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Sep
1
Roger Severino

4 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF FROM PSALM 1

by Roger Severino

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, 01_tree_by_rivernor sits in the seat of scoffers; 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 that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.[1]

  1. Who Influences Me? I tend to agree with those who see a progression in verse 1, from walking, to standing, to sitting. You walk beside the wrong crowd and before you know it you are standing with them. Finally, you are sitting with them and your lifestyle and way of thinking is indistinguishable from theirs. Through the media, through our workplaces, in society, someone is trying to influence you. Are you being shaped by the “wicked” or the “righteous” (the two groups in this psalm)? Who is influencing you? Who are you influencing? Is the influence for good or evil?
  1. What is My Delight? What brings you joy? What energizes you? What do you find to be life-giving? When God gets a hold of us, He changes our “wanter” (the things we want). Yes, we still struggle with being tempted to do the wrong, but our greatest desire should be for God and the life He has for us. Nothing else will satisfy! If this is not true for you, then this is an indication that there is something spiritually wrong. The blessed person is the one who delights in God’s ways and meditates on them (see v. 2). This is not about loving religion or any religious observance, but about loving God and His ways and desiring to know Him in greater ways.
  1. Where do I get my Strength and Nourishment? The reason the tree in this verse (v. 3) flourishes at all times and yields its fruit in season is because the roots go down to a steady source of water, providing the nutrients it needs even in dry times. What resources do you draw from when you face those dry times of life? We have a lot of people in the church who are spiritually anemic. What if you had God-honoring flourishing people influencing you? What if your relationship with God was so rich that you had a continual source of spiritual strength and fortitude? Do you have such relationships with God and others? If not, what would it take from you to develop those?
  1. Which Path am I on? We live in a society where right and wrong are simply in the eyes of the beholder and word like “righteous” and “wicked” are shunned.
    Photo credit: Joe Hendricks
    Roger Severino, Adult Discipleship – Leadership Minister

    This psalm, however, remains uncompromising. There is no middle way.  We are all on a journey, and on one of two paths. Sometimes we have to see things as “either-or” before we will be shaken out of our complacency. Is your life flourishing and substantive, like the well-watered tree, or is it flimsy like the weightless chaff blowing in the wind? Is your life rooted in God, or are you attempting to root it elsewhere? What choices will you make this week to put you on the right path?

[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ps 1:1–6.

Aug
25
Roger Severino

SEVEN CONTRIBUTIONS THE PSALMS MAKE TO THE BIBLE (AND LIFE)

by Roger Severino
Photo credit: Joe Hendricks
Roger Severino, Adult Discipleship – Leadership Minister

  1. The Psalms express humanity’s words to God. In the Psalms, we get to listen in on the private and corporate cries of God’s people to God. One thing to consider while reading the Psalms is: “How are man’s words to God also God’s word to us?” No other book of the Bible so clearly captures the cries, praises, prayers, and songs of God’s people to God.
  2. The Psalms reflect the whole range of human emotion. From “negative” feelings (lament, anger, etc.) to “positive” feelings (praise, joy, etc.), the Psalms capture the entire essence of what it means to be human and allow for the expression of these various moods and outlooks.
  3. The Psalms contain various types within its collection of 150 psalms. Like the wide range of human emotions, it is important to understand that individual psalms tend to emphasize different things. So, therefore, various psalms are often fit into different classifications: psalms of wisdom, of praise, of lament, of thanksgiving, of redemptive history, etc.
  4. The Psalms have the ability to transcend time and cultural barriers. Let’s be honest, often when we read portions of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, we sense that there is a pretty big gap between these stories and our modern world. When we read the Psalms, much of that barrier dissipates. Humanity has not changed in 3,000 years, so the cries of the heart we find in the Psalms are the same desires and emotions we feel today.
  5. The Psalms are poetry and should be read and understood this way. Hebrew poetry uses a lot of figurative language, meaning that many of the terms contain expressions that are not to be taken literally, but communicate truths in figurative ways. So, for example, in Psalm 69 when the psalmist cries, “Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck,” this does not mean that he is literally about to drown but that he is facing circumstances that have overwhelmed him and swept over him.
  6. The Psalms make use of Hebrew Parallelism. Hebrew parallelism means that often the first line is followed by a second line that may (1) say the same (or similar) thing in a different way, (2) provide a contrast to the first line (often starting with the word “but”), or (3) expound on the initial thought in some way.
  7. The Psalms can provide a great way to enhance your prayer life and Bible meditation. Read a psalm during your devotional time to get your mind focused on God. Read it aloud and try to capture the tone and emotion behind the psalm. Read a verse repeatedly and allow it to be absorbed into your being. Consider what the psalm has to say about God and about life. Pray through the psalm and allow the words to stimulate thoughts on what you can pray for and about.