Summary
The Psalms are quite simply some of the most honest thoughts and emotions recorded in God’s Word. They are not complicated and are clear in pointing us toward our true path to follow in life, Jesus Christ. We learn from Psalm 1:1-6 how this path of blessing brings fulfillment, joy, satisfaction, and lasting pleasure when we delight in and devote ourselves fully to the source, God’s Word. God has given us this treasure, but we often ignore it and choose a path of our own leading to destruction. While it is not always easy to stay the course, it is clear how we are to do so. Be encouraged and remain firmly planted in the truth God gives us by His Word.
Discussion Questions
- Blake uses a GPS illustration to explain how we often have directions for the right way to go in life through God’s word. But sometimes we cast aside what has been given to us so freely. Take a brief, honest assessment of the past year of your life. What path are you currently on? One that includes delighting in and devoting yourself to God’s word? Or one that is more so defined by a desire to go your own way (Isaiah 53:6)? What is one step you can take for 2017 to realign yourself on the right path (following Jesus in full devotion to God’s word)?
- Psalm 1:1 begins by defining what blessing is not and describing the path of temptation toward sin; walk around it, stand to it, and sit in it. We ought to be diligent about what we are paying attention to because something that seems small and harmless can quickly grow into a sin that devours us. Is there something in your life right now (seemingly small) that has the potential to grow into something far worse? We all have a great need for filling our hearts and minds with God’s word every single day. How do you delight in God’s word? Do you read it, sing about it, paint it, pray it, listen to it? If you don’t already have a reading plan for the year, consider joining us in our adventure through the Psalms and Proverbs this year (http://jointhejourney.com/)
- If you want to know God, you must know His word (Joshua 1:8, John 14:21, 2 Timothy 3:16). Do you truly believe God’s word is a source of life? How have you seen this play out in your own life? An important way of remaining rooted by streams of water (Psalm 1:2) is to hide God’s word in your heart through memorization. Would you accept the Six-Week Challenge (https://www.watermark.org/blog/six-week-challenge) Blake gave to us in his message?
- You can be a tremendous blessing to others when you consistently spend time in God’s word. Have others benefitted from the time you’ve spent with God this past year? When have you had the opportunity to counsel someone in your community group, love a family member, equip a friend who had questions, or meet a need for someone who was hurting? Make a list and thank God for all the ways He used you and your faithfulness to Him in 2016. Then spend some time in prayer for all the ways He will use you this coming year.
- Blake ended his message with a very relatable illustration using the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. We sometimes wish life gave us the option to choose another path (after-the-fact) much like these books allow. We’ve all made decisions in our lives we wish we could go back on, but we can’t. The good news is we have Jesus. And Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Luke 24:44). We cannot go back in time and choose another route to redo some of the choices we’ve made. But Jesus has done what we cannot do. Is there something from this past year, or from your past in general, that you can you lay at His feet today so you can walk in freedom from this moment on? How can your community group, closest friends, and/or family help you? It is never too late to head down the right path.