"Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does 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 will perish" (Psalm 1:1-6).
Delighting in the law (or instructions) of the Lord and meditating on it produces a blessed life. It makes one stable, strong, and productive like a tree which bears fruit for the benefit of others near streams of water in an otherwise dry environment.
Choosing the other course creates instability in one's life. One becomes fidgety and anxious...always walking, standing, and sitting. Such a person looks for counsel and approval among the wicked, sinners, and mockers. As a result, he lacks the substance of faith and character to withstand the winds of life and the judgment of God. He is useless to everyone.
As the new year begins, I want to concentrate on cultivating a delight in the law and instructions of the Lord. I want to practice meditating on those instructions so that I may be able to bless the lives of the people around me.
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7 comments:
Thank you, Paul. Have a happy new year, too!
This is one of my favorite Psalms. A great one to memorize.
Loving the law is also loving GOD. The two are bound together.
Good point. Thanks, Mike!
Great post, I want to delight in his word like it is done in Psalm 119.
That would keep me from a lot of mistakes and trouble.
I think the trick is to recognise GOD's best is bound up in His law. So the law no-longer becomes a liability but a liberation
That was my prayer just yesterday.
Thanks for all the comments, everyone!
Rick,
Good point. Psalm 119 is the perfect illustration of delighting in the law of the Lord.
Mike,
Sometimes that is difficult to recognize, but it's true. God's blessings are wrapped up in his law.
Christy,
It's funny how people hundreds of miles apart can be thinking along the same lines at the same time, isn't it? As one of my friends says, "It's a God thing."
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