Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Today, I’m looking at
Psalm 1. I read the whole Psalm a few
times, but the first three verses really stand out for me.
“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.
(NIV84)
(NIV84)
I was thinking about the phrase “walk in the counsel of the
wicked”. What could it look like today
to walk in the counsel of the wicked? This phrase addresses how decisions could be made and courses charted in
life. Am I living a life that is culturally acceptable, or am I living a life that glorifies God? “10 Steps to a New You” in a
magazine looks so much more interesting than reading my Bible and spending time
in prayer. However, my choices need to
be made prayerfully, based on God’s wisdom.
I should not chart my course according to self-help advice or socially
acceptable “norms.”
What really stuck with me all day was the next phrase:
“stand in the way of sinners”. When I stand still, I don’t make any progress. It is the lack of progress that is really bothering me as I think about this. I thought about my habits; I stand in
them day in, day out. Some habits are totally
acceptable to the world, but not to God, the “that’s just the way I am” habits, and the
“I have trouble with that” habits. Why
is it that bad habits are so hard to break, and good habits are so hard to
establish? What kind of habits and attitudes am I standing in?
Notice the next phrase! “Sit in the seat of mockers.” Isn't that the truth? Scornful people, mockers, they seem to be on the sidelines of life. They are always watching, and their mouths are always ready to throw those verbal darts which often hit the mark with more accuracy and force than we let on. But today, I thought of how mockers get there, onto the sidelines. Is it that they have lost hope? The psalmist says “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Painful words spill from pain-filled hearts sometimes.
Notice the next phrase! “Sit in the seat of mockers.” Isn't that the truth? Scornful people, mockers, they seem to be on the sidelines of life. They are always watching, and their mouths are always ready to throw those verbal darts which often hit the mark with more accuracy and force than we let on. But today, I thought of how mockers get there, onto the sidelines. Is it that they have lost hope? The psalmist says “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Painful words spill from pain-filled hearts sometimes.
But…
(Here comes the good part!)
His delight is on the law of the LORD,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
I love that. And I
have to say, the more I read the Bible, the more delightful it is. Meditation, here, is not about emptying one’s
mind, but filling it up…with scripture.
It is not hard to meditate on scripture.
All you have to do is think about it. But I find it is easier to ponder a verse or passage all day if I am
personally studying it. Why? Because I have more to wonder about, consider
and work through when I’m studying a verse or passage. I must figure out what it says, what it means,
and how it can work in my life. There is
simply more for my brain to do. It is
hard for me to meditate on the passage my pastor preached on last Sunday. I can’t always remember what he said. (I hope he is not reading this. However, he might agree with my point.) If you are personally engaged in studying
your Bible, it is easier to mediate on a verse or paragraph. Meditation also happens when you are
memorizing verses. So, if you want to
mediate day and night, start studying or memorizing a verse!
Bible Study makes a difference. God reveals Himself to us in his Word. It is He who brings about real and lasting change in our lives. He is the One who can guide our paths, break our long-standing bad habits and establish new life in us. It is He who can give us hope that will endure through any circumstance. He can forgive and heal and restore us to experience real joy. Instead of inertia, we can sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from His Word, we can stand on the promises of God and walk in the light of His path. We can grow and yield good fruit in season, because, as the Bible tells us, God has set us free, through Jesus Christ!
Bible Study makes a difference. God reveals Himself to us in his Word. It is He who brings about real and lasting change in our lives. He is the One who can guide our paths, break our long-standing bad habits and establish new life in us. It is He who can give us hope that will endure through any circumstance. He can forgive and heal and restore us to experience real joy. Instead of inertia, we can sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from His Word, we can stand on the promises of God and walk in the light of His path. We can grow and yield good fruit in season, because, as the Bible tells us, God has set us free, through Jesus Christ!
Father,
Thank you for your Word. It is so powerful and effective. You are able to reach and change parts of me that otherwise could not be changed. Help me not to stand still in my walk with You. Help me to feel so uncomfortable in my bad habits and attitudes, that I will abandon them, for Your sake and with Your Divine help. Plant me in Your Word, in Your Stream, so that I might yield Your fruit in Your season, for Your Glory.
Amen.
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV84)
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 season
And whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV84)
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