Healing through the Psalms 1

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

Or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers,

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in due season and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked.

They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the righteous,

But the way of the wicked shall perish. (NIV)

When the psalmist refers to the wicked as chaff blown away in the wind, we judge ourselves as wicked. Illness has blown away our identity, hopes, and dreams and, in fact, our very selves. Surely we brought about our condition because we were not good enough, we made poor choices or we failed to do the good we should. Guilt and blame add insult to injury for the person who has chronic illness. We long to be like the tree planted by streams of water. We want to bear fruit, to be productive. Instead, we wither.


People who are healthy need to reassure themselves that they are the righteous ones and are therefore safe from our plight. They are more afraid than judging. Yet, we feel judged and we judge ourselves. We want to know why and find an easy answer in judgment.


God does not send illness to people. Illness happens. All creation is striving for perfection, but has not yet arrived. No one is perfect. No one is truly righteous. We all fall short every single day. Think about it. If God makes bad people sick, how then, are brutal and murderous dictators living healthy lives?

You are not bad. God is not punishing you. In the desert void created by your illness, God will indeed bring streams of living water. The only thing in the way is the dam that you build out of blame and guilt. Let go of the judgment. Let go of the blame. Let the river flow. You still have much fruit to bear.