Two very important things in life are, one, which path we choose to go on throughout our life, and two, who we go on that path with. When we choose those wisely, our lives can be very blessed. But if we make a bad choice with either, the results can be quite tragic. In our psalm for today, the Word of God counsels us to be sure to make the right choice in both our path through life, and in whom we associate with.
Psalm 1 is a short, brief psalm, but it contains a lot of godly instruction and wisdom, and is one that every believer should heed throughout their life. In life there are two roads we can choose from to follow. We can choose to follow the way of the wicked or the way of the righteous. God will provide, protect, and nourish those who choose to follow the way of the righteous. Following God’s way has rewards that supersede the seeming benefits of the way of the wicked.
We also have the choice of who we associate with in life, and that choice is equally important to the believer (vs. 1). The danger of making close friends with those who do not follow God, those who mock His ways, is the real chance of becoming indifferent to God and His will. We need to have friends who build up our faith, not tear it down. Friends should help us spiritually, not hinder us. They should draw us closer to God.
Making close friends with the ungodly has just the opposite effect. Walking with the ungodly erodes our spiritual life, leading to spiritual compromise. From casually walking with them, before we know it, we will take an ungodly stand. That will lead to sitting with the scornful, a permanent settling down, dwelling, and abiding with them. It becomes a way of life. The scorner and scoffer makes light of what is sacred. They are a blasphemous crowd. If we begin walking with the wicked, it is easier to slip into the habitation of the scoffer and scorner. We must refuse to listen to ungodly advice, or the false philosophies so popular in the world.
The spiritually blessed person will instead, read, study, and meditate on God’s Word (vs. 2). He is deeply rooted in Scripture and in prayer (vs. 3). In order to follow God closely, we need to know what He says. The blessed man is one who has accepted the righteousness of Jesus. He avoids evil influences and delights in God’s Word. He is, as Jesus says, one who abides in Him. When we abide in Christ, we can’t help but bear good fruit (vs. 3).
If our life is filled with worthless things of the world, it bears bad fruit and is discarded (vs. 4). The psalmist says that the ungodly are like chaff. Chaff is often used in Scripture to represent the lost that will be blown away. Good grain represents the saved, who have a fruitful life. Chaff is without value. It is only good to be thrown away. The ungodly are like worthless chaff. His destiny is God’s judgment.
When we apply God’s wisdom to our life, we will bear good fruit and we will receive God’s approval. God judges us on the basis of our faith in Him and His revealed will. Those who obey His will are blessed, like a healthy fruit-bearing tree (Jeremiah 17:5-8). Those who don’t, have meaningless lives that blow away like dust in the wind.
As we see through studying this psalm, there are two paths in life. There is God’s way of obedience, which leads to blessings and eternal life in heaven. Then there is the path of rebellion which leads to destruction. If we want God to protect us, provide for us, and nourish us, why pursue the way of the wicked and unsaved, which leads to God’s judgment? Everyone has to choose one or the other path, so we need to choose carefully which path we take. One leads to an eternity in heaven, the other to an eternity in hell. The choice is ours to make.
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