Psalm 1 is a well that does not run dry. For many who grow up in the faith, it is among the first passages of Scripture that they memorize, but even still, its six short verses quite easily bear the weight of a lifetime of meditation. Indeed, in calling us to meditate on God’s law day and night, the Psalm almost screams, “Start here!”

As the image above suggests, Psalm 1 was the primary text that inspired the design of my logo. I wanted it to have the feel of an old-school crest, which meant that it had to be an image that represented the very purpose and aim of my life (no easy task!). I chose the imagery of Psalm 1 because that’s precisely what I long for my life to be. A tree, one of many in the forest of God’s people, rooted in living streams of God’s Word, enduring the world with unwithered leaves, and growing ever higher into Christ.

Over the next few months, we will walk through Psalm 1 phrase-by-phrase each Friday. The idea for doing so came as I was meditating over the Psalm again and began pondering anew the threefold warnings against keeping sinful company in verse 1. I have always viewed them as simply presenting a cumulative call of attention to the destruction that inevitably follows when associating with the wicked. However, as I turned each phrase around in my mind, I saw that there was something significant to each of the three warnings that was worth further and deeper meditation. So, that’s what I am doing, pondering more deeply over Psalm 1 and inviting you to join me.

It is also worth noting that I call these short bits of writing meditations rather than devotions for a reason. You see, even moving phrase-by-phrase through Psalm 1 will not plumb its depths. Each line could easily be the subject of volumes of sermons and books without ever reaching the bottom. If you doubt such a statement, consider virtually any work by one of the Puritans. My goal, therefore, is not to say all that could be said about Psalm 1; instead, I simply hope to present enough thought on each phrase of this psalm to provoke further meditation in you, the reader. I pray that you take these nuggets of Scripture, easily memorized, and ponder them in your heart and mind throughout the day and week.