FRIDAY 3rd
Psalm 1
There is a sense in which this short psalm follows on with the same thought that yesterday’s devotion was all about, being different as believers, and it does except for the fact that chronologically it comes long before Paul wrote his Roman letter.
This has always been one of my favourite psalms, I have probably only ever preached from it a handful of times, but what it has to say has often come up in my preaching. My grandfather was a lay preacher, and a retired elder in the local Church which I also attended where I was the leading elder, and he always had words of encouragement to give me and supported me in every way. I asked him if he would like to speak in our mid-week Bible Study and he did, he was around 90 or 91 at the time, and had suffered a couple of small strokes and I remember him getting up and he preached note free from this short psalm. But what I can say about my grandfather is this, he lived or practised what he preached!
This psalm is a challenge to all of us who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, are we living out what we claim to be? Are we practising what we preach?
It is linked with yesterday’s devotion because it is all about our being different to unbelievers in the kind of lifestyle that we have. It is connected to those who we choose to walk with, stand with, or sit with, or rather those who we choose not to walk with, stand with and sit with! Psalm 1:1 ‘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 . . .’
The word ‘blessed’ is linked to verses 3-4 and 6, for what we decide in regard to verse 1 and 2 leads to whether or not we are like a tree planted by streams of water, fruitful, prospering, and in the righteous ways of the Lord.
Now, it is important when looking at this psalm to notice that it does not say that we should have nothing to do with the unrighteous, that is we should not spend time with them, etc. It’s language infers that it means that we do not participate in what they do that would be unwholesome or unhealthy toward our Christian lifestyle and testimony.
See, if we do not mix with unbelievers, then we have no opportunity to let them see that we are different! We will have no opportunity to share with them what they most need which is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will not be able to be the light in the immediate darkness around us or the salt in the world around us that needs salting with the gospel. It is a sad fact, that many Christians have become so insular that they have no friends that are unbelievers!
Now of course, I say all this with caution, because I do believe that there are some places we should never attend or go to as believers, there are activities that we should never be involved in as believers, but what I am sharing is that we are not called to isolate ourselves away like monks or nuns in case we get tainted, rather we should be looking for ways in which we can influence and infiltrate with the good news of the gospel. We need to be cautious, as Jesus says, wise as serpents and gentle as doves, (Matthew 10:16) at all times seeking in any way and with every opportunity to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, either by witness or testimony, by sharing the gospel with words or showing the gospel by our lives. One of the most astounding things we read about Jesus was that he spent time with the publicans and sinners! (For example, Luke 15:1-2 ‘Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’’
So far, I have missed out the most important part of this chapter, it is found in verse 2 ‘but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.’ I believe that if we follow this practise of meditating upon the law (or the Word) of the LORD, and this requires us to be reading it to be able to meditate upon it, it will determine our motives in everything else that we will do. Our meditation of the Word will impact our lives and our living and as a result will help us to make the right lifestyle choices, it will have an effect upon our desires and the decisions we will make as to whether we can sit in certain places, stand in certain places or even walk with certain people. (See Psalm 119:1-9)
If the ‘Word’ delights us, we will be careful with the company that we keep, and with our walk and with our talk. Because if we want to practise what we preach, then what we preach should only be a reflection of what we practise, and what we practise and preach should be a reflection of who Jesus is and what he means to us. Therefore, the more Christlike we become, the more effective our walk and testimony will be.
The following hymn came to my mind a few days ago and I include just the first two verses.
I want my life to be all filled with praise to thee,
My precious Lord divine who died for me,
Let all my will be thine, controlled by thy love divine,
Live out in me thy life, O mighty Saviour.
Thy blessed will divine, with joy I make it mine,
My heart shall be thy throne, and thine alone,
Choose thou the path I tread and whither I am led,
Help me to follow on, O Mighty Saviour.
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