Why study the Bible? Lesson from Psalm 1

Psalms 1
1 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,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 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.


4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.


6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

(NIV)

When Christians decide to study the Bible, there is one thing they ask from many questions they have: Why? Why should I spend my time to learn the Bible? Isn't it enough for me to hear sermons in my Church or on radio or on the Internet? Or isn't it enough to learn Christian doctrines from books? I see an interesting book with many pictures in it.

Well, listening sermon and read books are good things to do. But, it is similar to ask people feed us just like parents feed their baby. Soon, we will be old enough and God doesn't want us to ask other Christians to feed us. We need to learn how to chew and eat our spiritual food. Psalms 1 gives us comparisons between two kinds of people. Ones are described as wicked people, sinners and mockers. The writer warned us that we should avoid the lifestyle of these people. The other one is a person who his delight is the Law of the LORD. He meditates on his law day and night.

Well, I believe when someone meditates on the Bible day and night, he will eventually avoid to follow these people's lifestyles. Since God provides guidance, life principles and answers for our daily lives in the Bible. As we know that in our modern day, it's not easy to understand whether or not we do right things. There are situations where the boundaries of the right and the wrong are blur.

But, I believe people who spend their time to learn, understand and apply the Bible, they will have clear descriptions about the boundaries. Attitude to meditate day and night is not something we can achieve in a day. It takes times and efforts. I'd like to describe it like a baby who eats soft food, and as his teeth grow he starts to learn to chew and then, eats hard food. But, the journey is a worthy process to take. A growing human being cannot avoid the process where he learns to eat, walk, run and speak. All take times, but all are necessary for our survival.

Psalm 1 describes beautifully the benefits that people get when they learn to understand the Bible. When they meditate the Law of the Lord. And again, the results that the wicked people and people who spend their times to learn the Bible are compared.

 I can conclude them in several words: successful, prosperous life for people who meditates in God's law day and night. And misery for evil people.