Psalm 1

Spiritual stability
The journey begins! It’s exciting isn’t it? Where will the Holy Spirit take us? What adventures await us? What discoveries will we make? One thing is certain, we will not be the same people at the end of this journey as we are at the beginning.  We are about to discover a world of delights but also a world that has a sinister side. This is not a walk in the park, this journey will take us through narrow ravines, up rocky mountain slopes and across desert landscapes. Thank God there will also be occasion to lie by still waters in green pastures and to dance with exhilaration and pure joy on mountain summits. Let’s get going shall we?

V1       What an introduction to the adventure!  Most Christians would not dream of associating with the wicked, the sinners and the scornful of v1, would they? Who are these people anyway, are they mass murderers or tabloid celebrities or pagan worshippers?   Well, they may be all or some of these, but we are not looking at just flesh and blood. We are thinking about our spiritual enemies and here is a warning that they can be identified by ungodliness, persistent sin and mockery.  Any human who exhibits such characteristics is almost certainly in the pay of the enemy, so we do well to avoid them. 

Notice that there are three positions mentioned here and they represent three descents into danger! The first is the danger of walking in step with those who are wicked. This is not casual acquaintance but a deliberate intention to befriend those whose path takes them away from God. How many believers have left the way simply by joining the company of the wicked? It all seems so innocuous to start with, a few questionable jokes, a couple of drinks more than is necessary, a film that you know has an 18 Certificate. Suddenly it’s not easy to part company with these “friends”, you convince yourself that there’s no harm in it. And now you stand with them and are willing to be identified with them, their ways become your ways and before you know it, you are sitting with them. You are accepted as one of them. They mock our God, they blaspheme His name and His ways, they pour scorn on His moral laws and have no intention of respecting Him and His truth. They live with no reference to Him at all, such is the way of the world – but it is not the way that we are going so you will have to make a decision!

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