Psalm 1: Rooted, Resilient, and Fruitful
At the start of the semester, Dr. Gregg Garner, Founder and President of The Institute for GOD, opened with a message from Psalm 1. More than a familiar passage, he described it as the entryway into the Psalms themselves. The psalmist deliberately sets the stage by showing two contrasting ways to live: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. For Garner, this isn’t abstract poetry but a guide for how students, faculty, and staff should build their lives together. Enjoy our summary.
The Company You Keep
Psalm 1 begins with a warning: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers.” The message is clear—your company matters. The voices you listen to, the people you align yourself with, and the communities you dwell among shape how you live before God. Garner urged students to recognize that not all counsel is neutral. Social media, advertising, and peer influence constantly press their advice, and if left unexamined, those voices can pull a life away from God’s blessing.
Much of that counsel, Garner explained, is designed to feed materialism. After World War II, advertisers reshaped the American economy from contentment into insatiable consumption, convincing people they needed more clothes, bigger houses, newer cars. That same spirit still drives the marketplace today. He even pointed out how influencers rent private jets just to film staged content, pretending to live a lifestyle they don’t actually have.
Garner cautioned, “That’s the counsel of the wicked. The Psalmist expects us to be able to identify where the source of information is coming from. Wickedness doesn’t have to look ugly; it’s often hidden under the guise of something brilliant, lovely, and pleasing — but behind it are agendas you can’t always see.”
Delighting in the Law of the Lord
Against these shallow voices, the psalmist describes the righteous person as one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. Garner stressed that delight isn’t about obligation but joy. God’s instruction becomes something you want, not just something you have to do. When Scripture fills your thoughts, conversations, and decisions, you are positioned to flourish.
He challenged students to ask themselves whether they actually enjoy God’s Word or simply tolerate it. “If studying God’s Word is just homework to you,” he cautioned, “you’re in the wrong place”. For those who truly delight in the Lord’s instruction, reflection becomes natural. God’s Word weaves into decisions, friendships, and even the way we talk with one another.
Like a Tree by Streams of Water
The psalmist’s image of a tree planted by streams of water became the heart of Garner’s message. This tree is rooted because its life source is secure, fruitful because it produces in every season, and enduring because its leaves do not wither. Garner was clear: this isn’t a prosperity gospel but a biblical promise. Prosperity isn’t luxury or fame—it’s God causing the work you set out to do in His name to succeed. “Prosperity doesn’t mean a private jet,” he quipped. “It means the things you set out to do in God’s name actually work”.
The Way of the Wicked.
By contrast, the wicked are described as chaff blown away by the wind—weightless, unstable, and rootless. Garner compared it to tumbleweed drifting through life with no lasting substance. He noted how curated images online can give the illusion of joy and success, but often behind the façade, people admit they were miserable. Without roots in God’s Word, there is no permanence.
God Knows the Way of the Righteous
Psalm 1 closes with assurance: “The Lord knows the way of the righteous.” Garner explained that this knowing is more than awareness—it is God’s intimate investment in those who walk in His way. The righteous have the privilege of access to God, the security of His care, and the promise that their lives will bear fruit that lasts.
For The Institute for GOD, the sermon set a clear expectation for the year: to be a community that resists hollow counsel, delights in God’s Word, and encourages one another toward righteousness. “If we become a people who love God’s instruction and live it out,” Garner told students, “we will succeed—not because of our talent or ideas, but because God said so”.
Takeaways
Discern your influences. Not all counsel is neutral. Pay attention to who is shaping your thoughts and values.
Learn to delight. Scripture is meant to bring joy, not just duty. Ask God to help you enjoy His instruction.
Stay rooted. Like a tree planted by streams, a life anchored in God’s Word produces fruit in every season.
Trust God’s care. The Lord knows the way of the righteous. His intimate involvement secures and guides your steps.
Sources
Adorno, Theodor W., and Max Horkheimer. Dialectic of Enlightenment. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002. (Originally published 1944).
Cohen, Lizabeth. A Consumer’s Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America. New York: Vintage Books, 2003.
Galbraith, John Kenneth. The Affluent Society. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958.
Packard, Vance. The Hidden Persuaders. New York: D. McKay, 1957.
Pope, Daniel. “Making Sense of Advertisements.” History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web. American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning and Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, 2001. https://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/ads/ads.pdf.