Daily Devotional

Psalm 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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night.”  

In life, we can all tend to not listen to warnings that are given to us by others. Especially when we want to do things our own way, because let’s be honest, we prefer to do things our way. There’s just something in our sinful nature, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree God had told them not to (back in Gen. 3) that, since then, we have always wanted to do things our own way. Even when we are told by others that it’s not going to work out or that we might be taking a huge risk or that what we are wanting to do could lead to a bad situation, we can have this desire to pursue something in the way that WE WANT to and not heed the wise instruction and advice of others. And if you knew that the consequences of choosing to do that thing or pursue that desire or to say what you really wanted to say, then you would probably choose to not do it, not pursue it, and not say it. But life doesn’t work in reverse. Life works in forward motion. We can only know what’s happening by what we see and experience now. But the Bible not only offers us insight into who God is and what he has done, through Jesus, but also many stories and writings that can help guide us away from making some bad choices.
 
We see in this passage that joy comes from following God’s commands daily. Don’t you think God would want you to be in a place where you could be free to enjoy the pleasures of enjoying the life, he has given you? Of course! But God also knows the dangers of this world and what things are out there waiting for us. So, we are to heed his words and know the kinds of things God wants us to have with us, so we are prepared and not caught off guard. What this author is opening with is this grand statement and a reminder that the “delight” of a man is in following the law and the ways (instructions) of the Lord, which can be understood with daily devotion, and not go along with what everyone else is doing that could lead us to much dangerous and much more destructive circumstance.  

I like to think of it in terms of a set of car keys. Whether you are not ready yet to start driving, whether you are in the process of getting your license or you have it and are on the road, there are rules that you must know and follow. And these rules are not to limit you from going where you want to go, but to help keep you and others safe and protect everyone so we are all not driving in all sorts of directions and crashing into each other. But think of the society and culture we live in, today is very much one that strives to not have rules, boundaries, or safeguards. But the author is reminding us that, good life is found in God, not the world. It can be tempting to live life in a way that you would like or in a way that you feel like the world around you say your life should be, but many things in the world are not rooted and grounded in anything and can easily be knocked down or blown around by the wind. Our desire is to be those who are grounded in the life that God has for you; a life that is good, and a full and amazing life that is centered on God’s commands that we have access to, daily!
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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