By Brother Brian Shimer

What has captured your delight? The energy of your heart? The focus of your life?

What do you talk about wherever you go? Therein might be a clue.

This was the subject captivating the author of the first Psalm.

But, the author of Psalm 1 does not begin with what a righteous person does but what he or she does not do? Interesting, right?

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.…”

The psalmist seems to say, the righteous person makes choices. But it is what has caught his or her attention that motivates these choices. In contrast to anything else, we read:

“But his delight is the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

This primary focal point keeps this person from walking in false counsel, standing in the say of sinners, or sitting in the seat of mockers. Such a way does not attract, for he or she is filled with delight.

With what do you associate this word delight?

— Ice Cream, boating, biking, crocheting, gaming, gambling, music, etc. —

Would reading the Word, digesting it, ruminating on it, turning it over in your heart again and again, would that be your delight?

The promise of this Psalm is such delight changes the trajectory of all of life. It changes you and me as people into something more solid.

The contrast between the righteous, like a tree, and the wicked, like chaff the wind blows away, could not be greater. And all this is the fruit of delight.

I think of Jimmy Gibson, called The Beloved Irish Evangelist, who traveled with his wife Betty and children across the states pulling their trailer and setting up tent revivals during the 1940s – 1960s. Jimmy delighted in the Word and in the Lord. He’d be raised up on tiptoe as he preached and filled with light. His delight was evident.

I use Jimmy’s Bible whenever I preach and recall his love for Jesus and the Word every time I do. He was a tree planted by streams of water and I still benefit from his fruit.