Psalm 1:1-6

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

[2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

[3] And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

[4] The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

[5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

[6] For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.


Psalm 1 - Psalm 1:1-6


Open It

* 1. When has peer pressure influenced your attitudes or actions?
2. What’s most important to you about your friendships with Christians?
3. How do you think you would feel if you were not allowed to attend church?

Explore It

* 4. What activities does the righteous person avoid? (1:1-3)
5. What is the theme of this psalm? (1:1-6)
* 6. How are the righteous and the wicked different? (1:1-6)
* 7. What are the main points the psalm writer makes in this poem? (1:1-6)
8. How does the psalm writer connect delight and meditation? (1:2)
9. What does a righteous person do a lot? (1:2)
10. What does the image of the tree tell us about the righteous person? (1:3)
11. In what way is a righteous person rewarded for being righteous? (1:3)
12. What differences are there between righteous people and unrighteous people? (1:3-5)
13. What differences are implied by the references to “tree” and “chaff”? (1:3-5)
14. How are the righteous described in the psalm? (1:4-5)
15. How are the wicked described in the psalm? (1:4-5)
16. What consequences do the wicked face? (1:5)
17. What role does the Lord play in relation to the righteous and the wicked? (1:6)
18. How do the futures of the righteous and the wicked differ? (1:6)

Get It

19. What does it mean to meditate on God’s law day and night?
20. Why is Christian fellowship important?
21. What positive ideals does this psalm encourage us to follow?
* 22. What does this psalm teach us about spiritual discipline?
23. In what sense does a righteous person “prosper”?
24. What image or mental picture would you use to describe yourself?
25. What activities should you avoid because of your desire to be righteous?
26. Whose company should you avoid and why?
27. How can we demonstrate our delight in God’s Word?
28. What kind of “fruit” should we yield?
* 29. In what specific ways does this psalm encourage you to seek righteousness?
30. How have you experienced the Lord’s protection in your life?

Apply It

31. What specific steps can you take in the next few weeks to demonstrate your delight in God’s Word?
32. What concrete action can you take to avoid an unrighteous behavior?
* 33. What righteous attitude or action would you like to cultivate in your life over this next week?


AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Not walking in the counsel of the wicked.

Not standing in the path of sinners.

Not sitting in seat of scoffers.

Delighting in the law of the Lord.

Meditating on His law day and night.

A tree firmly planted by streams of water.

Yielding fruit in its season.

My leaf does not wither.

Prospering in all that I do.