By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3
‘Listen to me!’ From our childhood we often hear those words. Because children need guidance, they are wise to grow into good listeners. But that is only true when they have good advisers.
Today I want to explore a kind of adviser we ought to ignore. Literally.
Notice in Psalm 1 that this blessed man separates himself from the world. In verse one he refuses to walk, stand or sit with certain individuals.
The first person he avoids is the ungodly one. This is anyone whose life direction, motives, attitudes and thought processes are the opposite of God’s. Since God is reality, the ungodly live a delusion. Ignoring the true God, they act as if they are god. Rather than living for the purpose of pleasing God, they live to please themselves. Verse 4 of this Psalm describes them and their fantasies as useless chaff who will eventually blow away and perish (verse 6).
The word ‘counsel’ speaks of advice. We are naturally captivated by the thought processes of the world. The devil wants to control our minds, and so he and the ungodly advise us in how they think we should think. They adamantly tell us what not to think, such as thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.
They suggest alternatives to prayer. ‘You don’t need God,’ they say. ‘Just believe in yourself.’ God’s Word lays out the folly of living independently of Him and His wise guidance. I need the Lord to steer me through the confusing maze of life.
The ungodly suggest that we follow our hearts, do what feels right, and do whatever makes us happy. God’s Word counsels us to live for His pleasure and follow His leadership.
They suggest that there are no absolutes. ‘Right and wrong are up to the individual to decide,’ they say. Even Christians swallow the lie that there is no ‘black and white’ but lots of ‘grey areas.’ But the Bible is clear that Almighty God is ‘the Judge of all the earth’ (Genesis 18:25). He has told us in nature and in Scripture what is right. He even modelled it for us when God the Son walked this planet. Anything different than Jesus is wrong.
I hope to look at the next phrase of Psalm 1:1 in another devotional. But for today, may it be clear that the person God blesses avoids godless thought-controllers who crowd his life with their delusional advice.
Instead he delights in God’s Word, pondering it day and night.
Father, sometimes life is a bewildering fog of lies. It can be hard to think clearly. Help me to so know Your truth that I can identify each lie as it comes. Help me to avoid the ungodly and their thought processes. If by ignoring them I offend them, help me to care more for the spiritual safety of careful separation. I run to Your Word for truth, for clarity, for direction, for wisdom. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ my Saviour, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.