This week’s reflections are written by Rev. Brian Johnson, one of our Associate Pastors here at St. Matthew’s

Rooted 2019 – Week Thirteen  Day One

Today’s reading is Psalm 1

The Psalms have been the standard collection of prayers, poems, and hymns used by generations of the faithful.  King David, Solomon, and other authors over the course of 1,000 years contributed writings to the Psalms. Many of the Psalms point to the coming Messiah.  Even Jesus used the Psalms. These writings are at times unpolished, they are real. People have turned to middle of their Bible where the Psalms are located and read them during moments of need.  So this week we are going to dive into five different Psalms and explore certain themes that we can apply to our life.

In Psalm 1, we start out with the saying “Happy are those” (depending your translation: “Blessed is the man” or “Oh, the joy of those”).  This phrase sets the stage for the rest of the Psalm. Happy are those who do not follow the way of the world but take root in the law of the Lord.  Paul expands upon this Psalm in Colossian 2:7, “Let your roots grow down into Jesus…and you will overflow with thankfulness”. We are reminded that when we allow the teachings of scripture overtake our lives then we find true joy and thankfulness.  We must not be like the rest of the world, relying on our own understanding. If God is not the foundation that we build our life on, then what do we use? If we have no firm foundation, then we shall surely perish. We are meant to lean on God’s word, take root in the teachings of Jesus, and live out our faith together.  When we do those things, we will surely bear His fruits and have a foundation that can help us through the ups and downs of life.

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