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PROGRAM D-7686
No doubt you’ve heard the old adage: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but here’s one that I can pretty much guarantee: A Psalm a day keeps the stress away. One of the greatest gifts in God’s Word is the Psalms. They are full of hope and encouragement and comfort. So, I propose that we have a daily dose of them. I’m going to focus on different Psalms and encourage you to take time to meditate on each of them. I believe you’ll discover that they do indeed reduce your stress levels.
A good starting place is Psalm 1: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.
I love the imagery of being like a tree, not withering no matter what the season, yielding the fruit of God’s Spirit. No doubt you aspire to that place of rootedness and fruitfulness, too, with the wonderful promise that what you do will prosper.
Choosing carefully who we walk with in life’s journey will make a huge difference in whether or not we are like this evergreen tree. Who are the people who influence your life? Who do you want to please? Are they taking you in the direction of delighting in the Lord, or have they caused you to walk away from your faith—off the right path? When you walk with the right people, it truly takes away a lot of life’s stress.
And then, meditating on God’s word throughout your day is absolutely guaranteed to bring you a calm and peaceful spirit. Meditating just means thinking about something, so when you think about what is written in the Bible, you will certainly be blessed. Memorizing a verse a week is a great spiritual discipline that will sharpen your mind and fill you with God’s peace.
I hope you’ll take seriously this guarantee that “a Psalm a day keeps the stress away,” and meditate on the truth of Psalm 1.