“Blessed are those who do not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but who delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on his law day and night” – Psalm 1:1-2
Have you ever thought about who you associate with or talk with on a regular basis? Perhaps they are your co-workers, friends or relatives. Maybe they are your fellow Christians, teachers or just strangers.
Whatever the case may be, our Lord Jesus Christ through this psalm, warns us that some of the people we associate with may not be godly or think or act as Jesus would like us to, Jesus promises to bless his people, and those who do not walk in tune with the wicked or do no do the things they do are eventually blessed by God.
Walking in step with the wicked means doing what they do. Often times it is gossiping, carousing, drinking, or other sinful social habits they do that causes others pain.
To stand in the way that sinners take must mean that we stand with them in whatever they do. People who follow Jesus cannot stand in the way sinners take because Jesus encourages Christians to walk with other Christians.
We cannot totally avoid sinners, but we can take our stand with our own people and avoid sinful situations where temptation may occur.
The company of mockers is those who mock others and say hurtful things about other people. Jesus warns us not to sit in their company and listen to their mockery of others.
We are blessed when we avoid such situations, and do not indulge in activities where mockers congregate.
Many times there is a gathering and people want to discuss things involving others. Other times, it is in our daily lives that people congregate and start to draw us into doing things that are not good for us.
That is why Jesus is warning us not to take part in these situations.
Jesus goes on to say that those who meditate on the law of the Lord day and night are blessed. You delight in the law of the Lord when you see the goodness that springs forth from obeying the word of God, All day long and night you meditate on the wisdom of God and his ways.
Your mind is full of the wonder of God and his word. Meditating on the word of God brings you happiness and makes you prosper.
This 1st psalm in the Book of Psalms is a great way to introduce yourself to the wisdom of God. Most of the psalms were written by King David. They are a beautiful, poetic way to absorb what Jesus expects of his people.
Many of the psalms were written to music, so they are songs of worship as well. Another thing the psalmist does well is communicate his intense feelings to Jesus. We can all learn a lesson from the psalmist about praying our true and honest feelings about what is happening to us to our Lord Jesus.
They are prayers for help, deliverance from enemies protection, forgiveness, repentance and so forth.
At the heart of the 1st Psalm is the way in which we ought to conduct ourselves. It is direction on what to avoid and what to fix our minds on. Jesus has not forgotten our struggles; that is why the Psalms were written.
Thank God that Jesus has given us this psalm to guide us. We truly are sheep without a shepherd without Jesus.
In summation, we ought not to doubt when we know what to do. The word of God truly is a double edged sword, cutting to the marrow of our priorities and hidden agendas as to who and what we do with our time.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are walking with the wicked or standing in the way of sinners, you know that Jesus loves you and wants you to reconsider your actions. The psalmist is the first to tell you that Jesus is merciful, compassionate and slow to anger.
What blessings we reap when we follow the law of the Lord!
