The Tyranny of the Urgent Psalms 1:1-3

 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers (Psalms 1:1-3 NAS95).

I like what Matthew Henry says about this passage. “To meditate in God's word is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things contained in it, with close application of mind and fixedness of thought. We must have constant regard to the word of God as the rule of our actions and the spring of our comforts, and have it in our thoughts night and day. For this purpose, no time is amiss.”

The devil often attacks believers through false teachers and doctrinal errors; however, another effective tactic is when he whispers to us that there is no urgency. The psalmist reminds us that the blessed man meditates day and night, thereby avoiding wicked counsel.

What is it that keeps you from spending time with God? Are you in a constant hurry-up state? Are there bad influences in your life? Do you just not believe the promise of God?

In our fast-paced society, it is easy to fall prey to the tyranny of the urgent. However, when we let the urgent things overshadow the most important thing, we give birth to more urgent things. The psalmist says that when we meditate on God’s law, we will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. 

This is a beautiful image. It reminds me of seeing an oasis. If you ever see one, you will see lush green trees surrounded by desert. The water source is what makes it possible for the vegetation to survive in the barren wasteland. The world is our barren wasteland. If you want to flourish, you must root yourself in the living water. Think about that the next time you want to put off reading and meditating because of some urgent need. Ask yourself, “Is this really that urgent?” You might figure out it wasn't that urgent after all.