Scripture Reading: Psalm 1
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1)
The passage shows some actions that we must avoid if we want to live a blessed life. To live a blessed life, we must watch whom we associate with and our relationship levels with them. The Psalm shows how one wrong action can lead to other destructive acts.
- Walking in the counsel of the ungodly. This is the first action we must avoid. It refers to whom you go to for advice. Whose counsel do you walk in? Have you ever considered that? Each one of us has people who speak into our lives. We must avoid going to the ungodly for advice. The term ‘ungodly’ refers to those who are ‘wicked’; people who do evil things without any sense of guilt. A wicked person will blind you to the consequences of your actions. They will tell you things like, ‘go ahead and do it’ or ‘everybody does it’. Do not listen to the counsel of ungodly people.
2. Standing in the path of sinners. When a person walks, they move. When a person stands, they stop moving. The person mentioned about in the Psalm finds comfort with sinners. Sinners, as used in this passage, refer to those whose values are not in alignment with God. If we must choose those we spend time with, they must be people whose values are godly. To enjoy the blessing of the Lord, we must audit the people we choose to spend our time with.
3. Sitting in the seat of the scornful. This is the final stage of compromise when we settle to be where the scornful are. The scornful are those who mock the things of God. They are people who trivialize sacred things. If you have a choice in your relationships, determine to stay away from such people. Even if you have to relate with them, it must be a measured relationship. You must not allow any relationship to dampen your love for God.
To be fruitful this year, we must choose the right kind of people with whom to keep company. We must choose the counsel we listen to, the people we allow close to us and those we spend a lot of time with. May the Lord lead us all into profitable relationships.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, show me whom to talk to, walk with, stand with and sit with this year. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
