A Favorite Psalm For the New Year

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S FRUITS OF HERESY

PSALM 1

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.
⁴ The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

THE NOURISHING WORD (Commentary and prayer below by Tim Keller)

PSALM 1 is the gateway to the rest of the psalms.  The 'law' is all scripture, to 'meditate' on is to think out its implications for all life, and to 'delight' in it means not merely to comply, but to love what God commands.  Christian have their attitude towards God changed from one to duty to free loving self-giving because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.  So to know how to meditate on and delight in the Bible is the secret to a relationship with God and to life itself. Views contrary to God's Word are no anchor in time of need. God's Word gives us the resilience of a tree with a source of living water that will never dry up.

Prayer:  Lord of the Word, don't let me be seduced by the world---either naively going with the crowd or becoming a hardened cynic.  Help me meditate on your Word to the point of delight.  Give me stability and contentment regardless of the circumstances.  How I need that!  Amen