By Michael Morrison, pastor
Middle Cross Baptist Church
PSALMS 1:1-3
Let’s look at these three verses here in the first chapter of Psalms, we notice 3 distinct items. We are given something to disregard, something to take its place and what happens in our lives when we obey the instruction given.
Look at verse one and see what we are to disregard. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” We are not to seek the advice or councel of the ungodly. Let’s be clear of what is being said. We deal with two opposing forces in this world, one is evil and the other righteous. The lines are drawn out for us in the Word of God. These lines do not need to be mistaken nor should they get blurry. You have righteousness or unrighteousness. Here in this verse we are introduced to 3 different types of people. The ungodly, the sinner and the scornful. The Psalmist is telling us that we do not need to seek instruction from: The ones that are evil, in direct disobedience, ones that are guilty also, the ones that are known criminals and that teach disobedience to the Word of God. We are surrounded by this daily. The real problem is we find ourselves seeking and even desiring their instruction from them even when evidence of evil and unrighteousness is displayed. We must disregard their council. There is no Godly advice that can come from them.
When we remove the ungodly council, it will need to be replaced with what we find in verse two. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” We are to disregard ungodly council and seek the Word of God. Would you go to plumber to ask a mechanical question? So why would you go to the ungodly for advice on how to please God. The Bible is the source of the information to do this. On our path to please God we must disregard the world’s philosophies, worldly education, the world’s sciences and the news channel. The only way to please the Lord is found within the pages of the Bible. There is many books and devotionals that we can read but nothing takes the place of the Word of God. Within its pages we find His instructions for our individual lives. We are told to take His word and meditate on it day and night. Psalmist wants us to allow the Word to be our main focus and influence in our lives. Really if we are to live a Holy life and one pleasing to the Lord this these verses will help us.
When we disregard the ungodly and we replace it with instruction of God we are promised a fruitful life. Look at verse three “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. Our spiritual lives will flourish when we simply delight in the instruction of God. When we allow the instruction of God to influence our lives the quality of it improves and the way we look at the world. There will be evidence of God working in our lives, we will not wither or be distressed when famine hits. Whatever we do in the Lord will prosper simply because we are following the instruction of God. Let’s disregard the ungodly, let’s replace it with the instruction of God and let’s flourish in the Lord.
