June 1, Blessed

Today’s reading: Psalms 1-5

“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, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” - Psalm 1:1-2.

These are the first verses in the entire book of Psalms, and they set the stage for the message of the rest of the book. After the failure of the monarchy and Israel’s exile to Babylon, the psalms were compiled and passage holds a clue to the book’s message: the Law or Torah is the key to an individual’s success and Israel’s restoration while they waited for their new king and return to their land. It is interesting that when Jesus began His ministry, one of the first words He spoke was “blessed,” thus positioning Himself as Israel’s new Psalmist and King who had come to fulfill  the Law and rule Israel: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). In the context of Psalm 1 and what Jesus said, what does it mean to be ‘poor in spirit’? Do you delight in His law and meditate on it night and day? Is your life foundation God’s word or some other philosophy or denominational teaching?