The gateway psalm — it contrasts the blessed person who loves and meditates on God's Word with the wicked who reject it. The blessed person is like a strong, fruit-bearing tree planted by a river; the wicked are like dry chaff the wind blows away. This psalm is an invitation to choose the blessed path.
A person who loves God's Word and follows it grows strong and fruitful, like a tree by a river.
Psalm 1 is the doorway to the whole Psalter — it sets out the two paths. Read it slowly, letting the tree image sink in. Ask your child: what does a tree need to grow? (water, roots, light) — then connect: God's Word is like that water and light. This is a wonderful psalm to memorise together as a family.
Every day you choose which path to walk. When you read God's Word, listen to it, and think about it — you are growing like that tree by the river.