Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.

The Blessed Life: Rooted in God's Word, Flourishing in Every Season (Psalm 1)

• James Long

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📖 Episode Title: The Blessed Life: Rooted in God’s Word, Flourishing in Every Season (Psalm 1)

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this foundational episode of Counseling Through the Psalms, James Long, Jr. explores the opening chapter of the Psalter—Psalm 1—and its timeless wisdom about the path to a blessed life. Learn how to resist spiritual drift, develop delight-driven habits in God's Word, and cultivate stability and fruitfulness no matter what season you're in.

If you feel spiritually dry or distracted by worldly voices, Psalm 1 offers the clarity and direction your soul needs.

đź“Ś Key Takeaways

  • True blessing is not found in circumstances but in being rooted in God’s Word.
  • Spiritual drift begins subtly—with the voices we listen to.
  • Meditation is not passive—it is active, transformative engagement with Scripture.
  • The godly life is like a tree: rooted, nourished, fruitful, and resilient.
  • The counsel you follow today shapes the destiny you walk toward tomorrow.

đź“– Scripture Focus

  • Psalm 1:1–6
  • 2 Timothy 3:16–17
  • John 17:17
  • Matthew 7:13–14
  • Romans 3:10–12

đź’¬ Reflect and Respond

  • What voices or influences are shaping your thinking right now?
  • Are you experiencing spiritual drought or flourishing fruit?
  • Do you delight in God’s Word—or merely read it out of duty?
  • What might it look like to meditate “day and night” this week?
  • Who in your life needs encouragement from Psalm 1?

đź”— Resources & Links

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ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE

Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn the power of living by God’s grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are in search of freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Counseling Through the Psalms with James Long Jr, a special series from Lessons for Life. I'm James, and in each episode we will journey into the rich, honest and healing language of the Psalms to find hope and clarity and comfort for life's deepest struggles. Whether you're wrestling with anxiety, grief, anger or spiritual dryness, the Psalms offer us a path towards restoration and peace through God's Word. So, wherever you are right now, take a deep breath and let's enter into the heart of Scripture together. Hey everyone, it's James Long Jr and welcome to Lessons for Life and we are starting a new series called Counseling Through the Psalms. What I want to do through these psalms, is take you through a landscape of each one of these psalms Counseling Through the Psalms and each one of these articles and podcasts. I hope we're going to be biblically faithful. I want to focus on the idea of counseling how a counselor would look at these psalms and interpret them. We want them to be past and interpret them. We want them to be pastoral in tone. We want them to be emotionally honest. I hope that they will be doctrinally rich and practical in everyday life. I use a framework called learn, love and live. I want to learn what the passage says. I hope it encourages me to love God and love others more. And then I hope to walk away from each one of these passages with something to live out how I can practically live it. So each one of these articles or podcasts will be looking at one particular psalm. We'll look at some of the key points there. We're going to blend a biblical exposition with practical soul application. We're going to look at real life struggles like anxiety or grief or guilt, fear, injustice, depression, spiritual dryness, relational conflicts a ton of things that these psalms will speak to. We want this to be practical theology. We hope that we can apply the truths of the psalm to our everyday lives, in the counseling room, in discipleship, in relationships. Then I'll give you some reflection and response type questions where you're going to be able to reflect and respond. You know four, five, six soul-searching questions that are designed for personal growth. You could use this in group discussions or counseling reflections. So I'm really excited about getting started with this.

Speaker 1:

So why don't we start with Psalm 1.? So if you have your Bibles, why don't you turn there with me Now as you turn to the book? The book of Psalms begins with a word that captures every human heart's longing and the word is blessed. Before we enter the song of laments or the poetry of praise, before we face our enemies or pour out our fears, someone stands at the threshold, like a signpost. This is the way to a flourishing life. That's what the signpost is saying.

Speaker 1:

It's no accident that the Psalter opens with this Psalm. It's a gateway asking each of us to consider which path we're on. The Psalm begins blessed is the man. The Hebrew word behind bless is more than a general sense of happiness. It speaks of deep contentment, favor with God and the kind of soul wholeness that we are looking for. This wholeness of soul, it's not a temporary emotional high, but a sustained, rooted peace, something many of us crave but struggle to experience. Now, psalm 1 gives us more than just theology. It gives us a framework for wholeness mentally, emotionally, relationally and spiritually, and it paints a picture of life that is stable when others are crumbling, fruitful when others are barren, and joyful, even in the seasons of drought. This is a life available to every person who delights in God's Word and rejects the dead end roads of the world's counsel.

Speaker 1:

Now let's start with this. It's two paths, two people and two destinies. The structure of the psalm is simple and sobering. Verses 1 through 3 describe the blessed life and verses 4 through 6 describe the life that perishes. There's no middle ground In God's economy. You're either rooted or blown away. You're either nourished or starved. The blessed life begins with a series of knots.

Speaker 1:

The person God calls blessed is someone who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. Now, each phrase describes a progression of spiritual compromise. Walking in ungodly counsel shows agreement with worldly thinking. Standing in the path of sinners shows alignment with their behavior, and then sitting in the seat of scoffers shows settled mockery. It's a hardness of heart that not only rejects truth but sneers at it. The decline is subtle. You begin by listening, then by lingering and finally by laughing. The world does not lure us into outright rebellion. It entices us with incremental drift and, if we're honest, many of us have felt that drift. But Psalm 1 says the blessed person resisted. They are separated, not isolated, but distinct. What protects this person from spiritual erosion?

Speaker 1:

One practice scriptural meditation, the power of delight-driven meditation. Now the verse says but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law. He meditates day and night. The blessed person doesn't merely obey God's word, he loves it. His relationship with scripture is not mechanical, but devotional Delight leads to meditation. You dwell on what you love. Just as a person in love can't stop thinking about the beloved, the righteous person has an ongoing relationship with God's word. They chew on it, they rehearse it in the moments of boredom, stress or sorrow. They internalize it until it becomes part of their identity. This kind of meditation is not passive reflection but an act of absorption. In counseling context, it's like replacing the mental loop of lies and fear with truth that anchors.

Speaker 1:

One counselor once said you cannot grow fruit on barren ground. The word of God is the soil in which peace grows. The result of this saturation is stunning. It says this he is like a tree planted by the streams of water that yield its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers. Now, this imagery invites us to imagine a life that is stable, nourished, fruitful and resilient.

Speaker 1:

The tree doesn't just depend on the weather. It draws strength from its roots that are hidden deeply. The same is true for the Christian, whose soul drinks deeply from Scripture. They may walk through droughts of grief or windstorms of anxiety, but they stand firm because they are planted, counterfeit counsel or rooted lies. Now, in contrast, the wicked are not.

Speaker 1:

So the psalm doesn't spend a long time here. It doesn't need to. It simply says that they are like chaff. Now, chaff is the dry husk around the grain of wheat. It's worthless, it's weightless, it's easily scattered. It is the opposite of the rooted tree.

Speaker 1:

And the world promises wisdom. But in its promise of wisdom, it offers a steady stream of advice on social media, self-help podcasts and personality tests. But when the storms of life come, ungodly counsel is no anchor. The people who reject God's word will be blown away, not just emotionally but, unfortunately, eternally, and the wicked will not stand in judgment. The way of the wicked will perish. This is not an angry threat. It's a loving warning. God is not indifferent about the path we walk. He pleads with us to choose. Now let's look at the learn, love and live portion of this.

Speaker 1:

Psalm 1 invites us to learn the truth about life's two paths one rooted in God's word and one untethered. It calls us to love God's word, not as a religious duty but as a relational delight. It shows us how to live with resilience, fruitfulness and peace in a world of chaos and confusion. And if you want to walk the blessed life, what you need to do first is to examine your counsel. Whose voice are you listening to, more than God's, so important? Second, pursue delight, not duty. Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your affection for Scripture. Number three make Scripture your meditation, not your checkbox Linger. Reflect, speak it out loud, personalize it. Act. Speak it out loud, personalize it. And then, number four, aim for roots, not for just results. The fruit will come in season, but your job is to remain planted. It says the blessed life isn't built by avoiding trouble, but by abiding in truth. And as you meditate on this truth, it will do more than just inform you. It will transform you. And that's where the power of Psalm 1 comes in.

Speaker 1:

There's several doctrinal insights that we can find from this. We see revelation that God has spoken clearly through his word and that word is living. It's sufficient, it's powerful to shape our lives. We see that in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 through 17. We see sanctification as well, another doctrinal issue, that's growth that comes not from just emotional hype but from consistent, spirit-empowered engagement with the truth. In John 17, verse 17,. We see that we see judgment as well, that there are only two ways God's way or man's way. Each one leads to final and eternal judgment. And then we see human nature, that people are not spiritually neutral. Without divine intervention, we will drift away from God. Romans, chapter 3, verses 10 through 12. So now let's get practical.

Speaker 1:

Psalm 1 speaks powerfully in the counseling room. For the anxious, it offers a stability and a stabilizing word. For the depressed, it shows a path of joy that is rooted not in circumstances but in God's presence. For those who are confused, it provides clarity about what is wise and what is wicked, and for the restless, it describes a peace that comes when we stop running and start rooting In church life. It guides discipleship, calling believers to live in scripture, not around it.

Speaker 1:

In family life, it shapes parenting. It encourages parents to shepherd their children towards godly influences and in spiritual direction. It serves as a diagnostic mirror Are we drifting or are we delighting? So let's reflect and respond. What influences have been shaping your thoughts or your choices right now? So I want you to think about how much time do you spend meditating on scripture compared to social media, news or entertainment?

Speaker 1:

Number three what would it look like if you truly delighted in God's word this week. Number four where do you find fruit in your life and where do you see signs of drought? Fruit in your life, and where do you see signs of drought? Number five are you more like the rooted tree or the scattered chaff right now and why? And then, number six who can you encourage this week with the truths of Psalm 1?

Speaker 1:

Well, here's a prayer. Father in heaven, I thank you for giving us a clear path to the blessed life, not one rooted on and built upon worldly wisdom, but based on your unchanging word. Forgive us for the times where we've drifted and entertain the counsel of the wicked or become numb to your voice. Now, plant us deeply, lord, in your truth and, by the power of your Holy Spirit, awaken us to delight in scripture that surpasses every lesser affection and make us like trees, rooted and nourished and fruitful, lord, in every season, and help us to walk in a way that leads to life, through your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the living Word and the faithful shepherd. In your son's name we pray Amen.

Speaker 1:

So if this was helpful to you and if you're longing for stability in a chaotic world, or if you're feeling spiritually dry or unfruitful. Don't try to fix them alone. Start by replanting yourself in God's word. Also consider joining our Lessons for Life community, where we help people walk deeply in Christ through biblical truth, gospel-centered resources and relational support. You can join us for a free navigator's level at Lessons for Life community at communityjameslongjrorg, and you'll get devotionals, meetups and trainings that will help you by faith. You could join for free Now. If you want to explore our full membership or coaching opportunities, you can go to jameslongjrorg slash. Sign up now and you'll get deeper coaching content designed to help you grow emotionally, relationally and spiritually. Your blessed life begins not by avoiding hardship but by abiding in truth. I hope this is helpful to you. Be blessed until next time. Blessings everyone.

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