Psalm 1
1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
How comfortable are you with sin?
This passage tells us about being blessed of God. It explains how to be a man that loves the Lord. But first, it explains the different comfort levels with sin and sinful people who would create obstacles in our spiritual walk.
First, do you walk near those people who offer evil advice? Be careful not to answer too quickly. Evil advice is pretty easy to come by these days. Any advice or counsel that disagrees with what the Bible says can be considered “counsel of the wicked”. It is during this stage, that a person considers the sin. He is not yet comfortable enough to be mired in it….but the thought process has begun. Picture a man or woman on a morning jog passing by a place that will not lead them anywhere that is spiritually fruitful. The first stage of comfort is jogging or walking by this place, getting close enough to see it (check Genesis 3:6).
Second, do you “stand in the path” stopping to gaze and converse with those whose lifestyle will not bless you? The second stage of comfort is enough to make us stop and really take stock of the situation. This stage offers us the “what if” scenario and the idea that we might really need this “sin” to be happy or fulfilled. Rather than flee and abandon the temptation, he stops to see what it has to offer.
Third, are you so comfortable that you will sit with scoffers? At this stage of comfort with sin, the ability to become public about it is evident. Scoffers are people who openly mock God and all things that would give Him glory. By sitting with someone in the ancient culture (or even this modern one) a person gives his consent to the “friend” he sits with. When you have gotten to the point where sitting with sin is so comfortable that you are public about it and even openly scoff, you are mired in it.
The first verse tells us the negative; what not to do. The second verse tells us the positive; what to do!
If you truly are a believer, you will love God’s law (His Word, the Bible) and you will dwell on it daily.
This gives us a very powerful principle: The Bible has the power to keep you from sin. A person who meditates on God’s Word “day and night” will be exposed to its transforming power. His thoughts will change. His emotions will change, guided by new thoughts and expectations. With new thoughts and expectations, his desires will change. The combination of new thoughts, emotions and desires will bring about new actions, actions which are pleasing to God.
Notice the blessing. Becoming like a tree with a constant water supply. In Israel, a dry desert community, finding a constant water supply was a must. Having that supply allowed plants to tap into the power of a river. Our “river” is the power of God which comes from His Word. Getting in His Word on a daily basis is what gives us our strength so that we don’t falter.
So I ask my original question with a twist:
How comfortable are you with sin?
How often are you in the Word?
1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
How comfortable are you with sin?
This passage tells us about being blessed of God. It explains how to be a man that loves the Lord. But first, it explains the different comfort levels with sin and sinful people who would create obstacles in our spiritual walk.
First, do you walk near those people who offer evil advice? Be careful not to answer too quickly. Evil advice is pretty easy to come by these days. Any advice or counsel that disagrees with what the Bible says can be considered “counsel of the wicked”. It is during this stage, that a person considers the sin. He is not yet comfortable enough to be mired in it….but the thought process has begun. Picture a man or woman on a morning jog passing by a place that will not lead them anywhere that is spiritually fruitful. The first stage of comfort is jogging or walking by this place, getting close enough to see it (check Genesis 3:6).
Second, do you “stand in the path” stopping to gaze and converse with those whose lifestyle will not bless you? The second stage of comfort is enough to make us stop and really take stock of the situation. This stage offers us the “what if” scenario and the idea that we might really need this “sin” to be happy or fulfilled. Rather than flee and abandon the temptation, he stops to see what it has to offer.
Third, are you so comfortable that you will sit with scoffers? At this stage of comfort with sin, the ability to become public about it is evident. Scoffers are people who openly mock God and all things that would give Him glory. By sitting with someone in the ancient culture (or even this modern one) a person gives his consent to the “friend” he sits with. When you have gotten to the point where sitting with sin is so comfortable that you are public about it and even openly scoff, you are mired in it.
The first verse tells us the negative; what not to do. The second verse tells us the positive; what to do!
If you truly are a believer, you will love God’s law (His Word, the Bible) and you will dwell on it daily.
This gives us a very powerful principle: The Bible has the power to keep you from sin. A person who meditates on God’s Word “day and night” will be exposed to its transforming power. His thoughts will change. His emotions will change, guided by new thoughts and expectations. With new thoughts and expectations, his desires will change. The combination of new thoughts, emotions and desires will bring about new actions, actions which are pleasing to God.
Notice the blessing. Becoming like a tree with a constant water supply. In Israel, a dry desert community, finding a constant water supply was a must. Having that supply allowed plants to tap into the power of a river. Our “river” is the power of God which comes from His Word. Getting in His Word on a daily basis is what gives us our strength so that we don’t falter.
So I ask my original question with a twist:
How comfortable are you with sin?
How often are you in the Word?
Thank You Dan I needed to read this today
ReplyDeleteMike W.
Praise the Lord. God bless Mike!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post a lot. It really made me think, even a day later. Please continue with the daily devotion section of your blog! ~Shannon~
ReplyDelete