Psalm 1:1–2:
“How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand in the pathway with sinners,
or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the LORD’s commands;
he meditates on his commands day and night.”
This is also part of my series on the value of repetition. What is this man repeating? It is the Word.
When God talked about the future kings of Israel, He said they needed to have a copy of the law written for them, so that they would read it all the days of their lives, learn to revere the LORD, and carefully obey it (Deuteronomy 17:18–20). They were to repeatedly be in the Word even as kings. That was God’s priority for the kings of Israel.
We see this man in Psalm 1, right at the beginning of the Psalms, so that you don’t miss it. Don’t say, “I read the Bible yesterday.” Don’t say, “I’ve finished reading the Bible; what else now?” The value of repetition.
“Day and night”—it is not even just “every day,” it is day and night. This man is highlighted as an exemplary person whose priority is God’s Word.
It is not saying that, historically, he once spent time in the Word. No. He is repeatedly in the Word, repeatedly focused on the Word, repeatedly prioritizing the Word, and engaged with the Word. There is value in that repetition.
Jesus told the devil, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We see that repetition again: every word, ongoing.
In times past, many people did not have access to God’s Word. In the Old Testament context, the best you might have is hearing the law read by the priests a few times a year. Even centuries ago, many were illiterate and depended on someone else to read Scripture to them.
But now look at what has happened. Many people in the world can read. And you don’t even need to say, “I must go and buy a Bible”; the Bible is on many people’s phones. To me, that is like a message from God. See the trajectory: there was a time when the Word was in very few languages, and anyone who tried to translate it was in trouble. But now the knowledge of God is spreading across the earth.
The question is: what about you? Is it filling your heart? And the only way to that is repetition. You have to repeatedly engage with it.
Don’t say, “I will master it once and that is all.” Don’t say, “I will get a degree in it and then put it behind me.” James wrote that we should welcome the message implanted within us, which is able to save our souls (James 1:21).
If the Word of God is food, I need it every day. My soul has to be fed every day. My soul has to be re‑anchored in Christ every day. The book of Hebrews says that, because of the deceitfulness of sin, we should encourage one another day after day (Hebrews 3:12–13).
Paul said all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). So don’t fall into the trap of saying, “I’ve been reading the Bible, I’ve been reading the Bible—what is it doing for me?” The way I see it, you have been gathering firewood. You need a spark.
You may say, “I read the Bible today; I didn’t feel anything.” You are not seeking a feeling. What you want is that repetition. What you want is to be like this man who is highlighted as blessed because he meditates on God’s Word day and night.
He is not tired of it. He is not saying, “I’ve read it before.” He is not saying, “What exactly am I supposed to read? I know what is there.” But if you know what is in one part, do you actually know what is in another part?
And Christ is on every page. Every page of Scripture breathes out Christ. It is a message of Christ to us. Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and these are the very ones that testify about Me” (John 5:39). They are our gateway into Christ, into the truth of Christ.
The value of repetition: you cannot neglect that aspect of repeatedly engaging Scripture. However you want to structure it—five verses a day, one chapter a day—let there be repetition of Scripture in your life. Be repeatedly engaging with the Scriptures in the highs and the lows and in between.
God bless you. See you later.