Psalm 1.1
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers …”
In our reflections on the importance of walking in obedience, it is appropriate to finish with a look at Psalm 1. The message in this Psalm is a fitting exclamation point to the study of Ephesians 5 and Jeremiah 6.
The first thing this Psalm says is that the source of blessing—the source of true peace and fulfillment—is found when we live according to the counsel of the Lord and not according to “the counsel of the wicked.” Blessed is the man who does not follow the path of disobedience.
Notice that Psalm 1 gives a progression of evil in the life of an unbeliever: walk, stand, sit. To walk is a reference to the decisions made and actions taken every day. People take steps all day long, making decisions about all kinds of matters. That is walking and taking a series of steps.
To stand is a picture of the commitments people make to various beliefs and behavior patterns. People give themselves to ways of behaving. To sit is a picture of the settled attitude of the heart … a mindset … a continuous disposition about life.
The unbeliever first walks in unrighteousness, then stands in unrighteousness, then sits and settles in unrighteousness. This is the way of darkness. It is a path of self-destruction.
Next the Psalm describes the believer who is seeking God and does not walk in the way of darkness. “… 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 that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1.2-3)
This is a description of someone who does what Ephesians 5 and Jeremiah 6 teaches. This person looks carefully and walks wisely. This person studies the Word of God and seeks to obey God’s truth. As a result of walking carefully and wisely, this person bears fruit and prospers.
And one more time for emphasis, the psalmist describes the foolishness of the unbeliever. “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1.4-6)
May we hear and heed the message in Ephesian 5, Jeremiah 6, and Psalm 1. May we walk in the wisdom of God’s grace and truth. This is the source of true fulfillment, happiness, and peace.
