Monday, June 3, 2024
How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand up 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 ruin. Psalm 1:1-6
Two Choices
When we become followers of Jesus, our hearts change, our behaviors change, and how we live our lives changes. We begin to live very differently than we were before because Jesus followers live differently from the world. We live differently than the wicked, the unrighteous and the mockers. In this chapter of Psalm, the psalmist bids the believer to be careful not to walk with the wicked, stand in the pathway of the sinners, or sit with mockers.
To walk in the advice of the wicked would be to listen to what the wicked say and think like them. Ungodly people do give counsel but as Jesus followers we are called to have discernment as to what counsel is godly and what is not. The tragedy is some will not even consider if counsel is godly or ungodly. If we spend time with ungodly people, we will begin to listen to them and think like them. Which leads us to stand in the pathway with them.
Standing in the pathway with sinners is the wrong path for Jesus followers. Those who are not following Jesus are not traveling on the same pathway as Jesus followers. They are not walking The Jesus Way, they are walking the opposite direction. It is not the path that leads to life; it is the path that leads to death.
To sit in the company of mockers is to be in the company of those that mock God and the things of God. If we take part in the conversation of others who are criticizing Christians, it is wrong, and we are sitting in the company of mockers – we are taking part in the mocking. We need to stay away from those that we know partake in mocking Christians and the things of God because it is easy to get swept up in what is going on around us in the company we keep. When we gather around grievance rather than Jesus that is a problem.
What are two key choices every person must face and how should we respond?
There are two choices that every person must face. The choice of life or the choice of death. Every decision we make that leads us away from Jesus is the choice of death. Sin is progressive. It builds upon itself and that is the progression of taking the path towards death. The way of death lacks substance. It is light. Chasing the things of this world and hanging out with foolish people who do foolish things, will cause us to make foolish decisions and then we will wonder why God does not bless us. Chasing idols will leave us dry and empty emotionally and spiritually, but God can restore us with his abundance that nourishes us and allows us to bear fruit. He shapes us with his word and sends us out to do his work.
What will you choose today? Will you choose to walk with God, making decisions that glorify him, therefore choosing life? Or will you go the way of the world, walking in the advice of the wicked, standing in the path with sinners, and sitting with the mockers, therefore choosing death? Any way but God’s way leads to death. Choose life. Delight yourself with the Lord’s instructions, meditating on them day and night. The scripture above says the Lord watches over the righteous who delight in his instruction. If we focus on him, remain in him by delighting in his instruction, we will be like a tree planted by flowing streams that bears fruit. We will not whither up and blow away but we will be firmly rooted in him while the wicked will stay on a path that leads to their ruin.
