Devotions: The Blessings of Delight in the Law

How 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!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The entirety of Psalm 1 discusses the blessedness (i.e. happiness, prosperity, enviousness, fortune) of this man. First, he does not take ungodly advice, nor does he seek advice from those who are ungodly, or even those who simply don’t give godly advice. (I know plenty of Christians who have grown up in the church and yet give ungodly advice.) This man also does not stand in the path of sinners. He is not passively “with” them, nor is he inactive in regard to their sin. Not only does he not join in, but he also doesn’t just sit by and watch them. He is no where near it. He also does not “rest” with mockers. It’s not that he is never around them, but those are not the people he socializes with. Bad company corrupts good character. Passively being in the presence of sin or ungodly people will make an influence on us. We must be on our guard. The opposite of all this is that he delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it continually. He desires, pursues and enjoys God’s word and commands. This man is blessed, happy and prosperous because he has found that the good things of life come from God; from diligently listening to His word, faithfully obeying His commands, and persistently thinks of them through out his waking moments. That is why he is blessed. The psalm goes on to say that he will be like a tree with good, deep roots that is planted and tended next to a good stream of constant water that bears good fruit and never withers. The result of seeking God in this way is always having the source of life, continually drawing from the well of life. It cultivates the soul and brings life and prosperity. This is not to say that there will never be storms or hardship, but that when they come he will be able to endure them. On the other hand, the wicked or disobedient are like chaff. They have no roots at all, nor do they grow. They are blown all over by whatever wind catches them and they will not be justified when their lives are examined. They will suffer the penalty of their sin and will perish. Choose to walk in the blessings of God’s word!