“The wicked are not so, but are like the 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.”
—Psalm 1:4-6 ESV

Psalm 1 speaks of the person who is blessed, who meditates day and night on the Scriptures and is like a tree planted by streams of water.

This person is contrasted with the “wicked,” those who have rejected God’s covenant.

They are described as chaff: the lighter husks which are separated from the wheat in the process of threshing and are blown away by the wind.

As if the image of the healthy and fruitful tree weren’t enough to convince us to build our life on the foundation of God’s word, verse 4 shows us what happens when we choose to reject that instruction.

We become unstable like the house built on sand that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 7:26, which was unable to withstand the storms of life and “fell with a great crash.”

This passage probably won’t make it onto any calendars or refrigerator magnets, but for those who are willing to listen, it serves as a reminder that the daily decision to build our life on God’s word is of utmost importance.

Here is a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: God,
Breathe out: I will build my life on your word.

PS:
Today’s post is a great example of why I decided to go through the Psalms verse-by-verse.

Normally, my first reaction would be to skip over Psalm 1:4-6. It’s not a “nice” passage and it certainly doesn’t feel good to read it or reflect on it.

But it’s part of the Scriptures, and is there for a reason.