Psalm 1 shows us two paths. One is the path of the righteous, the one who follows and obeys God. The other is the path of the wicked, who rebels against God’s law and lives contrary to His will. There are two different paths and each leads to a different fate. As we have seen, the path of the righteous leads to blessing and prosperity. The path of the wicked leads to destruction and meaninglessness. This does not mean that everyone who follows after God will have a trouble-free life and everyone who disobeys God will always face punishment in this life. But it is a principal that is generally true and will ultimately come to pass in God’s timing.
In 1 Kings 21 we see this principal played out in the lives of Ahab and Jezebel, king and queen of Samaria, and Naboth the Jezreelite. Here we see evil and good and the consequences of each. While we don’t see the righteous being blessed in this life, we do see the eventual punishment of the disobedient and wicked king. It’s important for us to remember that this principle outlined in psalm 1 is at work in our world today. It is always better to follow God’s law, to meditate on it day and night, and to avoid the path of the wicked.