Blessed

Psalm 1 begins..."How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, 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."

What exactly is the counsel of the ungodly? Any counsel that is void of truth. Any counsel that is developed independently of God. Worldly wisdom.

And friends, there's a lot of it out there.

From modern psychology to parenting to health to finances, worldly wisdom flows into our homes from many sources - television, radio, magazines, books, neighbors, family and friends.

But notice that the Psalmist says that the man who does NOT walk in the counsel of the ungodly is blessed. That is because his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he continually meditates.

I love how the word "delight" is used here. It's not his obligation or his requirement, but his delight. The blessed man finds joy in meditating on the Word. It's not a chore and it's not on his check list. It's something that he longs for, that he can't find enough time to do, that brings him deep satisfaction. He loves it so much, that he immerses himself in it day and night.

This is the blessed man.

So, (you know there's always a question), where do you walk? In the laws of the Lord or in the counsel of the ungodly?

Ugh. This is a hard question, because walking in the laws of the Lord takes effort, where receiving the counsel of the ungodly only needs a remote control.

Well, this is where my mind has been dwelling for the past day. I love this psalm - if you have time today, take a look at the whole passage. It is a beautiful, simple truth about the difference between a life immersed with God and one empty of His presence.

If you want another exercise, take a look at Psalm 119 - yeah, I know it's long, but the whole passage is devoted to the blessings of having the Word in your life...well worth the time to read it.