Week 1 - January 1-4, 2025

This week’s daily readings:

January 1-4, 2025

This week’s devotional:

What Would You Have Me Do, LORD?

by Kim Loehr

Scripture:

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,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.

— Psalm 1:1-4 (NIV) 

Reflection:

Psalm 1 tells us that to delight in the law of the Lord is to be blessed. And who among us doesn’t want to be blessed by God – right? At first glance, the instruction in this psalm seems easy: delight in the Lord and meditate about him and you will have a fruitful and prosperous life. However, it’s that little three letter word “LAW” in there that gets my attention. As someone who at times relates more closely to the Apostle Peter than I would like (think impulsive, willful, and outspoken), submitting to authority and following rules is difficult for me at times. 

Psalm 1 is attributed to David, who lived and penned his psalms about 1000 years before Jesus was born. During this time, God’s law was found in the rules for life that God gave to Moses, commonly referred to as the Ten Commandments. But followers of Jesus Christ don’t have to look that far back in history to understand how to follow God’s law because Christ said in Scripture, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). We may deduce that to follow Jesus is to delight in God’s law, but now we must understand what it means to follow Jesus, and then meditate on his ways day and night. It seems like following the Ten Commandments might be easier!

Alas, not wanting to be like the chaff that the wind blows away, I sought the Lord in prayer. What would you have me do, Lord? I prayed and prayed, and God heard me, and he answered! No, I didn’t hear an audible voice. But the following verse came to my spirit loud and clear: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) Although I am not always able to follow these instructions very well (think Peter whipping out his sword and cutting off the soldier’s ear, denying the Lord three times, sinking into the water on the Sea of Galilee), I know I am blessed because the Lord knows I’m trying. 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to you once more in prayer as someone who longs to meditate on your word and to understand you more. Help me to walk in step with Jesus and not in the way of the wicked. I want to drink from your stream of water so that I can prosper and be fruitful in this life you gave me. Help me to bless others by sharing my many blessings, including your law and the Gospel. And send your Holy Spirit to inspire my learning and transform me as I learn. I pray this all in Jesus’ name. Amen