When did you last get a ticket? Mine was a couple of weeks ago. I was in Whittier (“It’s always prettier in Whittier,” they say), and I was in a rush to catch the tunnel. There’s a stop sign at the corner, which I usually treat like a yellow light when there’s no traffic. This day, there was no traffic, and I turned without stopping. The police caught me, and I got a well-deserved ticket. I had a lot of emotions, but delight was not one of them.

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I did not meditate on the law day and night.

I did not keep Alaska’s precepts diligently.

I did not hide Alaska’s statutes in my heart.

I did not respect Alaska’s commandments.

I did not meditate on Whittier’s municipal code.

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It’s probably no surprise that I don’t delight in the law of the state – speeding, paying taxes, stop signs. I know the law is good for me, and it’s vital for a peaceful, productive society and healthy community living, but I don’t delight in it.

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What about God’s law? The psalmist(s) who wrote Psalm 1 and Psalm 119 loved the law of the Lord. God’s law gave the psalmist guardrails for living a godly life, so he saw it as a gift and not as a burden. He knew that God’s Word reflects His character, and it is good for the soul (Psalm 19:7), and he loved being able to spend personal time with God mediating on God’s law. He knew that the law of the Lord could sustain him in hard times (Psalm 119:92), give him comfort,  (Psalm 23:4), hope (Psalm 119:81), protection (Psalm 119:114), and even victory over sin (Psalm 119:11).

Psalm 1 holds a promise for us – we’ll be blessed if we delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night.  

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What would that look like? It’s more than just reading God’s Word daily; it’s thinking about it all the time. It’s letting God’s Word be a light to our feet and a lamp to our path – His Word will give direction and purpose. (Psalm 119: 35, 105).

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The Hebrew word for meditation used in Psalm 1:2 is haga. It means to muse, ponder, consider, or mutter under your breath. So today, try doing that as you meditate on today’s Scripture.

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1. Re-read the passage.

2. Ponder it multiple times today, perhaps at the top of each hour. Think of it like a moose chewing its food. Take a piece of Scripture and slowly roll it over in your mind to get all the meaning out of it. For instance, what does blessing mean? From whom do you get your advice? Do you long to spend time in God’s Word?

3. Mutter (but not in public). Repeat phrases from today’s passage to keep your mind focused on God. Try focusing just on the phrase, “Blessed is the one who…”

4. Pray that God will reveal something to you, something about His presence or His character. Think about how it impacts what you do each day, and how you should live.

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May God’s blessing be upon you!