The secret of a flourishing life (Psalm 1)

Part of the year that I worked for a mission reaching out to international students in the UK, I was hosted by an elderly couple who had several grandfather clocks in their house. These cheerfully chimed every fifteen minutes with a more elaborate tune at half past and gave the number of ding-dongs according to the hour. It soon became part of the sounds that spelt home that year. Then, in August, my hosts went on holiday for several weeks and it was only when they returned and re-wound the clocks that it occurred to me that I have not heard the chimes in a while. The transition from the regular sounds to late or more erratic clanging and then to silence slipped up on me and I never noticed. Our spiritual lives can likewise deteriorate without attention and as our awareness dims, we can go from the occasional flashes of understanding and encounter with the Lord to silence and we may not even notice. How can we avoid such drifting?

Whose advice and priorities do we follow?

Psalm 1, at the head of the collection of prayers in the Psalms, is a description of what it takes to be people who maintain a steady relationship with God. In the characteristic format of wisdom literature (a type of writing that reflects on wise living), the world is divided into the righteous (i.e. godly) and the wicked, those who seek God and those who don’t. The portrayal is typically black-and-white, and it is important to be aware of this, otherwise we may have difficulty recognising ourselves in it. Negatively, the godly are counselled not to adopt the advice, the lifestyle and the attitude/company of the wicked (Ps 1:1), who do not know God and whose priorities are centred on themselves. Rather, the righteous are to delight in God’s instruction (Ps 1:2; the meaning of ‘law’ in Hebrew), which includes not only the legal portions but all of Scripture. Meditation (v.2) here means not a mindless repetition of words but a savouring of God’s word and a slow, unhurried reflection on His ways.

The long view of what matters

The result of such a life is to be blessed (v.1), but what does this mean? The Hebrew ’asher is also translated as ‘happy’ but this is not some superficial pleasure. Rather it points to a meaningful and flourishing life, like that of a tree near water (so essential in a dry land like Israel) that has the resources to withstand drought and healthy enough to yield fruit (Ps 1:3). Like a tree that absorbs water, the godly need to be people who absorb God’s Word and make His perspective and will their own. The outcome is often not visible in the short term when those who choose God may struggle and those who care nothing for Him enjoy ease, but taking the long view reveals God’s perspective of what is valuable and what is useless and weightless, blown away in the winds of God’s judgment (Ps 1:4-5).  Moreover, the Lord knows the way of the righteous, He is intimately acquainted with all that is going on in their lives (Ps 1:6).

Learning to delight in God’s instruction

In subtle ways, we are all influenced by the culture around us in what we watch, listen to or read, and through the company we keep, so our lives are often a mixture of Christian and worldly principles and perspectives. What is at issue is not just one-off decisions or choices but habitual actions, lifestyle and attitudes. The psalm’s answer is that for a thriving life, we have to keep aligning ourselves with God’s will, drawing strength, understanding and nourishment from His Word. At times, the Bible may feel flat, difficult or not addressing our issues, so that reading it becomes a chore and boring. Yet, without immersing ourselves in it, we remove our lives from God’s sustaining power and, like the grandfather clocks in my hosts’ house, our chimes become irregular and, ultimately, we go silent and stop altogether. A rich life of prayer and a connection to God that is expressed in the rest of the Psalter is rooted in that engagement with what the Lord is saying to us. May we discover not only the necessity but the joy of reflecting on God’s Word.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others.