Your Turn for 1/7-8/2023 - Psalm 1
Welcome to the weekend, Seeds of Faith community!
Because this is a reflection on scripture using the SOAP method (Scripture-Observation-Application-Prayer), part of the purpose is sharing an example of what you might practice in your own scripture reading. So, the weekend invitation is to practice your own SOAP reflection.
Each weekend, I’ll share a passage of scripture to work from. If you’re up for sharing in the comments, I’d love to see what you come up with. This week the prompt is Psalm 1. If you share, please copy and paste the sentence or phrase you are reflecting on.
Brief guidelines for a good practice:
The Basic Method. Pick one sentence or phrase in the scripture passage that stands out to you. Write down one thing you observe going on in that sentence or phrase. Reflect on how that observation gives insight that might apply to your faith and life. Write a short prayer about that.
Observe Well. Think about what the sentences and phrases are saying and not saying. Take care also not to extrapolate more than is there.
Stay Balanced. Focus on the particular scripture while keeping the whole witness of scripture (as well as you know it) in mind. Isolating a verse or passage from the whole can lead us to heresies, but reading each verse or passage deeply and well makes for a robust understanding of the whole. This is one purpose of the early creeds (Apostles’ and Nicene)—they summarize the major points of Christian scripture and doctrine so as to help us read individual biblical passages faithfully.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
Knowing that God is watching over my daily life as I strive to be the righteous person, he designed me to be gives me a peaceful, secure feeling in my heart
Prayer: Lord, thank you for watching over me. Help me to grow with your guidance to be a good example for others.
“3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.”
It is hard not to delve into the whole of Psalm 1, it is rich with meaning and frankly quite beautiful. I chose verse 3, a simple analogy that if we honor God’s law and Word according to the scripture rather than let ourselves be led by popular culture and unhealthy pursuits we will flourish and bear fruit (like this well nourished and watered tree) and be blessed and prosper. God promises to bless us if we obey and share his fruit. The alternative (not living a Godly life) is to wither and blow away like dust.
Prayer: Father, help me immerse myself in your word, living the way you would have me, spreading the fruit of your word so I may flourish and be a bountiful tree of faith.