Psalm 1:1 How blessed is the man Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers, But his delight is in the law of Yahweh. What does it mean to be blessed? The CSB translation would say happy, but in this case that’s not what is meant. “Blessed” here speaks of a life that is rightly ordered before God living in the favor of the Lord. This blessing is not earned, but it is revealed in the life of the one who belongs to Him. The rest of this verse gives us a clear picture of what the life of a blessed person looks like. It all happens in the first Psalm, the first book of the five books of Psalms, and right in the first verse. What does walk mean? Walk is your way of life, how you live. We are called to pick up our cross daily and walk with the Lord, not according to the counsel of the “wicked” or in this case unbelievers. Next, what does stand mean? Stand speaks to your position and identity. You’ve heard the phrase “What do you stand for?” We are to stand on God’s Word as absolute truth and let it be the source of direction for our lives. We don’t take our stand according to sinners but according to what God has laid out for us. Now sit… what does that mean? Where you sit is who you associate with and assemble alongside. If you regularly place yourself among those who scoff at God or speak against God-fearing, God-honoring people, it will shape you. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. We are called to assemble with men and women of God, who help keep us pointed toward a Christlike identity. By the way, the opening of the verse “Blessed is the man” uses a Hebrew word that is masculine in form but means person. This applies to everyone male and female alike. So the message of this verse can be understood like this: “The best way for a person to live is to live in light of God’s favor. The way we live is shaped by the counsel we listen to, the truth we stand on, and the people we walk alongside. Our identity is formed by God’s Word and by the example God Himself has shown through His teachings. We are called to live within a community of believers, not among those who live for the world and not for Christ.”

Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” In a world that constantly tells us who we should be, this verse reminds us who we already are. Your value isn’t earned, proven, or taken away by circumstances—it was given by God from the beginning. Sit with that truth today.