A couple of days ago, in our Facebook Table Talk Tuesday, I invited people to join me in some daily devotional reading from the Psalms (three a day). Having, this year, read through the Gospels with our Confirmands, following right away with the Acts of the Apostles, and then to the start of the Bible with Genesis, I felt a tug to hear the message again from some of the Psalms

One Bible scholar describes the Psalms like this:

The Psalms are the poetry of the reign of the Lord. They are the praise and proclamation and prayer of those who believe that the confession ‘The LORD reigns’ states the basic truth about the world and life lived in it. The Lord’s rule is, first of all, the double work of creation and salvation.

The biblical songs in the Psalms follow this theme, making God the focus of our life. There are variety of styles included here: Prayer for help of an individual; the Thanksgiving of an individual; Corporate prayer for help; Hymns; Psalms of Instruction; Laments; Songs of Ascension; Enthronement Psalms.

The first Psalm sets the stage for these songs, inviting us into a life-giving relationship with God.

Psalm 1

¹ Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
² but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
³ They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper. 

⁴ The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Let’s spend a few days focusing on the God who created and saves us.

Prayer

Help me, dear God, to be nourished by your word in such a way that I will continue to produce good fruit in my life, as I accept my place as your child. Amen.