Two Paths and Two People

Psalm 1

Our Psalm today tells of the two paths in life, and the two types of people who travel these paths.  There is the path of obedience to God, and then the path of rebellion and destruction.  The choice that we make will determine where we spend eternity.

Our psalmist starts our Scripture passage with a description of the first type of person, the godly person who is blessed of the Lord (vs. 1).  Such a person does not listen or heed the advice of ungodly people, or of the worldly, anti-Christian philosophies all around today.  Scripture warns that God’s people who insist on being friends with those who mock or turn their back on God risk becoming indifferent to God and His will.  Good friends should help, not hinder, us in drawing closer to God.  Believers can and should be friendly to the unbelievers, but we are warned here against making them our closest friends and associates.  Godly people should avoid such ungodly associations as verse 1 describes, which will drag them down to their level.

The person who is blessed of the Lord is one who spends time in God’s Word, the Bible (vs. 2).  Meditating means spending time reading and thinking about what God is saying in the Scriptures.  If we want to walk with God, we must know what He says, and the only way to do that is to get into the Word of God.  The more we internalize the Scriptures, and let them direct our life, the more blessed we are.

Verse 3 continues on with the psalmist’s description of the godly person, who seeks to follow God.  They are like healthy, fruitful trees who have strong roots.  We see this echoed by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17:5-8).  How deep are we rooted?  If our roots are strong and deep in the Lord we can remain green and fruitful no matter what troubles come our way.  This does not mean that we are immune to difficulties or problems.  Nor does it guarantee health or wealth.  Applying God’s wisdom brings fruit that is good and blessed by God.  Being consistently in His Word will produce actions and attitudes that honor Him.  On the other hand, associating with those who mock God will draw us away from Him, causing us to become unfruitful.  They affect our behavior, thoughts, and attitude, so we should not join with them.

Now our psalmist takes a look at the other type of person, the one who has chosen the path of rebellion against God, and which eventually leads to their destruction.  In contrast to being a green and fruitful tree, these people are like chaff (vs. 4).   Chaff is the outer shell or husk of the kernels of grain.  Farmers in Biblical days would winnow the grain by tossing it into the breeze where the air current would separate the chaff from the grain.  The good grain would fall to the ground, while the wind would blow the chaff away. God here says that the lost are just like that, and will be blown away. Chaff is a symbol of a faithless life without God.  In contrast, the good grain is a symbol of a faithful life that is lived for the Savior, a life that can and is used by Him.

The path that the ungodly, lost person has chosen is fateful one (vs. 5 - 6).  It is a path that only leads to destruction, one that God will ultimately judge.  God promises that He knows the way of the righteous, those who have chosen His paths, but He says that the ungodly will perish (vs. 6).

What kind of fruit are we bearing?  If we are abiding in Christ we will bear good fruit (John 15:4-8).  A good tree will bear good fruit, and a bad tree will bear bad fruit.  We can recognize both (Matthew 7:17-20).  We need to stay in the Word of God and produce good fruit for Him.

What road are you traveling on?  The way of the righteous, or the way of the wicked?  If you want the Lord to bless you, you must follow His path, not the way that leads to judgment.