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"Blessed is the Man (Psalm 1)" by Matt Rees: Rooted Like a Tree by the Water


Are you standing firm, or blown by the wind? 

Matt Rees didn’t set out to write a blues rock anthem. Matt shares: “This Psalm has always been something of a meditation for me, to keep me centered on Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law of God. It was sort of a happy accident that it became a blues rock piece. I wanted to find a fresh way to write the whole Psalm, and I found that the pattern and building themes of the Psalm, with its chiastic (repeated and restated phrase) structure fit so well with this feel.” 

Matt Rees - Blessed is the Man (Psalm 1)He started “Blessed is the Man (Psalm 1)” back in 2020, tucked away in a voice note on his phone, tweaking a line here and there over the years. Then in 2024 his life was turned upside down, and he found himself returning to it. “The Lord knows the way that the righteous man will follow” stopped being a nice lyric. It became a source of comfort and strength.

Think about the last time your life became confusing. Maybe you’re in that place right now. Matt found that even when everything in your life shifts, God still knows the way you’re walking — and that knowledge alone can already steady you. The song pictures the righteous as a tree, “planted by the water,” never withering, always fruitful, “right on time.” That’s such a contrast with the ungodly, who get “blown around by every wind of change.” The righteous / tree is rooted, while the ungodly is airborne and unstable. Which one of these two images describes where you are right now? 

In Psalm 1:2–3 we read: “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 that yields its fruit in its season.” Note that delight comes before fruit. Not discipline gritted through, not obligation — it says delight. We’re reminded of the adage: “What you love shapes what you become.” 

So ask yourself honestly: What occupies your mind as you go about your day and before you go to sleep at night? Whatever it is, it’s shaping you. Choose to plant yourself near God’s word, and let God’s word water what’s growing in you. 

Give this song a listen and let it settle in. May this declaration become yours: “His delight’s in the law of the Lord, it’s on his mind both day and night.” 

(Related scripture: Psalm 1:2-3; Psalm 1:6; Psalm 1:4)

Background:

“Blessed is the Man” is my take on Psalm 1. This Psalm has always been something of a meditation for me, to keep me centered on Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law of God. It was sort of a happy accident that it became a blues rock piece. I wanted to find a fresh way to write the whole Psalm, and I found that the pattern and building themes of the Psalm, with its chiastic (repeated and restated phrase) structure fit so well with this feel.

This is one of those songs that has become more meaningful to me over time. I think I wrote the first draft back in 2020, with it mostly living in a voice note on my phone. I would keep coming back to it and reading the Psalm, maybe making a small tweak here and there. Then, as the Lord decided to flip my life upside down in 2024, I found myself returning to it. Especially the last verse, where the Lord “knows where the righteous man will go” was such a comfort and strength to me. When the Lord ends one season of your life and opens a new one, it can be incredibly disorienting, but the Lord knows the way that you’re going, and as you continue to delight in His word, He’ll reveal and guard those paths.

When I got into the studio to record it with Jake Rye, the real soul of this song came alive. The keys, organs, drums, bass, and electric guitar parts filled it out into something with confidence and swagger. The song became a declaration to the strength of God’s law. His word is enduring, and as we meditate on it, we are built up and preserved, fruitful and watered, led and prospered. I hope that this song rings true in your heart and builds you up as you listen.

Release date: July 24, 2026

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