Psalm 1

Well, on Sunday we learned some important things about Pastor Bryan. Primarily, we learned that he kept some questionable company in high school which begs the question: was Pastor Bryan himself a questionable youth, or was he already like Jesus at such a tender age, keeping company with a few wayward souls?

Obviously, we’ve all made a few mistakes like Pastor Bryan’s friend. We see clearly the right thing to do and then we promptly engage in the decidedly wrong action. When Pastor Bryan mentioned that we live like the apostle Paul, routinely committing the “sins” that we don’t actually want to commit, he really struck a chord with me. This is probably because Pastor Bryan was literally alluding to me--the “on a budget but still buying shoes” example--yeah, that’s me. I was wearing those actual shoes on Sunday (well, more accurately they are Ralph Lauren black calfskin booties with gold hardware, but this is no time to get technical). Nothing like getting called out in front of 400 people at church.  The thing is, I really don’t want to spend money that is outside of our budget, but I still do it all the time. Dirk sometimes reminds me that it’s a lot harder to spend money from home (though not impossible, let me tell you), and I think he means that it’s good for us to intentionally looks for ways to reduce temptation in our lives. When I’m on a budget and know that I have a weakness for shoes, why would I go to DSW? Or why don’t I unsubscribe from the Banana Republic email list so I stop getting those pesky 40% off coupons every Wednesday? And I know that it gets a lot more serious than shoes and sweaters. Some people struggle with addiction, or social binge drinking, or pornography, or a lustful eye. It seems obvious that we ought to avoid situations where our temptations could undo us, and yet we find ourselves time and time again at the bar, out to dinner with a friend whose wife is very beautiful, alone with a computer.

Sometimes, it seems rather dull to live responsibly. It can feel burdensome to drive an old car, to live in a small house or apartment, to take inexpensive vacations (or stay-cations or no vacation at all), and to buy clearanced or thrifted items. My friends have started moving out of their “starter homes” and taking on car payments so they can drive much nicer cars than I’ll ever own. When our friends book trips to the Carribbean or give their kitchen a substantial face-lift, there’s a great temptation to follow suit. Life’s short, right? If they can afford it we can afford it, right? But what we don’t see is that friend’s choice to put groceries on the credit card in order to make the car payment, or the decision to choose a vacation over some much needed marital counseling, or the million other stresses and avoidable agitations that people voluntarily bring upon themselves. We only see the Instagram photos of the new car, or the Facebook status from Maui. And, obviously, some of our friends really can afford all of these things and more, which does nothing to lessen our envy or our judgmental natures.

Luckily, Pastor Bryan presented us with a Biblical answer to all of our problems on Sunday. According to Psalm 1, the solution is merely to open our Bibles and to “delight in the law of the Lord.”

Really? The answer to envy, or financial duress, or an addiction to pornography is to delight in Torah? Psalm 1 promises us that prosperity comes from time spent in God’s word, but it also warns that wickedness leads only to destruction. Lest you believe the “health and wealth” gospel of many (wealthy) preachers, allow me to offer this analogy. Have you ever done something habitually, taken a break from that activity, and then tried to start it up again? Perhaps you used to exercise, then an injury kept you off your feet for a few months, and when you returned to your favorite activity, you found that it was hard: discouragingly hard. Or, have you ever prepared a recipe so many times that you had the recipe memorized? Even the most complicated meal can seem relatively easy with enough practice—so much practice that you have the entire recipe down by heart. So it is with reading your Bible. If you’ve never read it, it’s a bit hard to get started. And if you’ve been away for a while, it’s painful to get back into the habit. But, after only a few weeks of practice, reading the Bible becomes a natural part of a natural rhythm. And you find that when you’re delighting in God, it’s much harder to covet your neighbor’s hot tub. Your perspective on life changes from one fixated on the things of this world to delighting in the things yet to come.

I’ll admit that it sounds a bit far-fetched. I’m not always convinced that if I read my Bible then my envy will subside and my satisfaction levels will increase. But I do think that much the way a recipe becomes ingrained in a cook, the instructions of the Bible can take root in our hearts as well. In that way, doing the right thing will become increasingly automatic, and living in “the way of the wicked” will gradually distance itself from our thoughts.

I have a final thought about Psalm 1. What if you’re one of those “trees planted by streams of water” who have never waivered in your commitment to responsible living and the love of God’s law? What does Psalm 1 offer to you? Besides prosperity, Pastor Bryan suggested that the psalm’s implication is that your fruit is hearty and your shade is substantial—that you have the ability to nourish those who hunger and shade those who are exhausted. Not only are you prospering already “by streams of water”, but you also have the joy of tenderly transplanting others to share in your abundant stream.

[Kristin vanEyk lives and writes in Grand Rapids, Mi. Besides shoes and sweaters she enjoys purchasing anything and everything for her two youngsters, Lily and Colin.]