Daily Devotionals

Psalm 1:4–6

A key observation in Psalm 1:4–6 is contrast. Don't miss the many things that are quite the opposite from the preceding verses. "The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away."

"Not so!" That is exactly how verse 4 begins in the Hebrew Bible. It is an emphatic negative assertion. Literally, it says, "Not so, the wicked!" It refers back to the three preceding verses describing the righteous, godly believer, who:

Psalm 1:1–3

As I read Psalm 1, three illustrations from the Bible flash into my mind. Two men flirted with evil, then fell; but there was one other who refused to begin a "walk in the counsel of the wicked." The first two illustrations involve Lot and Samson; the third is Joseph. People the world over are familiar with Samson, whose life is best described in Proverbs 5:20–23:

Psalm 1:1–3

Psalm 1:1–6

The Hebrews' ancient hymnal begins with a song that addresses one of life's most common grinds: compromise. Please understand, I'm not referring to those give-and-take times so necessary for living in harmony with one another. Without that healthy kind of compromise, nations could never find a meeting ground for peaceful co-existence and family members would forever be at each other's throats.

Galatians 3:29

The Bible doesn’t try to paint its heroes as anything but real people with real flaws.

Consequently, Abraham becomes real, not despite his frailties, but because of them. Like all real people, he had weaknesses. Some of them are disappointing to look at, but they help us see the whole man. And those weaknesses help us learn how to regard our own.

Hebrews 11:9

In the book of Hebrews, Abraham is praised for believing God’s promises.

God called Abraham to move to a place where he didn’t know a soul. He had no permanent place to live, no community to rely upon for support, and no one to call in times of trouble. When he left Ur, he left the security of a permanent place of residence. He was able to live apart from established and secure human communities only because he “was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations” (Hebrews 11:10).

Hebrews 11:8

Hebrews 11 has been called “the hall of faith”—and for good reason. Beginning with one of the first people on earth, the author traces the essential quality of faith through Hebrew history, highlighting 10 great men and women. Abraham receives extended treatment as the writer follows his spiritual journey through its heights, down into its depths, and back up again. In a short space, Abraham is measured and found worthy of imitation.

James 2:23

Direct interchanges between God and individuals don’t occur often in Scripture. But in Abraham’s life, his interchange with God takes the form of a true dialogue, a back-and-forth conversation between friends. But make no mistake—while the two shared this remarkably free exchange, God didn’t become Abraham’s “buddy.” Abraham never lost respect for the Lord’s awesome, holy omnipotence; after all, he built more than one altar for the purpose of sacrificing to the God he worshipped.

Genesis 25:8-9

Don’t cry for Abraham. Don’t mourn his death. Don’t grieve his departure. Rejoice! Celebrate him. Look at what he made of his life and his final years on earth.

I’ve said all along that Abraham’s story is our story. This particular narrative of how he died a satisfied man holds at least two valuable secrets to our finishing well. One has to do with being faithful; the other has to do with being diligent.

The first secret: faithfully remember that each day offers opportunities for staying young at heart.

Genesis 25:5-6

Before Abraham died, he took good care of all his children, establishing each of his sons financially as they left the nest and started families of their own. He had evidently learned from the mistake he’d made with Ishmael and Hagar, whom he had sent away with inadequate provisions.