Day 1: A Direction, Not a Feeling
Read: Psalm 1:1–3
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
— Psalm 1:1 (ESV)
Reflect
The book of Psalms opens with one word: "Blessed." Most of us hear that word as a feeling, a warm sense that life is going well. But this psalm points somewhere else.
The word translated "blessed" is ashrei. Some connect it with a root meaning "to go straight, to advance," though scholars debate the link. It never stands alone. It always leans into what comes next, almost like an exclamation: "Oh, the happiness of the one who…" And look at what fills verse 1. Walking. Standing. Sitting. The whole verse is motion. The psalm is not describing a mood. It is describing which way a person is headed.
This is a different idea from being blessed by God in the sense of receiving a gift from his hand. That matters too. But here the focus is the deep happiness of someone whose feet are pointed the right way.
That is good news on a morning when you do not feel blessed at all. Blessedness is not a mood you wait for. It is a road you are on. You may not be able to control how you feel today. You can choose your next step.
Across Scripture
Psalm 1 opens with this word, and Psalm 2 closes with it: "Blessed are all who take refuge in him" (Psalm 2:12). The doorway into the Psalms is framed by one idea: the blessed person is the one who takes refuge in God. When Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with "Blessed are…" (Matthew 5:3–12), his words echo this same blessing in Greek.
Sit With It
You do not have to feel blessed today. You only have to notice which way your feet are pointed. Where did you take a step this week that you knew was away from God's Word?
Pray
Lord, straighten my walk today, one step at a time.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.