a confronting picture that serves as a warning. In love, God in Psalm 1 reminds us that He knows the way of the righteous. God has prepared a way for anyone to be declared righteous (John 14:6), and nothing can take us off track – not even our flaws. He did this by sending His Son to die for us (our sin).  We have no righteousness in ourselves, but God declares everyone who accepts His Son as their Saviour as righteous (2 Cor 5:21). Ignoring His invitation to accept that Jesus Christ died for us results in us being separated from Him for all eternity – the bible describes this as perishing.

True happiness is accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and devoting ourselves to knowing Him more and more.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;  for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1:3-6