Psalm 1 – This Way And That Way – Which Way Are You On? Part 1 Series

PSALM 1 – THIS WAY AND THAT WAY – WHICH WAY ARE YOU ON? PART 1

PSALM 1 – THE TWO WAYS

This glorious psalm sets the division for all the psalms that follow. In the bible there are only two ways defined. The right and the wrong. God’s way and the devil’s way. Trust and disobedience. Good and evil.

VERSE 1. {{Psalm 1:1 How “blessed” is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers! (listen, linger, lounge)}}

(a). The verse spells out the attitude and walk of a man who is called “blessed”. There is a downward progression in the verse, and there are two scenes. One scene involves people and the other sets out locations. The people are wicked, sinners and scoffers. The locations are walk, stand and sit.

WALKING IN WICKED COUNSEL

The first description is simply, “Does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” and it is at that point where the whole direction goes wrong. Advice, instruction and agendas in the world often lie with academics and government advisors, but these are the verbal activists, the humanists and the anti-God psychologists and social reformers. These are the ones who bring in the wrong; who develop policies binding on society. They give the advice from black hearts. So many in a counselling role in this world are so lost themselves that it is true to say, the blind leading the blind. Beware of human philosophers and human advisors speaking about how to live life.

The Lord is warning us not to start at that first point. This is especially so now for the young people who have pressures on them we never had in days gone by. Society has moved into a post-Christian era when anything Christian in the western world is considered weak and dangerous to the mind’s development. Just 5 years ago (it is ending 2022 now) we would not have conceived the things that have rushed into government plans. Morality now comes from hell. Changes in sex, gender, discipline, family, priorities, WOKE, are all from the pit! Satan is the advisor of the world’s advisors, in the political system.

God calls the person who does not walk according to counsel of the wicked, “blessed”. We are walking in this world, through the philosophies and humanism, but we must keep right on walking. Do not stop. Do not start to take notice or allow your ear to entertain these anti-biblical ideas and agendas and positions. The universities operate fully on humanism, and atheism, and monstrously inflated egos of cleverness. It is just so, so difficult for the Christian young person to maintain his/her Christian position in that situation. I know of lives that have become shipwrecked because of university attendance.

PROTECT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

If a person wants to go searching for sunken ships that are down 500 feet or more, one does not go out with a snorkel and goggles. It is that person who will be sunken in the depths in no time. That adventurer must be properly equipped so the depths and pressure and hazards will not overcome him. I see that like universities. The Christian there must be properly equipped or he/she will succumb to the hazards, the depths and the pressure.

There are only two ways I see for being fully equipped. A very sound knowledge of the bible is the first for David said, {{Psalm 119:10 “With all my heart I have sought You. Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Psa 119:11 Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.”}} NASB It is as if God’s word is our insulation. By knowing the word of God, we know the ground that supports us. By knowing the word we deflect the arrows of humanistic philosophy that attack us. How do we get our young people to be saturated with the word of God?

We MUST teach them. Churches fail people too many times. Church is not a happy glee club of superficiality, and “feel good” attitudes. Unless the man and woman of God is fully equipped, those who have the responsibility for that, have failed. Times have changed; they are more sinister and threatening, but the word of God has not failed. It is still the same sword and shield it has always been.

The second way is nurturing. Those in churches with responsibilities of stewardship and counselling and shepherding, teach your children and young people how to focus their lives in the bible. Not to do so, is to leave a life with an uncertain foundation to the mercy of the cyclone/hurricane/typhoon of demonic hatred and the world’s wisdom, and consequently, failure.