SCRIPTURE
“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 ESV).
OBSERVATION
Psalm 1 is a beautiful introduction to the entire Psalter. Rather than beginning with prayer or praise, the psalmist set before the reader two distinct ways of life: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. He described the truly “blessed” person using the Hebrew word ’ashrê, presenting blessedness not as a passing feeling but as an objective state of well-being and happy contentment that flowed from living under God’s favor.
The psalmist warned of a downward progression into sin: walking in ungodly counsel, standing in sinful paths, and finally sitting among scoffers. This movement showed how sin hardens from influence to identification to belonging. In contrast, the righteous person was defined not merely by what he avoided, but by what he loved. His delight was in the law of the LORD, God’s revealed instruction, and he continually meditated on it. In this way, Psalm 1 functioned as the gateway to the Psalms, teaching that every prayer, lament, and song that followed assumed this fundamental choice between two paths.
APPLICATION
As we begin Day One of reading the One Year Bible together in 2026, this psalm calls us to choose our path intentionally. True blessing is not found in drifting with the world but in delighting deeply in God’s Word. The pull of sin still follows the same pattern—walk, stand, sit—but the blessed life grows through delight and meditation, day and night.
This is why we encourage the SOAP method of daily devotion: Read the Scripture, make Observations about what God has said, consider Application for our lives, and respond in Prayer. This simple rhythm helps anchor us in God’s truth daily. As we open His Word this year, may Psalm 1 remind us that the gateway to a blessed life is not mere Bible reading, but delighting in, meditating on, and living out God’s Word.
PRAYER
Father, thank You for showing us the way of true blessing. Guard us from the slow drift into sin, and give us hearts that delight in Your Word. As we begin this year in Scripture together, shape our minds, desires, and paths by Your truth. Keep us walking the way that leads to life. In Jesus’ name, amen.