“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV1984).
A tree planted by streams of water is a live tree, healthy and fruitful. Its leaves are always green, and its roots go deep into the ground. Because it has a continuous water supply, it remains strong despite weather conditions.
We can be like that tree in our Christian walk, but there are a few “dos and don’ts” that, if followed, will result in our being blessed, happy and fulfilled:
• Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked. The ungodly cannot give wise advice — they are carnal and operate in the flesh. God’s “statutes are my delight; they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24).
• Do not stand in the way of sinners who have no interest in spiritual things. They are not concerned with eternity but are only interested in the here and now. Their focus is on pleasure and material things. We should never assume we can just be friends as long as we don’t participate in their sinful activities — “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (I Cor. 15:33).
•Do not sit with mockers. “Mocking” involves the act of criticizing, ridiculing or making fun of. The ungodly are quick to scorn Christians. If we are known for deriding people we don’t like or with whom we disagree, we are sitting in the seat with mockers. There is a significant difference between productive criticism and criticism that is mean and hateful. We must not take part in those who scorn other people. It casts a shadow on our walk with Christ.
The Christian who rejects the ways of the ungodly will find delight in the law of the Lord as she studies and meditates on it day and night. The goal of Eastern meditation is to empty the mind, which someone said is an open invitation to deception or a demonic spirit. Christian meditation is filling one’s mind with God’s Word. It is more than just reading a passage or two a day. It involves studying, contemplating and applying His Word to our everyday lives. When I fill my heart with God’s Word, I find myself thinking about Him more during the day. Things I experience throughout the day bring to my mind Bible verses or songs of praise. When negative thoughts enter my mind, I immediately try to focus on uplifting ones.
Once these things have become our way of life, we become “like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season…” (Psalm 1:3). When we are right with God, we will bear fruit like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). As strong Christians, we can withstand Satan’s attacks and will not be found walking, standing or sitting with the ungodly.
The rest of this Psalm notes that the unrighteous are not like the righteous. “They are like chaff that the wind blows away… The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:4,6).
“May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (Psalm 68:3).
