~ Psalm 1:1
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The book of Psalms opens with a vision of the “blessed” life. Psalm 1:1 paints the picture of the person who avoids destructive paths and instead delights in God’s law.
This verse introduces one of Scripture’s most important words: “blessed.”
The Hebrew word for “blessed” is ’ashrê, from the root ’ashar, meaning to go straight, to advance, to be happy. It carries more depth than a fleeting feeling of happiness. To be “blessed” means to be rightly aligned with God, to live a life marked by favor, stability, and flourishing. It is both a declaration of joy and a description of wholeness.
Different translations render it variously: “blessed,” “happy,” or even “fortunate.” Each gives us a facet of the meaning. “Blessed” emphasizes God’s favor. “Happy” highlights the inner joy that comes from walking with Him. “Fortunate” reminds us that this life is a gift, not earned but received by grace. Together, they show that the blessed life is not about material gain or worldly success, but about living in harmony with God’s will.
This connects directly to biblical health. Many chase after wellness in ways that leave them empty, walking in the “counsel of the wicked” that promises quick fixes, fad diets, or self-centered lifestyles. But true blessedness is holistic: body, mind, and spirit thriving under God’s care. To be blessed is to experience peace in the soul, clarity in the mind, and strength in the body—not because circumstances are perfect, but because life is rooted in God.
Psalm 1 reminds us that the blessed person avoids the downward spiral of compromise. Notice the progression: walk, stand, sit. Sin draws us step by step into deeper entanglement. The blessed life resists that pull and instead chooses a path of delight in God’s Word. This is where lasting wellness is found.
For the modern believer, Psalm 1:1 is both a filter and an invitation. The filter: ask, “Whose counsel am I following—God’s or the world’s?” The invitation: choose the way of blessedness, which is available to every believer in Christ.
Ask yourself today: How am I experiencing the blessed life? Am I chasing shallow happiness, or living in the deep joy of God’s favor?
Prayer: Lord, thank You that You call me blessed when I walk in Your ways. Teach me to resist the pull of worldly counsel and to delight in Your Word. May my life reflect the wholeness, joy, and favor that come from being rooted in You. Amen.
