PSALM OF BLESSEDNESS

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.  (Psalm 1:1-2 NKJV)

The blessed, or happy, man is described negatively (Psalm 1:1). There is a gradation in the attitude, the sphere of influence, and the condition of his companions. In attitude, we may begin by walking, advance to standing, and end up by sitting. If we would avoid the sitting, let us guard against walking or standing. In the sphere of influence, the beginning of backsliding is when a man listens to counsel; he then drifts into the path trodden by sinners, and finally is hardened enough to sit where scornful talk surrounds him on every hand. The condition of evil companions. We should be repelled if we were to be plunged suddenly into contact with the scornful, but our moral interests may not be specially outraged by the counsel of the wicked. Indeed, the advice which wicked men give sometimes resembles closely what our heart suggests and our taste prefers. It is so inaccurate yet so apparently sensible and natural, that we are captivated by it. Only gradually do we slide from those who forget God to those who set His law at defiance or openly blaspheme Him.

Our motive in going among ungodly men must be carefully considered. If it is to help and save them, as our Lord did, no harm will come to us. But if we go into the way of sinners for our own amusement, need we be surprised if the bloom passes off the fruit, and the fine edge from the tool? Let us examine ourselves. Are we startled and shocked now, as we used to be, by an indecent illusion or a blasphemous word? Is there a coarsening process at work? Even where we are not injured by worldliness, we may suffer by contact with the low ideals of our immature fellow Christians. Let’s watch and pray; let’s consider one another and exhort one another day by day, lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13).

The blessed, or happy, man is also described positively (Psalm 1:2). This delight comes as naturally as appetite for food, when the soul is in a healthy condition. Under the inspiration of that delight, we shall meditate on God's Word continually, storing it in the heart, and reciting it when traveling, or in darkness.

Remember that the Lord knows the way you take. He is sensitive to every jolt and lurch, to the stony hills and the easy valley, to the foes that lie in wait. In His keeping you will never become as the light chaff, or the perishing way of the wicked written in the dust.

PRAYER

We commend ourselves, and those we love, to You, dear Lord. We put our hand in Yours, that You shall lead us by the “untrodden" way.  In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

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God's Daily Promise

 Promise #131:
Be courageous for I am with you and I will never fail you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (WEB)
Be strong and courageous, don’t be afraid, nor be scared of them:
for Yahweh your God, he it is who does go with you;
he will not fail you, nor forsake you.”