How lovely God is Pt 16: Streams of water
Psalm 1:1-3 1Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
Context
Psalms was not written by one person—it is an aggregate of many writers. David wrote 73 for sure, and possibly 12 others. Some, of which this is one, have no designated author, but all were written to draw the reader into a closer union with God. The 150 psalms were written over several centuries, and it is no accident that this one is first.
Psalm 1 asks, “What kind of life do you want?” A life rooted, established, fruitful, and nourished? Or a life blown about like chaff in the wind? The answer, according to the writer, hinges on what we do with God’s Word—whether we avoid the pathways of sin and whether we choose instead to delight in and meditate upon the law of the LORD. Psalm 1 is not merely information; it is invitation. It calls us to a way of life both countercultural and deeply satisfying.
Do not walk in sin
“Blessed” describes more than emotion or circumstance. It describes a state of favor, wholeness, and God-given flourishing. The Hebrew word points to the deep satisfaction found only when a person is aligned with God’s will. It is not the fleeting happiness the world offers; it is a settled, spiritual joy that circumstances cannot touch. But if blessed describes the state of a person aligned with God, it is helpful to learn what a blessed person does not do. There is a progression here—a downward spiral—from walking to standing to sitting:
“Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers” (Ps. 1:1).
The verbs move from casual association (walk), to lingering (stand), to settled participation (sit). Sin rarely seizes people in a single leap; it entangles gradually. The blessed person refuses even the first step in the wrong direction. This pattern mirrors the warning in Proverbs: “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked… Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way” (Prov. 4:14–15). Likewise Paul urges believers not to “conform to the pattern of this world” (Rom. 12:2). The psalmist is realistic about human vulnerability. We are shaped by the company we keep. Walk long enough with the wicked and you begin to think like them. Stand among sinners and you start to behave like them. Sit with mockers and you become one of them.
Notice too the roles: wicked, sinners, mockers. Wickedness describes those who reject God’s ways. Sinners refers to those who miss God’s mark—habitually and intentionally. Mockers go further: they ridicule God’s truth and despise wisdom (Prov. 13:1). The psalmist isn’t calling for isolation from unbelievers; Jesus Himself ate with sinners (Mark 2:15–17). Rather, he warns against adopting their values, embracing their worldview, or sharing in their rebellion.
The “blessed” life begins with separation—not from people, but from patterns of sin. As Paul reminds us, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33). The psalmist’s first instruction is therefore protective. Do not start on the path that leads away from God. True delight in the LORD requires a turning, a refusal to be discipled by the world’s false teachers.
But delight in the law of the LORD
We should review what ‘law’ means. Today, we tend to think of rules and regulations. But “law” (torah) means more than legal rules. It includes God’s revelation, guidance, instruction, and gracious teaching. Torah is a gift—not a fence meant to restrict joy but a lamp meant to reveal the path to joy (Ps. 119:105). The blessed person delights in Scripture because Scripture reveals the God who loves, redeems, shepherds, and saves.
Delight is the key word of the psalm—its beating heart. The blessed person does not obey God’s Word begrudgingly or mechanically, as though submitting to a burdensome task. Instead, the heart rises to meet God’s instruction with joy. This attitude reflects the spirit of Psalm 119: “Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Ps. 119:97). The psalmist delights because God’s words are sweeter than honey (v. 103) and more precious than gold (v. 127). They bring freedom (v. 45), comfort (v. 50), and life (v. 93). The person who delights in the law of the LORD experiences the reality Jesus later described: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30).
Delight flows from relationship. We do not delight in the rules of strangers. But we delight in the voice of the One who saved us. The psalm’s wisdom is therefore relational at its core. The blessed person delights in the law because they delight in the LORD Himself. The written Word leads them into fellowship with the living God.
Furthermore, delight is not strictly emotional. It is a commitment of the will, a posture of the heart. Some days delight arises naturally; other days it must be chosen. Psalm 1 invites us into a lifelong orientation toward God’s Word—a prioritizing of Scripture as the true source of wisdom. For believers, delight includes delighting in Christ Himself, the Word made flesh (John 1:14). Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s law and the perfect expression of God’s wisdom (Col. 2:3). To delight in Scripture is to delight in Him.
And meditate on the law day and night
One of the great joys of my life is in the writing of words such as these; as I ponder God’s Word, asking, “What the heck does THAT mean”, a great peace arises as I seek His meaning.
Biblical meditation is not emptying the mind but filling it with truth, it is a quiet, continual rehearsing of God’s Word. Meditation is the bridge between delight and obedience. What fills the mind shapes the heart, and what shapes the heart directs the life. “Day and night” does not mean reading Scripture 24 hours a day. It means that God’s Word becomes the interpretive lens through which we view all things. It saturates our thinking. It becomes part of the rhythm of life—morning prayer, mid-day reminders, evening reflection.
Joshua received the same instruction when taking leadership after Moses: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it” (Josh. 1:8). The promise attached to this command is striking: “Then you will make your way prosperous and successful.”
Meditation shapes our desires. It trains us to love what God loves and hate what God hates. It strengthens us against temptation by equipping us with truth in the moment we need it. Jesus responded to Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture from memory (Matt. 4:1–11). His heart was filled with the Father’s Word, and therefore His obedience was steadfast. Meditation also recalibrates our anxieties. As the Word fills the mind, fear gives way to faith. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast” (Isa. 26:3). Paul echoes this: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). Dwell richly—saturate your heart in Scripture until peace overflows.
Meditation is slow reading, savoring each word. It is carrying a verse into your day and letting it shape your choices. It is discussing Scripture with friends, praying through it, journaling it, returning to it. Meditation takes delight from theory to practice.
And so that person will prosper
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Ps. 1:3). In our local church this verse is part of a liturgy we all say at every single service. It is a profound reminder of how involved God is in our everyday lives. Consider the metaphor of this verse:
The tree is planted—intentionally placed
This is no wild tree growing by accident. It is planted—set by God’s gracious hand. The believer’s stability is not self-generated. God Himself positions His people near streams of grace. Jesus used similar imagery: “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots” (Matt. 15:13). But those He plants remain secure.
The tree is near streams of water—constant nourishment
In the Middle East, water is life. A tree planted by streams will never lack what it needs. Likewise, the person rooted in God’s Word receives constant nourishment for the soul. No season—dry or wet—can deplete the supply. Jeremiah echoes this imagery: the one who trusts in the LORD “is like a tree planted by the water… It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7–8).
The tree bears fruit in season—timely, appropriate growth
Fruitfulness is not constant busyness or visible productivity. It is seasonal. Some seasons involve fruit; others involve root-deepening growth. But in every season, the Word is at work within us. Paul describes “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22–23), which flows naturally from those who abide in Christ. Jesus Himself taught, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5).
The leaf does not wither—endurance through hardship
Life brings heat—trials, disappointments, griefs, pressures. Without deep roots, people wither. But those nourished by Scripture remain spiritually vibrant even in adversity. This does not mean a life without pain. It means a life without spiritual collapse. God’s Word sustains.
Whatever they do prospers—God-centered success
This statement is sometimes misunderstood as a promise of material wealth or earthly ease. But biblical prosperity is different. It refers to God’s blessing, guidance, and favor poured out upon a life aligned with His will. Prosperity means that God brings His purposes to fruition through us. It means stability, wisdom, fruitfulness, and effectiveness in the things that matter to Him.
What about me?
Psalm 1 invites us not merely to avoid sin but to enter a life of joy—a life shaped by delight in the LORD and constant meditation on His Word. It offers a simple, profound pattern:
Turn away from sin.
Guard your steps. Refuse the downward spiral.Turn toward delight.
Treasure Scripture as God’s gift—His voice, His guidance, His love revealed.Meditate continually.
Let God’s Word shape your thoughts, emotions, and decisions.Prosper in Him.
Not with the world’s prosperity, but with God’s—rootedness, fruitfulness, endurance, and grace.
This is the life of the one who delights in the LORD. It is a life both simple and rich, ordinary and supernatural. Believer, I want to ask…where are you with God today? Where are you in the flow of this pattern? Have you not yet begun? Wherever you are, take the next step. God will walk with you, pick you up when you fall, shape your decisions, and guide you through life. It is wonderful and fulfilling all at the same time.