Psalm 1: Legalistic Duty or Delightful Devotion?

Legalistic Duty or Delightful Devotion?

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalms 1:1-6 (ESV)

What do you think?

God, through this psalm of David, promises blessed prosperity ("happy pushing forward") for all who delight ("find pleasure or value") in His law. Why do the wicked reject this happiness?

What is the difference between legalistic duty and delightful devotion?

The definition of "meditation" implies that there is a thin line separating "consideration of God's goodness" and "complaining of God's unfairness":

MEDITATE: haga "haw-GAW" (to murmur, in pleasure of anger; to ponder); related to hagig (a murmur, a complaint)

How has God dealt with you concerning griping and complaining, whether in prayer or in talking with other people?

What is the difference between "the way of the righteous" and "the way of the wicked"?

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