Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish”
What kind of man are you? Do you consider yourself a
follower of God? Would you call yourself “blessed?” What things
would you say “delight” you? All of these questions are connected
to the first Psalm.
What kind of man are you? No, this is not just a question directed to
men in general, but mankind as a whole. Do you go to non-Christians and
unbelievers for advice? Do you spend hours focusing on the writings of
an ungodly media, an agnostic professor or immoral novelists, poets or
sportswriters? Do you take advice from the ungodly? If most of your time
is spent in these endeavors, then you are a step away from being the
“blessed” man of Psalm 1.
Would you like to know how to get two steps away from being
“blessed?” Make friends and spend the majority of your time with
unbelievers and sinners. Go to their parties with them. Sit side-by-side
watching sinful movies and television shows with them. Eat lunch at
their table and listen to their dirty jokes and stories every day. Don’t
say anything about how God could impact their lives, just let them
influence you. That will take you two steps from God.
Interestingly, we can know how to get three steps away from God and
create a great gulf of separation. Begin mocking Christians and the
strange things they seem to do. “Oh, she never gets to go any parties”
or “he wasn’t allowed to go to prom” or “all those Bible thumpers seem
to talk about is God’s Word” or just say “Christians are not any fun,
that’s why I never want to be with them. They can’t drink, smoke, have
sex, or even miss church for a game…what a bunch of boring old geezers.”
Ever made these statements? Ever said something like them? Ever just
held the idea, “church, Bible study and Christians are boring…I want to
be somewhere fun?” Congratulations. You have just taken three steps away
from God and made the devil happy too.
The first verse of Psalm 1 tells us the signs of the “unblessed” man.
These signs might even point to somebody who claims to be following God.
Consider the warning signs that keep us from the goal.
The Goal
“Blessed is the man”
Steps Away from the Goal:
Step One: “walks not in the counsel of the ungodly”
Step Two: “nor stands in the path of sinners”
Step Three: “nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”
So, how do we get back on the right track? What steps must be taken to
“walk with God?” It is not enough to just stop being with these people.
Most know that we may stop for a while, but often we get bored and go
right back to the same people, places and things that got us in trouble
in the first place. We must have somewhere to turn.
If we expect to thrive as “blessed” people we must learn to enjoy
and “delight…in the law of the Lord.” Our focus and thoughts must
move toward God’s “law” both “day and night.” Quitting bad
habits alone is not enough. Leaving evil friends without good friends
and positive thoughts is not enough. Turning off the television and
throwing away the dirty magazines is not enough if we are not willing to
replace them with God’s Word in the palms of our hands.
No individual, no family and no church will be “blessed” unless
the people involved with it learn to love and cherish doing things God’s
way. Prayer alone is not enough. Saying you love God alone is not
enough. An individual who simply prays for “spiritual growth” and
does not meditate in God’s Word and try to bring it to others, will not
grow. A person who is not “planted” will not develop. The
individual that does not “hunger and thirst after righteousness”
will not grow in righteousness.
The Goal:
“Blessed is the man”
Steps to the Goal:
Step One: “his delight is in the law of the Lord”
Step Two: “in His law he meditates day and night.”
Step Three: “whatever he does shall prosper.”
Do you want to make a strong impression in the community? Do you want
the memory of your family, your church, your influence to be like the
prosperous tree that is “planted by the rivers of water.” Or,
will you be like the “chaff.” Is your walk with God just a fad
that will soon come and go like the chaff in the wind?
Just remember—God knows. If you choose to take three steps backwards
into the downward spiral of sin—God will know. Yet, if you take three
steps forward—making the decision to love God’s Word, meditating in it,
and bringing forth fruit—God will know.
What does God think of you? Are you perishing or ready to be rescued?
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly
shall perish.” Fooling everybody else is easy; fooling God is
impossible.
Are you ready to have a change of attitude, intellect and action? If so,
you can soon enjoy the blessings of God.