Reading: Psalm 1-3
QUESTIONS
Psalm 1:
- What do you make of the progression from walking to sitting in verse 1? What is the blessing of not doing these things? Ask God to take away your desire for / enjoyment of sinful things.
- How does Christ exemplify the righteous person of Psalm 1? Praise him for the fruit of his work and ask that he would increase your confidence in him and his work.
Psalm 2:
- Read Acts 4:24-28, where early Christians interpret and pray this psalm about Christ’s saving death. How does their interpretation make sense of the Lord laughing in heaven (Psa 2:4)?
- The Lord still laughs at opposition to Christ (which means Anointed One) and his work. Pray about the world’s opposition to Christ with this in mind.
Psalm 3:
- Read this Psalm as an expression of King David’s confidence in the Lord’s protection. What is your confidence in the Lord’s protection for your life? Thank God for the protection we have in Christ.
DEVOTION
Psalm 1: An Introduction to the Psalter
Many see the opening two psalms as introducing the whole Book of Psalms, with the first Psalm describing the Righteous One and Psalm 2 focusing on the King. Try to notice these themes through the book. Psalm 1 stands out as written entirely in the third person. We get an outside perspective on what it means to be in living communion with God. As you meditate on and pray through this psalm, consider the following:
- The “law of the Lord” may be best understood as his covenant. It’s not merely his list of rules. Nor is it merely the text of Scripture. It is God’s covenant established with us. (Notice the resonance with Joshua 1:1-9 and Colossians 1:9-10.)
- If this psalm introduces the others, then we see that much of what it means to meditate upon the law and be planted by streams of water may be found in the psalms themselves. Communion with God in prayer—individually, corporately, through our King’s intercession, in joy, in distress—is the lifeblood of the believer.
- The Righteous One is Jesus Christ himself. As we set our faith and hope upon him, consider how we depend upon his communion with the Father, his obedience to the Father’s will, and that all that Christ does prospers in its season. It is ultimately the fruit of his work that we seek.
– Pastor David