Two Paths, Two Destinies in Psalm 1
Where do you look for happiness? Psalm 1 confronts us with a startlingly simple framework: there are only two ways to live, and only two outcomes.
The Psalm begins with the word “Blessed” and ends with the word “Perish.” Between those two words lies the whole drama of life. Every person you know is on one of two paths: the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked. There is no “third way” or spiritual Switzerland.
The blessed life is not found in following the world’s voices—walking with the wicked, standing with sinners, or sitting with scoffers.
That way promises freedom but ends in ruin. Instead, true blessing comes from delighting in the Word of God. To meditate on God’s Word “day and night” is not drudgery but delight—it is to savor, chew, and return to the Scriptures as a source of joy, wisdom, and life.
The Psalm paints a picture: the one who delights in God’s Word is like a tree planted by streams of water, stable and fruitful even in dry seasons. In contrast, the wicked are like chaff blown away by the wind—empty, weightless, and soon gone.
But here is our hope: Psalm 1 ultimately points to Jesus Christ, the truly Blessed Man. He never walked in sin, never stood in rebellion, never sat in scoffing. He perfectly delighted in His Father’s will and was cut down on the cross like a cursed tree—so that you and I might be planted, rooted, and fruitful in Him.
The question Psalm 1 leaves us with is simple but searching: which path are you on? The way of blessing, rooted in Christ? Or the way that perishes?
At Central Presbyterian, we long to be a people rooted in God’s Word, delighting in Christ, and bearing fruit for His glory. If you’re looking for life, stability, and blessing, we invite you to walk with us in the way of the righteous—through Jesus, the Blessed Man.
