NearnessSample

Ever wondered what the most popular book of the Bible is? A Google search quickly reveals that it’s Psalms. I’m not surprised. In our Bibles, there is no other book quite like Psalms. It’s a book of songs that contains the full gamut of human emotions. As John Calvin said, “I have been accustomed to call this book ‘an anatomy of the soul’ for there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not there reflected”.

Throughout the Psalms, among the raw emotions, we also see a picture of the spiritual life. The Psalms are a form of wisdom literature, and within them is guidance on what is true and right, and how to live in a way that is good.

What does ‘the good life’ actually look like? And who are the people who really are the most fortunate?

About a decade ago, when hashtags first became a thing, it was all the rage to caption your photos with #blessed. Some used the hashtag to express their gratitude, and some used it as a convenient way to brag. For a moment, it was prolific! Consequently, according to social media, to be ‘blessed’ was to enjoy a life of smashed avocado and sunsets. It was laying on a boat or a beach. It was getting the job, the wedding, or the house of your dreams.

The Bible, however, has a much deeper and richer meaning for ‘blessed’. Blessedness is to have a deep, soul-satisfying joy. To be truly well off. In Psalm 1, we see a vivid picture of who the ‘blessed’ ones are and how they live. The Psalm contrasts the life of the ‘blessed’ person with the life of the wicked. It’s almost like a ‘choose your own adventure’ as it shows us the different ways we can choose to live in God’s world.

Overall, the Psalm is pointing us to the reality that how we live matters. ‘Blessedness’ is something we can know and experience, but the way there might not be what we expected.

Today, ponder this: Do you want the good life? Do you want to live well? If yes—and surely the answer is yes—according to God’s wisdom, who are the truly ‘blessed’ ones? What do their lives look like? And therefore, how is God calling you to live?