January 1

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

When I was 9 years old, my Sunday school class spent several weeks memorizing Psalm 1. We worked on it one verse at a time, not just reciting it, but also learning what each verse meant. When we all had it memorized, our class recited it together in front of the whole church. 

I'm glad that this is part of the first readings for 2013. Even though I am very familiar with the words of Psalm 1, I definitely need reminding of what it means for me. If my delight is in God's Word, then I will be blessed by Him. He will provide all of my needs and He will watch over me. This is important for me to remember because my default state of mind is worry and fear. I worry about everything: work, family, friends, church, my dog, the weather, going to the dentist... If there is nothing to worry about, then I will make up something. This especially happens in times when I am not focused on God's Word. What does verse 2 say? "But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he mediates day and night." Mediate on the law of the Lord and you will find delight. This sounds like the antidote to worry and fear to me.

I don't put much importance on making New Years resolutions, because by February, most of them are forgotten. But when I look back at the previous year, I do regret the amount time I wasted worrying and being afraid. My hope for 2013 is that I find delight in God's Word, that I will run to His promises when I start to worry.