A Tree Firmly Planted (Psalm 1:1-3)

1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 

1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  

1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

Psalm 1 is an amazing passage that contrasts the righteous and the wicked. The text refers not to what people say, but what they do. The author of the psalm proclaims the same message as James: But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). 

Simply put, works do not save a person, but they are the natural result of an authentic salvation experience. A true Christian demonstrates that he is a believer by his lifestyle. Psalm 1:1-3 describes the character of a child of God:

1. The Believer’s Walk (1:1)

Verse 1 explains what godly character is not. The one who follows God receives multiple blessings because: 1) he does not take the advice of the wicked, 2) he does not live like the wicked, and 3) he does not sit with the scorners. Notice the digression of the three activities in this verse: walk, stand, sit. As Lot slowly moved closer to Sodom (Gen. 13-14), the believer faces the very real danger of slowly fading away from the things of God.

2. The Believer’s Delight (1:2)

I vividly remember the summer before Glenda and I married. While she lived in Houston for three months, I anxiously awaited our wedding day in Potosi, Missouri. AT&T personally sent us a letter of appreciation for singlehandedly keeping them in business that summer! Every time I received a letter from my bride to be, I joyfully read it over and over. The Bible is God’s love letter to us, and our love for Him should compel us to read the Word with eagerness and delight.

3. The Believer’s Fruit (1:3)

The believer is like a tree transplanted by streams of water. Just as an agriculturist deliberately plants a tree where it will flourish, God has taken us out of the realm of sin and death in order to place us in Christ. This relationship with His Son provides us with everything that we need to be fruitful spiritually. As a result, the believer is: 1) fruitful, 2) stable, and 3) will prosper. In other words, the Christian will be successful in all that God has called him to do.

Conclusion: May we remember the lessons of Psalm 1:1-3 and bear much fruit for our Lord and Savior: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10).