As for Me: Life Through the Lens of the PsalmsSample

In Step

“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.”

Psalm 1:1 (NIV)

Psalm 1 is one of my favorite psalms. It was the first passage of Scripture I memorized as a little girl. I grew up near the beach in beautiful South Africa, and I would often go for walks on the beach with my family and our dogs. I loved playing a game with other people’s footprints in the sand. I would try to step precisely where they had stepped, and, the bigger the print, the longer the stride I would have to take. I remember walking behind my dad because his footsteps were so much bigger than mine. As I would step in his prints, they would generously engulf mine. I swung my arms as high as I could to stride widely and walk exactly where he did. And, the higher I swung them, the bigger I imagined my stride to be as I stepped into the rhythm of each of his footsteps. I felt so free, so strong, and so big.

In the same childlike way I looked ahead at the steps of my earthly dad, I want to walk in step with Jesus—in His rhythm and His flow. I want to do whatever it takes to keep in step with Him. But, often, I feel like I’m more in step with the world than I am with my Savior.

I love how the New International Version (NIV) words Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked…” (emphasis mine).

Blessed gives me the idea of happiness—a healthy, fruitful, and beautiful life. Being blessed is a quality that flows from something deep within us that is not dependent on our circumstances for well-being but rather on the very nature of God and being aligned and connected to Him.

I honestly feel overwhelmed when I read these words of Scripture. I’m blown away at the generosity of God, His nature, and His heart toward us, especially when I can be so slow to respond and so passive in how I pursue Him at times. He chose us to be His very own!

When you survey your life, what path are you on? Think about the different facets of your day-to-day life: friends, time management, relationships with others, relationship or connectedness to God, financial decisions, your thoughts, your words, and your knee-jerk reactions. Which path do they more closely resemble?

We’ll see this more clearly in the coming days, but know this: The promise in Psalm 1 is that as we walk in the ways of God, we will not be dry, not fainting, not wanting; we will be happy, blessed, and prosperous in God’s eyes. Let’s purpose in our hearts to look to Him.