The two ways

Psalm 1

1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
    and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

A contrast is presented here. One group is resilient, like a tree that is able to grow even in a hot, dry climate because it has been planted by a stream of water. This tree can face difficulty and it will survive. The other tree (that is the implication of the psalm, the scoffers also are a tree) dries up in the hot, sun-drenched climate and in the end its leaves dry up and blow away like the husks on wheat, so much dry dust.

The difference then is that the resilient tree is by a water source, and it survives because it has a source outside of itself upon which to depend. The stream that keeps the tree alive is law of God, the word of God, God’s plan for the way human beings should live which is being revealed in the world. To live by the law of the Lord is to find life, life in all its fullness. The law of the Lord is a source of strength outside of oneself which enables people to withstand the difficulties and challenges of life.

Resilience is a hot topic these days. Psalm 1 tells us that human beings find their resilience, their ability to keep functioning in the midst of difficulty, not by relying on themselves, but by tapping into a resource beyond themselves, the law of God. Staying close to the water source of life that is found in God’s word, is the way to be resilient.

PRAYER:

God of hope, keep us growing close to the life giving stream of your presence that we might be resilient through both the storms and the dry times of life. Keep refreshing us by the Holy Spirit that we may bear fruit in our lives worthy of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.