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Hear the devotional: https://bit.ly/42Z4o9P
View devotional: https://bit.ly/3EytZMt 1 How well God must like you - you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College. 2 Instead you thrill to God's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. 3 You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. 4 You're not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust - 5 Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. 6 God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row. (Psalm 1 The Message Bible)
I do not believe anyone is born evil. Yes, I believe we are born with original sin which is our tendency to disobey God, which we usually do; but the overall outcome of each childhood has on it the prints of many factors; home environment, parental influence, or lack thereof, school influences, including friendships, and a host of other influences and choices the child has made, and while every day bring us multiple choices, we would pray that most would choose to be good. For some it may have taken a change in environment, i.e. going away to school (college or university) where exposure to others who brought with them other world-views, that helped us see what is possible and even desirable in our way of life to bless others, especially our society and culture. The psalmist in writing this first of all 150 psalms, expresses his desire for readers to realize the positive blessing it is to live as a good person who is in a personal relationship with God. The language of this Biblical version drives home the point in very modern language.
God loves us all, but the psalmist says favor is upon those who seek to please God with the right life-affirming choices. He speaks of one who doesn't hang around Sin Saloon. Now, your views on saloons might vary from his, but his belief is that the "choices" available in a saloon should be different than those one should encounter in worship; the language choice for this version does imply that one has gone to a place where sin is the major option on the menu. The slinking of the unrighteous might also be to do it on Dead-End Road, again outlining the outcome favors negative ends; and the choice for educational opportunities at a Smart-Mouth College, well, you know. Honestly, the psalmist is correct; those who seek such outcomes usually find them and usually at times that seem to be too late to change.
The opposite is true for those who seek to "thrill in God's Word," where one can savor the deliciousness of Scripture day and night. That choice leads one to set ones roots in "Eden," God's original paradise, where "bearing fresh fruit" is a delicious and life-giving option. Eden was all about life, where not one "leaf" dropped and all fruits were "always in blossom." Your life will be way different from the wicked; whose lives mirror tumbleweeds and dust storms; and an appearance by one of the wicked in God's court will find them "without defense in court." Ouch! The innocent people will have great legal options. In closing the psalmist says that "God charts the road you take." The others seem to choose the road that leads to Skid Road.
Epiphany is a season of discovery, a time when we are invited to step into deeper intimacy with the Lord. In this season, we can reflect on our own spiritual lives and ask, “Where am I planted?” Are we drawing nourishment from the fleeting things of this world, or are we rooting ourselves in the life-giving presence of God? Are our roots from our past strong enough if they were positive, to bless us now in the present; if not, it's not too late to make changes and choices that better our situation.
This psalm calls us to choose a life that delights in the law of the Lord, to choose daily to sit with His Word and allow it to transform us. When we do, we become like that tree—steadfast, fruitful, and enduring through the seasons of life.
PRAYER: Loving God of life and love, thank You for the light of Your Word and the truth it brings to our lives. Help us to choose the path of righteousness, to delight in Your law, and to meditate on it day and night. We want to be like that tree planted by the water—strong, steadfast, and fruitful. Guide us in this Epiphany season to deepen our roots in You, trusting that Your wisdom will nourish us in every circumstance. May our lives reflect the blessing of living in Your presence. In Jesus' strong name,amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: As we journey through this Epiphany season, make a commitment to delight in God’s Word. Set aside time each day to read and meditate on Scripture, letting it transform your heart and mind. Like a tree planted by the water, allow your roots to grow deeper in His truth. And as you do, watch how God brings fresh fruit into your life, no matter what season you are walking through.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
