“Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the LORD,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff,
scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the LORD watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”
Psalm 1:1-6 (NLT)

It’s no wonder the New Testament tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart. The Message paraphrases that with a great description of what it means to be a person after God’s own heart in Acts 13:22 as “a man whose heart beats to My heart, a man who will do what I tell him.” I love that description. Does your heart beat in rhythm with God’s heart? To do that, we must practice the daily disciplines of a changed heart. Yesterday, we identified one of those disciplines in Psalm 5:3 that David practiced every morning. He began his day with prayer. “My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.”

Psalm chapter 1 offers us another discipline of a heart that beats in rhythm with God’s heart. As you review this Psalm, you will quickly notice two contrasting ways of living, two contrasting paths, two different types of people. One prospers while the other falters. Notice in verse two the daily discipline of the blessed life, the heart that beats to God’s heart. What is it? “They delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.” This is the discipline of reading and meditating daily on God’s Word. Letting His Word take root in your heart. When you do that, your whole worldview shifts. Are you letting the world or the Word of God direct your life? Read this Psalm and ask yourself what path you are on. What place does God’s Word have in our lives? Note the benefits for those who make it a daily discipline. Maybe it’s time to take action and make the adjustments to spend time alone with God in His Word and let Him direct your life with blessing!

To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit https://kerryshook.org/blog.

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.