SUNDAY EDITORIAL

It's Your Choice

The LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. — Psalm 1:6

Psalm 1 is a fitting introduction to the entire Psalter. It presents us with two distinct paths we can choose in life: either the wise, godly path or that of the wicked and ungodly. Clearly, only one of these paths leads us into the delight of learning and obeying God's Law and enjoying His blessing on our lives. The other leads to death and destruction.

When it's put that way, it doesn't seem like much of a choice, does it? Of course, we want God's blessing on our lives. Yet, how often do we drift from the right path and fall into the "counsel of the wicked" or "stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers" (v.1). How can we keep ourselves on the wise, godly path?

The key is found in verse 2. The godly person's delight is "in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Let's pause for a moment on the word delight. Sometimes, this can be a difficult concept to comprehend. We might not always associate obedience and learning with delight, but this is a strong theme in Jewish teaching. While some may find the commands of the Torah a burden, being obedient to God's Word is truly a delight for the pious Jew and the believing Christian alike. And the reward that God offers mankind as a result of that obedience and learning is a fruitful, prosperous life, as opposed to a life that has no substance, a life like "chaff that the wind blows away."

As we read further, we see that the person who delights in God's Word and obeys it is like a tree that draws its life from the water by which it is planted. This principle is also found in Jeremiah 17:7-8, which tells us that the person who puts his faith in God is "like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream." Such a person is deeply rooted, unlikely to be swayed by the opinion or actions of those around him or her.

As we draw wisdom from God's Word and stay connected to Him, we will "never fail to bear fruit," and in the words of the psalmist, prosper in whatever we do.

The choice is ours.

With prayers for shalom, peace,


Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President
devotional@holylandmoments.org