Introduction

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,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ 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.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
–Psalm 1

                  Psalm 1 is a rich resource for followers of Jesus. It is filled with insight and sound counsel for anyone seeking to follow The Jesus Way. For example, we learn in this Psalm that we must be careful who we invite into the “inside” of our lives. We have to be careful about choosing our closest advisors and counselors. We are influenced by those around us whether we realize it or not.

                  Further, this Psalm challenges us to be devoted to God’s Word. We are to seek God’s counsel through His Word. We are to meditate on His Word and digest its truth. Our lives are to reflect the wisdom of God that is gained through time spent in His Word.

                  For this particular Bible Study, we will highlight the truths found in Psalm 1:3. Here the Psalmist paints an image of the “blessed” person. This person is like a “tree planted by streams of water” and this person is productive and fruitful. The interesting insight from verse 3 has to do with the choice of words used to describe this tree. In fact, it has to do with one Hebrew word in particular. The Hebrew word for “planted” is “natul” – and that is not the word used here. The Hebrew word, “shatul” – which means “transplanted” is the word found here. I have found that to be very insightful.

                  To be “planted” implies the sowing of a seed. To be “transplanted” implies a similar but different phenomenon. Transplanting implies the existence of a live plant/tree with a root system – that is transplanted to a different location for a purpose.

                  So – this Bible Study will aid you in studying what it means to be that blessed person who has been transplanted by God in various places for His purposes. We will use the theme Planted to help communicate this truth. We will use various biblical characters to help us better understand the idea of God’s intentionality in planting us in the many places we find ourselves – in order to be more useful to Him.

Goals

1. To embrace the truth that God has “planted” you intentionally in various places so that you might be or become more useful to Him. Sometimes we don’t pause and consider a broader perspective about our lives. We are so caught up in just “living” our lives that we don’t reflect upon why God has placed us where we are. This Bible Study is aimed at assisting you in recognizing God’s hand at work in your life!
2. To learn how to live into God’s purpose for your life during this season of your life. We will highlight a few biblical characters in this study who lived into God’s purpose for their lives. Hopefully, we will gain some insights into how to do this same thing in our own lives.