Today, as part of my Bible reading plan which I mentioned in a previous post, I read and meditated over 4 different passages of Scripture. I spent the majority of my time pondering and diving into Psalm 1.

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;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1

The psalmist here has divided his song into two groups of people: the righteous and the wicked. He mentions that these two kinds of people have different characteristics and destinies. The righteous man is treelike and will stand in the congregation of the righteous. The wicked man is chaff-like, and his destiny is destruction.

As I was reading over this passage of Scripture, verse 2 jumped out at me. “…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” This word delight in the original Hebrew manuscripts is the noun chêphets (khay’-fets), which means pleasure, desire, enjoyment, or gladness.

Some illustrations come to mind with those definitions. For one example: a fine meal at a nice restaurant. What a rare and excellent treat! I imagine ending a long day of work, getting cleaned up, and hopping in the car with my wife. Depending on the restaurant, and how hungry I am, sometimes the anticipation of the meal is greater than usual. But nonetheless, I know it’s going to be good. We arrive at the restaurant, and we receive the menus. What does my palate desire? Tiger prawns with a peri peri reduction, 14 oz center cut veal chop. or the 8 oz Harris Ranch filet mignon? I’ll go with the filet in this imaginary dinner adventure.

The thought of it wets my appetite. 20 minutes later, the meal arrives. The aroma of the steak hits my nose. I take a bite. The juiciness and flavor are enormous. I invite Nicole to taste this masterpiece of a meal. Her experience is the same. As we leave the restaurant, we thank the chef for the wonderful meal. We arrive at home extravagantly satisfied.

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

Another picture enters in as I contemplate the word delight. Anyone who knows me knows the joy I am filled with when I am surrounded by anything that can be defined as a mountain. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I live in Florida, and the opportunities for such views and sights are non-existent. I especially take pleasure in hiking up and around these mountains. Just ask Nicole. On our honeymoon, I talked her into climbing this:

[At this point, I will diverge and thank God for my wife. That day of our honeymoon was just a glimpse of her love and her desire to see me doing the things that bring me joy. I don't deserve the gift that I have in her, and I sure am thankful for it.]

There is a unique joy that makes my heart glad when I am climbing Gros Piton in Soufriere, St. Lucia, or Crystal Lakes Trail in Breckenridge, CO.

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

This verse struck a match in my heart this morning and increased my appetite for the Word of God. Do I delight in the law of the Lord like I delight in a juicy steak? Am I as excited about obtaining a new revelation of God through His Word as I am about reaching the top of a mountain peak?

To delight in the Scriptures to the degree that joy would bubble up even at the anticipation of reading them  is the prayer of my heart.

Never reduce Christianity to a matter of demands and resolutions and willpower. It is a matter of what we love, what we delight in, what tastes good to us. When Jesus came into the world humanity was split according to what they loved. “The light came into the world and men loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). The righteous and the wicked are separated by what they delight in—the revelation of God or the way of the world.
- John Piper

In what ways does Psalm 1 strike you? When you contemplate the word “delight,” what comes to mind? Do you find yourself delighting in the Bible the same way David points out here?. If not, what are some ways you increase that delight?