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July 22, 2025 • 14 mins

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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.

📌 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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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Counseling Through the Psalms with James
Long Jr, a special series fromLessons for Life.
I'm James, and in each episodewe will journey into the rich,
honest and healing language ofthe Psalms to find hope and
clarity and comfort for life'sdeepest struggles.
Whether you're wrestling withanxiety, grief, anger or

(00:22):
spiritual dryness, the Psalmsoffer us a path towards
restoration and peace throughGod's Word.
So, wherever you are right now,take a deep breath and let's
enter into the heart ofScripture together.
Hey everyone, it's James LongJr and welcome to Lessons for
Life and we are starting a newseries called Counseling Through

(00:43):
the Psalms.
What I want to do through thesepsalms, is take you through a
landscape of each one of thesepsalms Counseling Through the
Psalms and each one of thesearticles and podcasts.
I hope we're going to bebiblically faithful.
I want to focus on the idea ofcounseling how a counselor would
look at these psalms andinterpret them.

(01:03):
We want them to be past andinterpret them.
We want them to be pastoral intone.
We want them to be emotionallyhonest.
I hope that they will bedoctrinally rich and practical
in everyday life.
I use a framework called learn,love and live.
I want to learn what thepassage says.
I hope it encourages me to loveGod and love others more.

(01:26):
And then I hope to walk awayfrom each one of these passages
with something to live out how Ican practically live it.
So each one of these articlesor podcasts will be looking at
one particular psalm.
We'll look at some of the keypoints there.
We're going to blend a biblicalexposition with practical soul

(01:46):
application.
We're going to look at reallife struggles like anxiety or
grief or guilt, fear, injustice,depression, spiritual dryness,
relational conflicts a ton ofthings that these psalms will
speak to.
We want this to be practicaltheology.
We hope that we can apply thetruths of the psalm to our

(02:08):
everyday lives, in thecounseling room, in discipleship
, in relationships.
Then I'll give you somereflection and response type
questions where you're going tobe able to reflect and respond.
You know four, five, sixsoul-searching questions that
are designed for personal growth.
You could use this in groupdiscussions or counseling

(02:29):
reflections.
So I'm really excited aboutgetting started with this.
So why don't we start with Psalm1.
?
So if you have your Bibles, whydon't you turn there with me
Now as you turn to the book?
The book of Psalms begins witha word that captures every human
heart's longing and the word isblessed.
Before we enter the song oflaments or the poetry of praise,

(02:51):
before we face our enemies orpour out our fears, someone
stands at the threshold, like asignpost.
This is the way to aflourishing life.
That's what the signpost issaying.
It's no accident that thePsalter opens with this Psalm.
It's a gateway asking each ofus to consider which path we're

(03:12):
on.
The Psalm begins blessed is theman.
The Hebrew word behind bless ismore than a general sense of
happiness.
It speaks of deep contentment,favor with God and the kind of
soul wholeness that we arelooking for.
This wholeness of soul, it'snot a temporary emotional high,

(03:32):
but a sustained, rooted peace,something many of us crave but
struggle to experience.
Now, psalm 1 gives us more thanjust theology.
It gives us a framework forwholeness mentally, emotionally,
relationally and spiritually,and it paints a picture of life
that is stable when others arecrumbling, fruitful when others

(03:55):
are barren, and joyful, even inthe seasons of drought.
This is a life available toevery person who delights in
God's Word and rejects the deadend roads of the world's counsel
.
Now let's start with this.
It's two paths, two people andtwo destinies.
The structure of the psalm issimple and sobering.

(04:15):
Verses 1 through 3 describe theblessed life and verses 4
through 6 describe the life thatperishes.
There's no middle ground InGod's economy.
You're either rooted or blownaway.
You're either nourished orstarved.
The blessed life begins with aseries of knots.
The person God calls blessed issomeone who does not walk in the

(04:38):
counsel of the wicked, norstands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
Now, each phrase describes aprogression of spiritual
compromise.
Walking in ungodly counselshows agreement with worldly
thinking.
Standing in the path of sinnersshows alignment with their
behavior, and then sitting inthe seat of scoffers shows

(05:03):
settled mockery.
It's a hardness of heart thatnot only rejects truth but
sneers at it.
The decline is subtle.
You begin by listening, then bylingering and finally by
laughing.
The world does not lure us intooutright rebellion.
It entices us with incrementaldrift and, if we're honest, many

(05:25):
of us have felt that drift.
But Psalm 1 says the blessedperson resisted.
They are separated, notisolated, but distinct.
What protects this person fromspiritual erosion?
One practice scripturalmeditation, the power of
delight-driven meditation.
Now the verse says but hisdelight is in the law of the

(05:48):
Lord, and on his law.
He meditates day and night.
The blessed person doesn'tmerely obey God's word, he loves
it.
His relationship with scriptureis not mechanical, but
devotional Delight leads tomeditation.
You dwell on what you love.
Just as a person in love can'tstop thinking about the beloved,

(06:10):
the righteous person has anongoing relationship with God's
word.
They chew on it, they rehearseit in the moments of boredom,
stress or sorrow.
They internalize it until itbecomes part of their identity.
This kind of meditation is notpassive reflection but an act of
absorption.
In counseling context, it'slike replacing the mental loop

(06:34):
of lies and fear with truth thatanchors.
One counselor once said youcannot grow fruit on barren
ground.
The word of God is the soil inwhich peace grows.
The result of this saturationis stunning.
It says this he is like a treeplanted by the streams of water
that yield its fruit in itsseason and its leaf does not

(06:58):
wither.
In all he does, he prospers.
Now, this imagery invites us toimagine a life that is stable,
nourished, fruitful andresilient.
The tree doesn't just depend onthe weather.
It draws strength from itsroots that are hidden deeply.
The same is true for theChristian, whose soul drinks

(07:18):
deeply from Scripture.
They may walk through droughtsof grief or windstorms of
anxiety, but they stand firmbecause they are planted,
counterfeit counsel or rootedlies.
Now, in contrast, the wickedare not.
So the psalm doesn't spend along time here.
It doesn't need to.

(07:39):
It simply says that they arelike chaff.
Now, chaff is the dry huskaround the grain of wheat.
It's worthless, it's weightless, it's easily scattered.
It is the opposite of therooted tree.
And the world promises wisdom.
But in its promise of wisdom,it offers a steady stream of

(07:59):
advice on social media,self-help podcasts and
personality tests.
But when the storms of lifecome, ungodly counsel is no
anchor.
The people who reject God'sword will be blown away, not
just emotionally but,unfortunately, eternally, and
the wicked will not stand injudgment.
The way of the wicked willperish.

(08:21):
This is not an angry threat.
It's a loving warning.
God is not indifferent aboutthe path we walk.
He pleads with us to choose.
Now let's look at the learn,love and live portion of this.
Psalm 1 invites us to learn thetruth about life's two paths one
rooted in God's word and oneuntethered.

(08:42):
It calls us to love God's word,not as a religious duty but as
a relational delight.
It shows us how to live withresilience, fruitfulness and
peace in a world of chaos andconfusion.
And if you want to walk theblessed life, what you need to
do first is to examine yourcounsel.
Whose voice are you listeningto, more than God's, so

(09:05):
important?
Second, pursue delight, notduty.
Ask the Holy Spirit to awakenyour affection for Scripture.
Number three make Scriptureyour meditation, not your
checkbox Linger.
Reflect, speak it out loud,personalize it.
Act.
Speak it out loud, personalizeit.
And then, number four, aim forroots, not for just results.

(09:29):
The fruit will come in season,but your job is to remain
planted.
It says the blessed life isn'tbuilt by avoiding trouble, but
by abiding in truth.
And as you meditate on thistruth, it will do more than just
inform you.
It will transform you.
And that's where the power ofPsalm 1 comes in.

(09:50):
There's several doctrinalinsights that we can find from
this.
We see revelation that God hasspoken clearly through his word
and that word is living.
It's sufficient, it's powerfulto shape our lives.
We see that in 2 Timothy 3,verses 16 through 17.
We see sanctification as well,another doctrinal issue, that's

(10:10):
growth that comes not from justemotional hype but from
consistent, spirit-empoweredengagement with the truth.
In John 17, verse 17,.
We see that we see judgment aswell, that there are only two
ways God's way or man's way.
Each one leads to final andeternal judgment.

(10:30):
And then we see human nature,that people are not spiritually
neutral.
Without divine intervention, wewill drift away from God.
Romans, chapter 3, verses 10through 12.
So now let's get practical.
Psalm 1 speaks powerfully in thecounseling room.
For the anxious, it offers astability and a stabilizing word

(10:51):
.
For the depressed, it shows apath of joy that is rooted not
in circumstances but in God'spresence.
For those who are confused, itprovides clarity about what is
wise and what is wicked, and forthe restless, it describes a
peace that comes when we stoprunning and start rooting In

(11:12):
church life.
It guides discipleship, callingbelievers to live in scripture,
not around it.
In family life, it shapesparenting.
It encourages parents toshepherd their children towards
godly influences and inspiritual direction.
It serves as a diagnosticmirror Are we drifting or are we
delighting?
So let's reflect and respond.

(11:34):
What influences have beenshaping your thoughts or your
choices right now?
So I want you to think abouthow much time do you spend
meditating on scripture comparedto social media, news or
entertainment?
Number three what would it looklike if you truly delighted in
God's word this week.

(11:55):
Number four where do you findfruit in your life and where do
you see signs of drought?
Fruit in your life, and wheredo you see signs of drought?
Number five are you more likethe rooted tree or the scattered
chaff right now and why?
And then, number six who canyou encourage this week with the
truths of Psalm 1?

(12:17):
Well, here's a prayer.
Father in heaven, I thank youfor giving us a clear path to
the blessed life, not one rootedon and built upon worldly
wisdom, but based on yourunchanging word.
Forgive us for the times wherewe've drifted and entertain the
counsel of the wicked or becomenumb to your voice.

(12:38):
Now, plant us deeply, lord, inyour truth and, by the power of
your Holy Spirit, awaken us todelight in scripture that
surpasses every lesser affectionand make us like trees, rooted
and nourished and fruitful, lord, in every season, and help us
to walk in a way that leads tolife, through your Son and our

(12:59):
Lord, Jesus Christ, who is theliving Word and the faithful
shepherd.
In your son's name we pray Amen.
So if this was helpful to youand if you're longing for
stability in a chaotic world, orif you're feeling spiritually
dry or unfruitful.
Don't try to fix them alone.
Start by replanting yourself inGod's word.

(13:19):
Also consider joining ourLessons for Life community,
where we help people walk deeplyin Christ through biblical
truth, gospel-centered resourcesand relational support.
You can join us for a freenavigator's level at Lessons for
Life community atcommunityjameslongjrorg, and

(13:43):
you'll get devotionals, meetupsand trainings that will help you
by faith.
You could join for free Now.
If you want to explore our fullmembership or coaching
opportunities, you can go tojameslongjrorg slash.
Sign up now and you'll getdeeper coaching content designed

(14:04):
to help you grow emotionally,relationally and spiritually.
Your blessed life begins not byavoiding hardship but by
abiding in truth.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Be blessed until next time.
Blessings everyone.
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