Series: Songs of Worship—Getting Real With God
Sermon: A Choice
Speaker and Writer: Elia King

Refresh: Open with prayer. Ask God for understanding through the Holy Spirit.

Read: Psalm 1 (ESV). Reread in the English Standard Version for new insights.

Reflect: There are eight timeless words of wisdom that have been uttered by every person who has ever sat in a math class. Whether you are eight or eighty-eight, you will recognize them immediately: When am I ever going to use this? I have to confess that at times I have been guilty of thinking about scripture in the same way. In church circles, there is a high value put on the ability to find some never-before-unpacked nugget of wisdom from the Bible and bring it to the world. Consequently, more often than I would like to admit, I have treated Scripture like it is only something to be studied.

This year, our three-year-old son, Anderson, got a firefighter costume as one of his birthday presents. As part of the set, he got a hat, a coat, and a megaphone. He rushed to unpack every piece and get dressed up. After a few minutes of playing, he put the costume aside to play with other toys. I picked up the megaphone and noticed a small trap door on the bottom. Against my better judgment as a parent and general fan of quiet time, I unscrewed the compartment, put fresh batteries inside, closed it back up, and pushed a small button on the side of the handle. When the siren roared for the first time, Anderson’s eyes lit up! It was like a whole new toy!

I mention this story because I think we often treat scripture in the same way. We work—and often do a great job— to understand it from a scholarly perspective. But we sometimes forget that there is a heart at the center of these stories and songs that begs to beat as part of our everyday life.

Have you ever felt grateful for a virtuous friend? Maybe you have observed some unscrupulous behavior and thought to yourself, “This is not going to end well.” Or maybe you have noticed someone who seems to be unusually grounded despite their tremendous success in life and thought, “They must be doing something right!” If you have ever felt that way, then you can likely relate to the Psalmist when he wrote about the everyday habits of the righteous person:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates

day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its

leaf does not wither.

Recalibrate: If you were to talk with God about one “ordinary” part of your life and put that conversation into poetic language, how might that sound?

Respond: Pray for insight to understand the heart behind the words recorded in Psalm 1.

Research: Read “Introduction to the Psalms.” If you were to compile a book of songs that describe your experience with God, what five songs would you choose to begin the compilation? Don’t be afraid to include songs that aren’t in the hymnal you grew up with.