Day 37
Today we will read through the entire Psalm and return to the picture it method. Here we will try and put ourselves into this passage and think about how we would or do respond according to what it requires. Then remember each of these days is about us applying the word to our lives. So, we want to find ways to make this word appropriated in us.
Psalm 1:1-6 NKJV
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 its 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.
Psalm 1:16- Message
How well God must like you— you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom. You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere wind-blown dust— Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people. God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.
Picture It!
What is it like to be the ungodly man in this passage? He is the guy who sits in the seat of the scornful. He is the guy who has no stability in his life. The ungodly man here really has no hope. All of his life effort is blown away, he has no place to stand with the righteous. His ultimate end is that he will perish. He must have a sense of hopelessness and despair within him. His life would be lived with no purpose or meaning and he might feel that pushing his way through life was the only way to hold on to anything. His journey is very different than that of the godly man.
What is it like to be the godly man in this passage? He finds delight in the law, word, instruction and commandments of the Lord. He is not afraid of correction and direction. He knows it will bring life to his heart. He loves the instruction of the Lord so much that he meditates on it day and night. I am reminded that earlier in this study we talked about meditation being “to ruminate.” It is the idea of chewing something over and over again and allowing every bit of what it contains to nourish you. So the godly man here chews on the word continually, allowing the word to become a part of him and transforming him. He lets the word dwell in him richly. This godly man has stability in his life and he is not easily moved. Circumstances do not determine his standing capacity. He is firmly planted in truth. An unwavering man. A man who bears fruit because he is connected to the source. Whatever he puts his hands to brings life because he is a recipient of life. He gives away what he has received.
As I picture these two different men I am taking time to assess my heart. We may all want to be the godly man but where have I found myself at times sitting? It is time for an evaluation.
How can I apply this? I need to watch where I walk. I need to pay attention to where I take a stand. I need to make sure I am finding a seat in the place of the righteous. Choices moment by moment to do that which will bring life.
Comments(4)
Sue says:
February 10, 2014 at 8:29 pmPicture it …
Walks – stands – sits. This is a progression. Progressions have purposes or end goals. We are given two scenarios in the first Psalm: 1) walk – stand – sit – planted – prosperity or 2) walk – stand – sit – wind driven chaff. – destruction.
1) If I am to follow the first route there is a desirable end … being planted … delighted in the law of my Lord. How does this happen? I need to divert from travelling according to the counsel of those not following God. I need to not hang out on the road used by sinners and I must avoid abiding among those who scorn God’s ways.
It seems like a list of don’ts and maybe even seems a bit harsh … some might say ‘religious’. I remember being asked once by another believer about my faith story. When I didn’t give a list of what might be classified as ‘great activities’ by the world, I was promptly asked “Didn’t you have any fun?” By that time I had experienced enough of the dark side of what the world called fun.
But my heavenly Father offered another route. It might seem like less fun from the outsider’s point of view. God offered delight by way of His laws. Compared to experiencing the world’s lawlessness, God’s way is pretty nice. Meditating day & night … my thoughts fixed … on His Word allowing His Holy Spirit to water my soul during the dry times. This has been proven to be the path to true prosperity.
2) If I choose to go down path number two the results are much different. I would be like lifeless chaff … something of no worth, separated from the mature seed and blown away or burned. I would have no defense in the day of God’s judgment. There would be no sense of fellowship with those who possess an inner peace than I could only long for. The end is eternal death and separation from God.
From where I sit now the first path would seem like the obvious choice. And for me it often was. But there have been many times along my journey of wavering and of not trusting. For me, wavering and not trusting would seem a lot like scoffing … especially considering the price Christ paid to secure my trust and my freedom. These times of wavering & not trusting have cost me … there have been consequences.
God’s forgiveness has been amazing. As I progress from walking to standing still to sitting I need to make sure I am continuing on the right path … God’s path. There are many choices to make along the way and it might not always be obvious on for glance which one is best. Our enemy has a way sometimes of making his choice look innocent. It isn’t. And only by seeking counsel from the law … God’s Word … day and night … not letting it out of our mind’s sight … can I make the right choice.
Thank you for the blessing of Your Word Father. Thank You that You know the path I need to travel on and thank You for loving me enough to send Your Holy Spirit to guide and guard me on that path.
Jim Holmes says:
February 10, 2014 at 9:59 pmLooking at Ps.1:1-6…
Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
I see a man with a smile on his face. He really seems to know where he is going making a quick right turn across streets of gold…I believe he is walking in heavenly places in Christ Jesus taking heavenly counsel. After all, he took a “right” turn avoiding ungodly people, not spending time with those who want their own way and not God’s Way, and didn’t become like those who have nothing good to say. But, more than smiling, that man is bubbling with excitement that would delight us as well, as He ponders and drinks inwardly the desires of God displayed in the law which is good. Now, he does this in the daytime, and at night, he even crawls into bed and with a flashlight under the blankets, getting alone with God, he studies and meditates on the written Word. That’s what I use to do too, so truly I would vouch for this guy! Why, this guy can’t be thrown off track…he is as sturdy as a tree, drinking life-giving water from a nearby stream. And yes, he is radiant with God’s peace, love, and joy, and patience, endurance… There is no sign of getting old… and he certainly is prospering with abundant life, and a life-giving personality. Now, those who have turned away from God are so dried up, that they have no rock to stand on, in fact, they have nothing but dried up roots that crack and break off in the wind, and they are driven by the wind in any direction and are lost driven out of our sight! Therefore, the ungodly won’t survive the judgement, and be far from the righteous. The reason for that is because there is only one of two roads to travel…the way of the ungodly with a dead end and the Way of the righteous having a relationship with God.
Susan Craig says:
February 11, 2014 at 9:53 pmPicture it
The ungodly/sinner/scornful man has a destination that is not one of blessing-he has no roots deep into the word of God.When the fire of judgement occurs, he has nothing but ashes remaining from his life’s journey – he wittled his life away and has nothing left of eternal value. The chaff gets blown away by the wind-and he hasn’t got a leg to stand on in that day. It is as if he never was!!
The righteous man avoids the traps mentioned yesterday-He is careful that his source of advice is God’s Word and he meditates on it and applies it to his life. He plants his roots deep near the river of life-the water keeps him well hydrated and he never thirsts. He produces much fruit and receives reward from God on judgement day. He is well able to stand on that day.
Conclusion-God knows those who are His-Jesus knows our life journey because He walked the same road-He provides blessing to the righteous and reward for their labor. God knows me and He blesses me in this life and rewards me in eternity.
Prosper or Perish-what will the result of your journey?
Pat McRae says:
February 12, 2014 at 12:05 amYesterday Sue said there was a progression and this has had me thinking all day about how this progression applies to my life.
For myself I have found when I walk with people who are not walking with God their attitude towards others and their actions can start to rub off on me. I then see how when this starts I start standing in their pathways of thought and actions instead of the righteous ones I want to stand in. And soon it is a sit down almost rebellious position to the things I know to be right. This progression takes no time to accomplish especially if I have been offended or misused.
How does one keep themselves from this progression? God is so wonderful He answers this question in the next few verses and even gives the benefits to boot!
I find when I am in the Word and I am allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide I am more aware of ungodly counsel, thus I can stop the progression before it starts. But if it has been a busy week, where time flies and the Word seems to be absent I can get sucked into ungodly counsel which leads to sinful paths and self-righteous stands take root which is like sitting in a seat scorning the truth.
I surely want to be this tree! A strong tree of Lebon, whose roots go deep into Jesus Christ. I want to bring forth green leaves to shade the weary and sweet fruit that will nourish the weak. I want what I do for the kingdom to prosper so souls can be refreshed, saved and encouraged.
I certainly do not want to be chaff blown away; but I want to be found in the congregation of the righteous and when I meet my Maker I want to hear “Well done.”
Thank You Jesus that I am not chaff but a precious child of the King. I am so glad You are the Word and that You dwell in me keeping me on the path that leads to light, life and liberty.