Psalm 1 begins with the word “blessed.” One commentator has described this psalm as an introduction to Psalms which he called “God’s hymnbook.” Whenever we hear the word “blessed” what comes to mind is one who has everything. But in the Bible this word has an entirely different meaning.

The joy of the blessed man of Psalm 1 is his “delight” in God’s Word, as one who has found a great treasure (Ps. 119:162). It is important to know the source of our joy. If it is in this world’s pleasures, they will pass. Our real joy is to find delight in God’s Word “day and night.” Such a one is compared to “a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither” (Ps. 1:3 NIV). It has been said that palm trees are useful to us in over 250 ways. For example, grown trees inhale about 14,000 liters of carbon dioxide, and exhale double that amount in oxygen for us to inhale.

A godly man should be established in God’s Word for nourishment, growth and maturity that brings forth blessing to many. We reflect the divine nature by our constant communion with God in His Word. This is how we can live a life without absorbing the impurities of this world.

In a world full of changes, many storms and waves may lash against the tree of our lives. But if we are “like a tree planted by streams of water” – God’s living water – we have no reason to fear. Let us grant priority to the Lord and His Word. That’s where our blessing is.

By Philip Verghese Ariel