This morning we begin a new month. We have finished three months of reading the Bible this year. Have things changed in your personal spiritual life? The world sure has changed. Our laser focused vision during these days is to keep our eyes on the God of this universe and let Him guide us.
Our reading for today gives us a pleasant result when we do. Psalm 1 is included below:
1 How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams
that bears its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.4 The wicked are not like this;
instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. (Psalm 1 [CSB])
It’s an interesting progression that the person who stays happy keeps away from. First of all they do not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway of sinners or sit in the company of the mockers. See the progression — walk, stand, sit. I’ve thought of this many times. When we walk with or keep company with those that would pull us away from God it’s easier then to spend time with them (stand) and then finally to be involved with what they do (sit). How harmless it starts and how devastating it ends. If we spend our time walking, standing and sitting in God’s Word and His people we will be like a tree planted by a stream and our roots will grow deep in God.
Where are we spending our time these days? Are we watching too much television news? Is that making us anxious and distracted, or are we finding more time in this enforced slowdown to our lives spending time in God’s Word and in communication with His people? Don’t get me wrong, we need to be well informed on current events, but even that can be too much and become a distraction.
Let’s stay in God’s Word and let’s stay together during these days.
Father God we love You and Your Word. Help us to focus on you in these days of distress and be shining lights that draw others to You and Your Word. Amen.
Sixty-six books in a year 