Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Psalm 1:1-6 NIV
Scripture gives us some keys to living in the blessing of God. In Psalms chapter one we are given 4 area’s we need to watch and if we do, we will be known as people who are firmly planted and fruit producing in this life. When the trials of life come and the world is shaken, the person who has been watchful of living in the blessing will remain stable and unmoved by the things that are shaking those all around them. If there is ever a time we need this reassurance and these keys it is now.
Watching where we walk!
Psalm 1 tells us that there is blessing for the man who walks not in the steps or counsel of the ungodly. I have been pondering lately what the counsel of the ungodly may look like in our time. I am asking myself, “where are you receiving your counsel from?”, “where are you directing the steps of your heart?” So much is continually coming at us that if we are not careful we will find ourselves “in step” with the ungodly. We will be opening our ears, our hearts, our minds to the direction and course that leads to death and not life. As someone who loves the Lord with all my heart, I want to be watchful of where I walk. I want to ensure that my ears are receiving counsel from Him. I desire that my heart and my mind feed on truth and not the “instruction” of the day. You may wonder how “in step” refers to counsel. In short, where we receive counsel directs the course of our steps. So, if truth is what I am receiving it will direct my steps in righteousness. If what I am receiving is deception, it will lead my steps into the path of unrighteousness. We truly need to be watchful of the counsel we receive. We need to watch where we walk.
Watching where we stand!
Where we stand or where we align ourselves is also vital for the one wanting to live in the blessing of a fruitful life. We cannot hold onto the way of the sinner and link arms with sin and expect to be blessed. Sin leads to death. So, to walk in the way of the sinner is only going to lead to fruit that comes with sin. While it is not popular, we must watch our position and where we stand. We must stand for truth and righteousness and refuse to be pulled into the path of the sinner just because it is popular. Scripture is clear, there is a path that leads to death and many will find it, but the path that leads to life is narrow and few seek it out. May God raise up in this hour hearts that are watchful of what we are standing for and what we are standing with. May we never be found standing in the way of sin, but always for the way of righteousness.
Watching where we sit!
Psalm 1 tells us not to be found sitting in the company of mockers. This is becoming increasingly challenging in these days since there is such an agenda to mock anything that stands for truth. However, the life that lives in the blessing refuses to be in the company of the mocker. They will not tolerate, associate, or befriend that which mocks. They separate themselves from the wickedness that comes from creating a union with darkness and in doing so make an active choice to eat from the tree of life. They do not take on the role of judge over anyone else, they simply will not be a part of that which dishonours the greatest love they have ever known, Christ.
Watching what we do!
While the person seeking to live in the blessing watches where they walk, stand, and sit, they are also watchful what they do. They intentionally make the law of the Lord their place of refuge. They meditate on His Word and seek it out like their life depends on it, because it does. The result of this is that they are fruitful, immovable and continually a source of life and refreshing for others. They are stable and fixed when things are shaking because their hope and strength has been resourced by truth. They are filled with hope and stand out as a place of stability because they have been watchful of their heart, intentional in their pursuits, and loved truth above everything else. They guarded the path and direction of their life, they refused to stand or sit in fellowship with death, and because they loved truth, truth has produced in them a life that lives in the blessing and is continually bearing the fruit of a life lead by Christ.
I choose to be watchful of the blessing. I do not want to trade what comes from the tree of life for anything this world tries to offer.
Comments(2)
Sue Holmes says:
June 27, 2020 at 12:19 amTwo things have come to mind.
I believe this first thought might have originated from a sermon you preached previously on this scripture. There is a progression stated here – walk, stand, sit & do. Where we walk, stand & sit determines what we will do. To walk begins a journey. To stand means that something has caught our eye & compels us to stop walking. If we stop too long we will invariably sit for a while. My prayer is that as I walk in God’s council, it will only be the wonder of His grace that will cause me to stop & sit. I pray that my sitting will prove fruitful for His kingdom. With so many mockers at large these days it can only be God’s law, love & mercy that will bring us through.
The key phrase that ties each of these action words together is indeed ‘be watchful’. There are so many ‘good’ paths that we could wander off to … sometimes accidently & sometimes with purpose. But good & godly can be too very different words. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
It is our God, in the form of His Word that we have to stick close to … very close. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“Walk, stand, sit & do” to me represent stages of relationship building. We can’t help but be blessed if we pursue this relationship with the three persons of the Trinity. There is a picture of God recorded in Isaiah that astounds me.
“Therefore the Lord WAITS [expectantly] and LONGS to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].” (Isaiah 30:18)
Can we truly say that we have many or any in our life who knows all of our faults, selfishness, and short comings but yet WAITS & LONGS to be gracious to us? This gracious God of ours wants to bless us simply as we long for Him. He longs to have compassion on us … in spite of who we are or maybe because of who we are.
Secondly, the blessing mentioned in Psalm 1 reminded me of the scripture in my morning reading. Moses speaking to Israel …
“See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 9:5-8)
How much different might our nation be today if God’s body (us) were to truly call upon His name more? I believe more & more that there has never been a greater need for prayer for our nation. Spiritually, we serve a God who is so near to those who long for Him and is so ready to reveal Himself.
In our efforts to steer our nation back to God, we do need to remember to stay on speaking terms with the One who is longing for us & waits to bless us. We need to be watchful in what has become a backwards world. Prayer & His Word are the backbone of our relationship with our God. For me they are the keys to being watchful. When I let either of these slide I know I am moving away from the overshadowing of God’s blessing.
j. holmes says:
June 27, 2020 at 1:44 amPs1
Just going to share a few things about the psalm…regarding having a relationship with God, who is Lord…that we are blessed, if we properly take warning as to how we hear ( take council) , what we do ( the path we follow) , and what we say (like they that scorn). The heart is deceitful (Jer.17:9) and what is controlling us from the inside comes out. Is the kingdom of God within you? (Luke 17:21) Either you are on the throne of your life, or God is. We encourage you to choose….Life. (Deut.30:19) Let your pursuit be for God Himself.
To know God, is to bring your heart to know Him through meditating upon His Word (1Tim4:12-16)…His laws….His ways…His Truth…. Jesus came and fulfilled the Law. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) His word…it is spirit, it is Life. (John 6:63) The scripture is God breathed….written as men were moved by the Holy Spirit to write it. (2Tim.3:16) We can understand then, that as we read it from the heart, it is the bread of life. (John 6:35-40; John 1:14) By it you will be like a tree that will bring forth fruit…spiritual fruit…that changes us into that special person God has created us to be. (2Cor.5:17) You will have newness of life (rivers, leaves that do not wither, prosper, righteous, steadiness). The Lord is your Shepherd (Ps.23) and He leads you. He knows the way of the righteous….He is the Way.
The ungodly, the wind will drive away from you. The ungodly shall perish. Universalism is not scriptural. Choose Life. Choose Jesus.