Considering the Psalms, and how much they have meant to me over the last 24 years or so since I started reading them in earnest for my daily devotions. I cannot know how many times I have read and re-read all 150. I find it amazing how much more I discover each and every time I open up the Scripture, what a treasure-chest our God has given us, what a feast, the table is always heavy-laden with plentiful nourishment.
I cannot say which Psalm is my firm favorite as I love them all too much, the Lord knows just what to say to me as I read through this oasis of fresh and running water. I want to start this series with Psalm One and its opening statement, an Old-Testament Beatitude for the believer.
"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."
How truly happy is the man, this man is in a spiritual state of blessedness, he has God's hand of blessings on him. He is walking closely to the Lord, walking in close communion with his Lord. He is in a true state of prosperity, spiritual prosperity, he is a wealthy man, he is walking/conducting his life with God's richest blessings.
Look at Him fellow believer, this man does not walk any more in the counsel of the wicked, he did once in the past walk this way constantly, but now no longer, he has found talking "short-cuts" in life, doing that which is expedient practical and sensible, is in fact extremely counter productive, the counsel, the advice, the philosophies of the world run in the opposite direction to the counsel of the Lord, His road, is not an easy one, pathways are much more time consuming, and not very "consumer-friendly" by comparison to the paths the ways the world tells us we should go.
Look again, this man does not stand in the way of the sinners, he is not standing idly by in the market-place of the world, he is not part of the crowd, he does not even stop to re-consider the direction he is taking, he is no Lot's wife looking back, he is not hankering after Egypt, but pressing on the the promised land. The believer has taking up his cross daily and walking to his Calvary, his eyes fixed on the Lord, his Savior.
Our believer who is in a state of God's richest blessings does not even sit for a rest, he ignores the temptation to sit a while, to find temporary comfort in putting his feet up along side the mockers, who are warming themselves by the fire, Peter sat with them when he denied Jesus on that fateful night, look at the broken heart, the sorrow it caused him.
Brothers and Sisters, brethren, if you have ever walked, stood or sat where you should not have, look to the Savior, find forgiveness in him, look at his kind compassion for you, he restored Peter, will he not restore you also?
After restoration, take the counsel of this blessed Psalm, follow the advice in God's word and experience a special blessing in your life!
How easy it is to find ourselves in a spot far, far from the shore of holiness, wondering how we got there. As we look back in retrospect, we find very small, hardly detectable samplings of worldliness that increased to bite sized pieces, to handfuls and then a full meal of those things that are vain and worthless. Praise the Lord for His gift of repentance and grace of restoration, as He welcomes us back to fellowship to find true, lasting joy and blessedness of righteous living!
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