Two Roads Diverged (Psalm 1)

Have you ever heard Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken? It begins with this verse, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth.” Psalm 1 seems to stand in a similar location to where Robert Frost must have been standing when he wrote that famous poem. Like the poem suggests, the psalmist realizes as he ponders life that there are two diverging paths - a blessed man and a wicked man. One cannot travel both of these two roads at the same time because they are moving in opposite directions. In Matthew 7, Jesus speaks of two ways leading to different destinations, two trees bearing different kinds of fruit, two different types of foundations upon which men can build their homes. It is interesting how life contains significant choices like this. Psalm 1 is a great place to ponder life as one begins a new year. The psalmist was more of a poet than a painter, and yet, his words vividly display for us two portraits. In verses 1-3, he admires and depicts a godly man, whereas in verses 4-6, he sketches and warns of a wicked man. Let’s walk in this biblical art gallery and make a few observations about these two strikingly different ways of life. Admiring the Godly Man’s Portrait: Satisfied along the Way, 1:1 Separated from the Wicked, 1:1 Saturated with the Word, 1:2 Situated by the Water, 1:3 Supplied for the Work, 1:3 Warning through the Wicked Man’s Portrait: Contrast with the Wicked, 1:4 Comparison to the Wicked, 1:4 Chasm between the Wicked, 1:5 Conclusion of the Wicked, 1:6 --- Growing in Grace Devotions and Inspirations Hosted by Pastor Victor Morrison First Baptist Church 1700 Milam Street Columbus, TX, USA 78934 http://fbccolumbustx.org/