Transforming Power of God's Word: Lessons from Psalm 1
October 12, 2023 - Thursday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
At the beginning of the Psalter, Psalm 1 raises a question: how to live? The author suggests a lifestyle that is centred on meditating on the Bible. The one who does it is blessed. The practice leads to happiness, longevity, and prosperity described with a metaphor of “a tree planted near running water”.
The first psalm of the Psalter also presents the main characters in life: the Lord, the righteous, and the “wicked”. The Lord is the Giver of the instructions that when put into practice assures a truly successful life. The righteous ones find delight in God’s instructions and meditate upon them day and night. On the other hand, the wicked follow their way. They disregard the law of God and oppose the righteous.
The psalmist further classifies those who follow their way into three categories. The first group could be called the godless whose hearts are bent on evil. They sin on purpose. History presents us with certain individuals who delighted in doing evil and harming others. The second are those who sin unintentionally. Their conscience is not well-formed, and they cannot distinguish between good and evil. Many people fall into this category. Finally, there are the scoffers, those who laugh at God’s law. For them, there is no value in meditating upon God’s precepts.
The psalmist belongs to the righteous and tells us not to waste time in the company of godless, sinners, and scoffers. Instead, he invites us to spend time meditating upon God’s word. The word "meditate" means to whisper God’s law with reverence. Meditating upon the law of the Lord will satisfy our inner thirst. Our situation is compared to a tree planted between two streams that merge into one river. In such a place, there is no shortage of water. We are protected from spiritual drought. We flourish and become successful.
Prophet Isaiah compared the word of God to rain and snow that water the earth making it flourish with life (see Is 55:10-11). The author of the letter to the Hebrews describes the word of God as living and active (Heb. 4:12). There is an African song titled “There’s Power in the Word of the Lord”. The author testifies to seeing incredible things happening through the power of God’s word: the mountains moved, situations changed, the rivers got dry, the sick got healed, the poor got rich, and the barren sang for joy. The truth is that anyone who reads the Bible cannot remain the same. God’s word has the power to transform our lives and change the course of history.
The psalmist says that “God cherishes the way of the righteous” (Ps 1:6). The image of being cherished by God makes the effort of studying God’s law easy and light. So, let us renew our commitment to reading the Bible and experience the transforming power of God’s Word.