Saturday 1^st December

Psalm 1

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners or join in with the mockers” verse 1 (NLT)

This Psalm is one of my favourites as it stands as a constant reminder for reassessing my motives and steering the direction of my life. The words written here by the Psalmist are so elegantly written but highlight the deep underlying message of Holiness and Obedience to Gods word. Among the metaphorical pictures, we find treasures that always bring us back to the right path.

This wonderful psalm starts with a warning to not be around sinners, not to follow their advice or to join in with their mocking. The NKJV version describes this as a journey through sinful counsel, to walking in the path of sinners and then sitting in the seat of the scornful. The Psalmist tells his readers that a great joy awaits those who stay away from such things. This is not to say that we cannot have friends who are sinful or simply never talk to them. On the contrary, Jesus often reminded us of His heart for the lost in His teaching. However there is a difference in befriending the lost and joining in with mockers, listening to their un-Godly advice. This becomes a downward spiral from firstly being ill advised to finding ourselves sitting and joining in with mockers.

The answer?? God’s word. The law stands as a reminder to those who read it of what God’s Holy standards are. Meditating on Gods Word is not a legalistic duty but rather a measure of Spiritual discipline in the believers life to re-focus our walk with God and remember that although He is our Father and Friend, He is also an all Consuming Fire whose standard of perfection was displayed through His Son Jesus Christ. The Psalmist promises that those who listen to Gods Word rather than sinful advice will not only prosper in all they do but build their life’s foundation on solid ground.

The Psalmist uses the imagery of a tree planted by the riverbank whose leaves never wither and always produces fruit in its seasons. There is so much meaning that can be taken from this image. Looking at the trees around us in this cold December day, we see they have lost their leaves, preparing for the winter season. However in this picture, we see a tree that’s leaves never fall and always produces fruit each season. This signifies prosperous living, not just financially but in our daily Spiritual lives. However we are reminded that this only comes from deepening our roots in the nutrients that come from the riverbank, Gods Word.

Our foundation is Jesus Christ. Our roots are His Words. Our motives and standards should be measured not only by the Law but by our desire to become more like Christ. God gives us His mercy and grace to become more like Him, but that is an active response to His Word.