I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 1-9.

I could probably make this entire blog entry on Psalms 1, but that would shortchange the rest of the psalms in today’s passage.   The wicked may show us how to gain pleasure, but it will come at the expense of joy.  The path to joy is meditating on God’s laws and commands so as to internalize them.  This seems binding and limiting to many, but it is the path to joy and satisfaction.  The wicked reject good as slavery and embrace the bindings which come from evil.  Those who seek after God’s law find joy and prosper in all they do.  Many people misunderstand what this means because they see doing good as a means to an end, but those who truly listen to what God says see doing good as an end in itself.  If I do good as an end in itself, prospering in what I do means that I have done good, not that I have gained wealth.

In fact, the psalmist illustrates in the next several psalms that just because we do good does not mean that we will not experience trouble and suffering.  However, when we experience trouble let us cry out to God.  If we put our faith in God we will be able to lie down in safety and rise up with joy.  Even when we experience suffering let us rejoice in doing God’s will.  Then we will have greater joy than those who have all of the good things material wealth can bring.  Even while we are in distress we can praise the Lord for we know that He will rescue those who rely on Him and do His will.

 

When we look at the world around us, how can we not see the majesty of God, who created all of it?  The God who created the majestic mountains and the stars in the night sky, died for me!  I am but a speck in this universe which He made, and yet, He values me enough to suffer for me.  When I look at nature around me I struggle to understand how anyone can believe that it all just happened by chance.