PSALM 1
Psalm 1:1-6
1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
4. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NASB)
1. Blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable, is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly, following their advice, their plans and purposes, nor stands, submissive and inactive in the path where sinners walk, not sit down, to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather.
2. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law, the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God he habitually meditates, ponders and studies by day by night
3. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper and come to maturity.
4. Not so the wicked, those disobedient and living without God are not so. But they are like the chaff, worthless, dead, without substance, which the wind drives away.
5. Therefore the wicked, those disobedient and living without God shall not stand justified in the judgment, not sinners in the congregation of the righteous, those who are upright and in right standing with God.
6. For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly, those living outside of God’s will shall perish, end in ruin and come to nought. (The Amplified Bible)
Psalm 1:1-6
1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
4. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NASB)
1. Blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable, is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly, following their advice, their plans and purposes, nor stands, submissive and inactive in the path where sinners walk, not sit down, to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather.
2. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law, the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God he habitually meditates, ponders and studies by day by night
3. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper and come to maturity.
4. Not so the wicked, those disobedient and living without God are not so. But they are like the chaff, worthless, dead, without substance, which the wind drives away.
5. Therefore the wicked, those disobedient and living without God shall not stand justified in the judgment, not sinners in the congregation of the righteous, those who are upright and in right standing with God.
6. For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly, those living outside of God’s will shall perish, end in ruin and come to nought. (The Amplified Bible)
Psalm 1:1
1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”
The Psalm starts out with the word “blessed.”
Blessed comes from the Hebrew word “esher” that conveys a deep sense of well being. It also speaks of the inner contentment in the life of the man or woman who is right or “straight” with God. The man who practices righteousness will be a blessed man.
The word “happy” is a good rendition of blessed, provided one keeps in mind that the condition of “bliss” in not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered “blessed” from God’s perspective. He bestows this gift on them. Neither negative feelings nor adverse conditions can take His blessing away.
Ray Pritchard writes that in biblical terms to be blessed means to be rightly related to God so that your life if fulfilled and you experience deep personal satisfaction. It is important to know that this sort of happiness is not related to our circumstances. And it doesn’t come simply by seeking for it. You find happiness not by seeking it by doing certain things, and not doing other things. The blessing comes as a side benefit of the choices we make. A wise man said that happiness is like a cat. Seek it and it will run from you. But go about your business steadily day by day and soon it comes and curls up at your feet. How true. The most miserable people on New Year’s Eve at those who seek happiness by hopping from one part to another and from one bare to another. True happiness and lasting contentment simply cannot be found that way.
Just as a side note, how blessed and blessed is the man appears more than once in the Old Testament. You might call them the “Beatitudes of the Old Testament.”
I have listed them here for you and you can look them up:
Psalm 32:2
Psalm 34:8
Psalm 40:4
Psalm 84:5, 12
Psalm 94:12
Psalm 112:1
Psalm 127:5
Proverbs 3:13
Proverbs 8:34
Proverbs 28:14
Isaiah 56:2
Jeremiah 17:7
The next part of Psalm 1:1 says that this blessed person “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or ungodly.”
The Hebrew word for “walk is “halak” which denotes physical locomotion but is often used as a metaphor to picture one’s conduct or how one lives his or her life.
For example, the phrase “walking with or before God” speaks of a close relationship to God. This positive use describes such men as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and David, all of whom were pleasing to God and all of whom experience the blessedness of God.
The Hebrew verb is in the qal perfect tense where perfect depicts one’s walk or conduct as a whole, without necessarily any reflection on the duration of that conduct. The perfect can also speak of behavior that was started in the past and has continued into the present or which is started in the present and continues into the future.
He does not walk in the “counsel of the wicked”
The Hebrew word of counsel is “etsah” which means a viewpoint or way of thinking, a state of mind that affects the decisions that we make. It means don’t listen to their advice especially in the moral/ethical realm, telling you how you should conduct your life. The first way to avoid evil is to refuse to be influenced by the ungodly.
My question to you is, Who influences you? Are you letting the world’s way of thinking influence you”
Gil comments that “not to walk” herein is not to hearken to their counsel, to give into it, agree with it, pursue it, and act according to it, and happy is the man who, though he may fall in the way of it, and may have bad counsel given him by ungodly me, yet does not consent to it, take it, and act upon it.
What does the counsel of the wicked, or ungodly, look like?
Pastor Steve Cole offers five guidelines to discerning the counsel of the wicked versus the wisdom of God:
(1) The counsel of the wicked denies the sufficiency of Scripture for dealing with the problems of the soul.
The Bible claims to be adequate to equip the believer for every good word and to produce in us true happiness by dealing with the problems of the soul. It provides answers for problems of guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness and relational conflicts. Christian psychology brings the world’s wisdom to bear on these problems, thus implying that the Bible is not sufficient and often stating “solutions” opposed to what the Bible prescribes.
(2) The counsel of the wicked exalts the pride of man and takes away from the glory of God.
The Bible humbles the pride of man and exalts the glory of God. The world’s wisdom builds the self and minimizes the need for absolute trust in God, whether for salvation or for daily living.
(3) The counsel of the wicked denies or minimizes the need for the cross of Christ by asserting either the basic goodness of man or by downplaying the extent and impact of the fall.
The Bible teaches that we are utterly wicked and self-seeking. None of us could or would seek God if left to ourselves. The cross humbles human pride and exalts Christ alone.
(4) The counsel of the wicked denies God’s moral absolutes and substitutes relative human “goodness.”
God is absolutely righteous and His standards of holiness as revealed in His Word are absolute. Worldly wisdom rationalizes away God’s absolutes as being too “idealistic” or “harsh” and substitutes some human standard, such as “love.” In other words, human wisdom makes a god in its own likeness, rather than submitting to the true God.
(5) The counsel of the wicked focuses on pleasing self rather than on pleasing God and others.
The world’s wisdom does not promote self-denial and love for God and others as of first importance. Often the world’s wisdom provides “help” for a person, relief from the symptoms of his problem, without leading him to confess sin, depend on God, and live obedience to God. The world’s wisdom counsels you to live first of all for yourself. In “Christian” form, it tells you that if you don’t love yourself, you can’t love God and others.
The Hebrew word for “ungodly” (KJV), while other translations use “wicked” is “rasha”
The narrow meaning of “rasha” lies in the concept of “wrongdoing,” or “being in the wrong.”
The word “rasha” seems to have a double meaning, “wrong, wickedness,” and “to condemn as guilty.” This masculine noun is used in parallel with almost every Hebrew word for sin, evil, and iniquity. The word functions also as an adjective to designate in concrete terms the actions and conduct of a type of person.
It is a legal term. The person who has sinned against the law is guilty. This a category of people who have done wrong, are still living in sin, and are intent on continuing with wrongdoing.
Wicked people were guilty of violation of the social rights of others, for they were violent, oppressive, greedy, engaged in plotting against and trapping poor people, and quite willing to murder to gain their ends. In a word, they threatened the community. They were dishonest in business and in the courtroom. The inner lives of the wicked correspond to their actions. They are vicious, haughty, treacherous, vile, polluted, and unstable. I am sure we could come up with a few names of people that fit into this category both in the Bible and in the world today.
The wicked, ungodly, conduct their lives as if God does not exist and with no regard for Him.
Scripture gives us some clues about the nature of the wicked person:
Psalm 10:4: “The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
Psalm 10:13: “Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, ‘Thou wilt not require it.’”
Psalm 11:5: “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”
Psalm 17:7: “Wondrously show Thy lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Thy right hand from those who rise up against them.”
Psalm 37:21: “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.”
Psalm 119:110: “The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Thy precepts.”
The Bible is full of examples, both in the Old and New Testaments, of people who were wicked. Not a nice group of people.
What kind of advice or counsel would you expect to get from this group of people? I can guarantee you that it would not be godly counsel.
Blessed is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked.
Next up is “does not stand in the path of sinners.”
The Hebrew word for “stand” is “qum.” The root word refers essentially to the physical action of “rising up.” It is used of figurative rising or standing.
This means to avoid being in the places where sinners congregate to do their thing. If you are serious about keeping yourself morally and ethically pure and holy, don’t put yourself in a path that will surely bring temptation. Avoid doing as they do.
Steve Cole comments that the path of sinners refers to their way of life and behavior. To stand in the path of sinners means involvement with sinners in their sinful behavior. The word “sinners” comes from a Hebrew word meaning to miss the mark. It refers to deviating from the standard of God as revealed in His Word. If we run with worldly people in their godless way of life, we will be wrongly influence by them. That is why a new Christian needs to cut off close relationships with many former friends. They will draw you back into the old way of life. You may not think so, but “Do not be deceived”!
On the other hand, we are not supposed to cut ourselves off completely from sinners. Otherwise, you would have to go out of the world. Rather, your objective changes. Whereas before you associated with sinners as one of them to join in their evil deeds, now you associate with them as sinner saved by grace to seek to bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Next is “sit in the seat of scoffers/mockers.”
The Hebrew word of “sit” is “yashab” which has a sense of to sit, dwell, remain, abide and emphasizes a thoroughly settled state or condition. One has settled down and is comfortable and content with the world with its patterns. In the present context this verb pictures the idea of becoming comfortable with sin and of progression from casual influence of ungodly people to collusion with them in their scorn
“Seat” comes from the Hebrew word “moshab” which means a place where a thing, in this case a person, is settled or established.
“Scoffers” come from the Hebrew word “luwts” which means to deride, speak in a scornfully derisive or to boast as to express utter contempt. The activity of the scornful is condemned as an abomination to people. The scoffer is one who shows contempt by mocking, sneering, or scorning.
The seat of scoffers refers to the assembly or place where such men gather to reinforce their godless philosophy. Birds of a feather flock together. Those who scoff at God love to get together to reinforce their prejudices. To sit in their seat means to belong to such a crowd. Take note: How truly happy is the person who does not sit in the seat of scoffer!
Guzik writes that the scornful love to sit and criticize the people of God and the things of God. The righteous man will not sit in that seat! When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize among Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting in the seat of the scornful. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ.
Steven Cole comments that scoffer have rejected God and His Word. They now seek to justify themselves by openly deriding that which they have rejected. Scoffers thing they know more than God. They’re too smart to believe in the Bible. Many scoffers come from church backgrounds, but have cast it off as too “repressive.” Although they always hide under an intellectual smoke screen, invariably scoffers have cast off the Bible because they want to be their own god so that they can follow their own lusts. They don’t want God interfering in their sinful lifestyles.
Walk, stand, and sit picture a process of spiritual “retrogression” which is the ever present danger if we are not growing in grace by taking in God’s Word. The point is that believers never stand still in their Christian walk and the psalmist portrays the potential spiritual declension by three degrees of degeneration, describing out habit of conduct, walk, stand, sit, and three degrees of evil influence, counsel of the wicked, path of sinners, and the seat of scoffers. In short, the psalmist warns us how we are prone to wander as the hymn writer says, “turning aside little by little.
1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”
The Psalm starts out with the word “blessed.”
Blessed comes from the Hebrew word “esher” that conveys a deep sense of well being. It also speaks of the inner contentment in the life of the man or woman who is right or “straight” with God. The man who practices righteousness will be a blessed man.
The word “happy” is a good rendition of blessed, provided one keeps in mind that the condition of “bliss” in not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered “blessed” from God’s perspective. He bestows this gift on them. Neither negative feelings nor adverse conditions can take His blessing away.
Ray Pritchard writes that in biblical terms to be blessed means to be rightly related to God so that your life if fulfilled and you experience deep personal satisfaction. It is important to know that this sort of happiness is not related to our circumstances. And it doesn’t come simply by seeking for it. You find happiness not by seeking it by doing certain things, and not doing other things. The blessing comes as a side benefit of the choices we make. A wise man said that happiness is like a cat. Seek it and it will run from you. But go about your business steadily day by day and soon it comes and curls up at your feet. How true. The most miserable people on New Year’s Eve at those who seek happiness by hopping from one part to another and from one bare to another. True happiness and lasting contentment simply cannot be found that way.
Just as a side note, how blessed and blessed is the man appears more than once in the Old Testament. You might call them the “Beatitudes of the Old Testament.”
I have listed them here for you and you can look them up:
Psalm 32:2
Psalm 34:8
Psalm 40:4
Psalm 84:5, 12
Psalm 94:12
Psalm 112:1
Psalm 127:5
Proverbs 3:13
Proverbs 8:34
Proverbs 28:14
Isaiah 56:2
Jeremiah 17:7
The next part of Psalm 1:1 says that this blessed person “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or ungodly.”
The Hebrew word for “walk is “halak” which denotes physical locomotion but is often used as a metaphor to picture one’s conduct or how one lives his or her life.
For example, the phrase “walking with or before God” speaks of a close relationship to God. This positive use describes such men as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and David, all of whom were pleasing to God and all of whom experience the blessedness of God.
The Hebrew verb is in the qal perfect tense where perfect depicts one’s walk or conduct as a whole, without necessarily any reflection on the duration of that conduct. The perfect can also speak of behavior that was started in the past and has continued into the present or which is started in the present and continues into the future.
He does not walk in the “counsel of the wicked”
The Hebrew word of counsel is “etsah” which means a viewpoint or way of thinking, a state of mind that affects the decisions that we make. It means don’t listen to their advice especially in the moral/ethical realm, telling you how you should conduct your life. The first way to avoid evil is to refuse to be influenced by the ungodly.
My question to you is, Who influences you? Are you letting the world’s way of thinking influence you”
Gil comments that “not to walk” herein is not to hearken to their counsel, to give into it, agree with it, pursue it, and act according to it, and happy is the man who, though he may fall in the way of it, and may have bad counsel given him by ungodly me, yet does not consent to it, take it, and act upon it.
What does the counsel of the wicked, or ungodly, look like?
Pastor Steve Cole offers five guidelines to discerning the counsel of the wicked versus the wisdom of God:
(1) The counsel of the wicked denies the sufficiency of Scripture for dealing with the problems of the soul.
The Bible claims to be adequate to equip the believer for every good word and to produce in us true happiness by dealing with the problems of the soul. It provides answers for problems of guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness and relational conflicts. Christian psychology brings the world’s wisdom to bear on these problems, thus implying that the Bible is not sufficient and often stating “solutions” opposed to what the Bible prescribes.
(2) The counsel of the wicked exalts the pride of man and takes away from the glory of God.
The Bible humbles the pride of man and exalts the glory of God. The world’s wisdom builds the self and minimizes the need for absolute trust in God, whether for salvation or for daily living.
(3) The counsel of the wicked denies or minimizes the need for the cross of Christ by asserting either the basic goodness of man or by downplaying the extent and impact of the fall.
The Bible teaches that we are utterly wicked and self-seeking. None of us could or would seek God if left to ourselves. The cross humbles human pride and exalts Christ alone.
(4) The counsel of the wicked denies God’s moral absolutes and substitutes relative human “goodness.”
God is absolutely righteous and His standards of holiness as revealed in His Word are absolute. Worldly wisdom rationalizes away God’s absolutes as being too “idealistic” or “harsh” and substitutes some human standard, such as “love.” In other words, human wisdom makes a god in its own likeness, rather than submitting to the true God.
(5) The counsel of the wicked focuses on pleasing self rather than on pleasing God and others.
The world’s wisdom does not promote self-denial and love for God and others as of first importance. Often the world’s wisdom provides “help” for a person, relief from the symptoms of his problem, without leading him to confess sin, depend on God, and live obedience to God. The world’s wisdom counsels you to live first of all for yourself. In “Christian” form, it tells you that if you don’t love yourself, you can’t love God and others.
The Hebrew word for “ungodly” (KJV), while other translations use “wicked” is “rasha”
The narrow meaning of “rasha” lies in the concept of “wrongdoing,” or “being in the wrong.”
The word “rasha” seems to have a double meaning, “wrong, wickedness,” and “to condemn as guilty.” This masculine noun is used in parallel with almost every Hebrew word for sin, evil, and iniquity. The word functions also as an adjective to designate in concrete terms the actions and conduct of a type of person.
It is a legal term. The person who has sinned against the law is guilty. This a category of people who have done wrong, are still living in sin, and are intent on continuing with wrongdoing.
Wicked people were guilty of violation of the social rights of others, for they were violent, oppressive, greedy, engaged in plotting against and trapping poor people, and quite willing to murder to gain their ends. In a word, they threatened the community. They were dishonest in business and in the courtroom. The inner lives of the wicked correspond to their actions. They are vicious, haughty, treacherous, vile, polluted, and unstable. I am sure we could come up with a few names of people that fit into this category both in the Bible and in the world today.
The wicked, ungodly, conduct their lives as if God does not exist and with no regard for Him.
Scripture gives us some clues about the nature of the wicked person:
Psalm 10:4: “The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”
Psalm 10:13: “Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, ‘Thou wilt not require it.’”
Psalm 11:5: “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”
Psalm 17:7: “Wondrously show Thy lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Thy right hand from those who rise up against them.”
Psalm 37:21: “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.”
Psalm 119:110: “The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Thy precepts.”
The Bible is full of examples, both in the Old and New Testaments, of people who were wicked. Not a nice group of people.
What kind of advice or counsel would you expect to get from this group of people? I can guarantee you that it would not be godly counsel.
Blessed is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked.
Next up is “does not stand in the path of sinners.”
The Hebrew word for “stand” is “qum.” The root word refers essentially to the physical action of “rising up.” It is used of figurative rising or standing.
This means to avoid being in the places where sinners congregate to do their thing. If you are serious about keeping yourself morally and ethically pure and holy, don’t put yourself in a path that will surely bring temptation. Avoid doing as they do.
Steve Cole comments that the path of sinners refers to their way of life and behavior. To stand in the path of sinners means involvement with sinners in their sinful behavior. The word “sinners” comes from a Hebrew word meaning to miss the mark. It refers to deviating from the standard of God as revealed in His Word. If we run with worldly people in their godless way of life, we will be wrongly influence by them. That is why a new Christian needs to cut off close relationships with many former friends. They will draw you back into the old way of life. You may not think so, but “Do not be deceived”!
On the other hand, we are not supposed to cut ourselves off completely from sinners. Otherwise, you would have to go out of the world. Rather, your objective changes. Whereas before you associated with sinners as one of them to join in their evil deeds, now you associate with them as sinner saved by grace to seek to bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Next is “sit in the seat of scoffers/mockers.”
The Hebrew word of “sit” is “yashab” which has a sense of to sit, dwell, remain, abide and emphasizes a thoroughly settled state or condition. One has settled down and is comfortable and content with the world with its patterns. In the present context this verb pictures the idea of becoming comfortable with sin and of progression from casual influence of ungodly people to collusion with them in their scorn
“Seat” comes from the Hebrew word “moshab” which means a place where a thing, in this case a person, is settled or established.
“Scoffers” come from the Hebrew word “luwts” which means to deride, speak in a scornfully derisive or to boast as to express utter contempt. The activity of the scornful is condemned as an abomination to people. The scoffer is one who shows contempt by mocking, sneering, or scorning.
The seat of scoffers refers to the assembly or place where such men gather to reinforce their godless philosophy. Birds of a feather flock together. Those who scoff at God love to get together to reinforce their prejudices. To sit in their seat means to belong to such a crowd. Take note: How truly happy is the person who does not sit in the seat of scoffer!
Guzik writes that the scornful love to sit and criticize the people of God and the things of God. The righteous man will not sit in that seat! When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize among Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting in the seat of the scornful. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ.
Steven Cole comments that scoffer have rejected God and His Word. They now seek to justify themselves by openly deriding that which they have rejected. Scoffers thing they know more than God. They’re too smart to believe in the Bible. Many scoffers come from church backgrounds, but have cast it off as too “repressive.” Although they always hide under an intellectual smoke screen, invariably scoffers have cast off the Bible because they want to be their own god so that they can follow their own lusts. They don’t want God interfering in their sinful lifestyles.
Walk, stand, and sit picture a process of spiritual “retrogression” which is the ever present danger if we are not growing in grace by taking in God’s Word. The point is that believers never stand still in their Christian walk and the psalmist portrays the potential spiritual declension by three degrees of degeneration, describing out habit of conduct, walk, stand, sit, and three degrees of evil influence, counsel of the wicked, path of sinners, and the seat of scoffers. In short, the psalmist warns us how we are prone to wander as the hymn writer says, “turning aside little by little.
Even imperceptibly becoming increasing entangles in the web of sin. We need to remember that the writer of Hebrews warns of the deadliness of sin: “But encourage one another day after day, as longs as it is called ‘Today,’ lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13
This came from Kenneth Copeland’s devotional, “Faith to Faith:
Aug 25 - Choose Friends Wisely
"I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate (closely and habitually) with unchaste (impure) people."
(1 Corinthians 5:9)
The company you keep has such an influence on your spiritual life. Fellowshiping with godly people will help speed you on to victory, while fellowshiping with those who are ungodly will drag you down to defeat.
That's why the Bible has some things to say about your friends. That's why it tells you to separate yourself from the world. Because evil companions will corrupt you.
Now, I'm not talking about ministry. Jesus Himself ministered to sinners. You have to mix with them to preach to them and pray for them. What I'm talking about here are the people you choose for friends.
If you want to walk in the things of the Lord, don't choose friends who walk in the things of the devil, people who talk and act ungodly, who don't give God any place in their lives. They'll pull you down. As you rub shoulders with them, you'll expose yourself to temptation. You'll get so familiar with sin it will start to appear less repulsive to you. Sooner or later, you'll fall into it.
So choose your friends wisely. Fellowship with those who call on the Name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Expose yourself to their love and peace. Let their faith rub off on you!
Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
© 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries
Our Daily Bread.
This came from Kenneth Copeland’s devotional, “Faith to Faith:
Aug 25 - Choose Friends Wisely
"I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate (closely and habitually) with unchaste (impure) people."
(1 Corinthians 5:9)
The company you keep has such an influence on your spiritual life. Fellowshiping with godly people will help speed you on to victory, while fellowshiping with those who are ungodly will drag you down to defeat.
That's why the Bible has some things to say about your friends. That's why it tells you to separate yourself from the world. Because evil companions will corrupt you.
Now, I'm not talking about ministry. Jesus Himself ministered to sinners. You have to mix with them to preach to them and pray for them. What I'm talking about here are the people you choose for friends.
If you want to walk in the things of the Lord, don't choose friends who walk in the things of the devil, people who talk and act ungodly, who don't give God any place in their lives. They'll pull you down. As you rub shoulders with them, you'll expose yourself to temptation. You'll get so familiar with sin it will start to appear less repulsive to you. Sooner or later, you'll fall into it.
So choose your friends wisely. Fellowship with those who call on the Name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Expose yourself to their love and peace. Let their faith rub off on you!
Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
© 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries
Our Daily Bread.
Icebergs
July 15, 2002 — by Haddon W. Robinson
To improve efficiency, a company hired a consultant, who called a meeting of all shop personnel. Stressing the need to listen to experts, he said, “Imagine you’re on the Titanic, and it’s sinking. You climb into a lifeboat. Which direction would you row?”
Then he asked, “What if you had the ship’s navigator with you? Now which way would you go? You’d row the way the navigator told you to, right?”
There were murmurs of agreement until one fellow in the back piped up, “Well, I don’t know. He’s already hit one iceberg!”
The book of Proverbs urges us to get advice from the wise (1:2-7). Wisdom in the Bible is the “skill for living.” The Hebrew word translated “wisdom” is the same word that’s translated “skill” in reference to the detailed work of Bezalel and Aholiab in constructing the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-11). God gave them and others skill for artwork, building, weaving, and carving.
Today, wise men and women have a valuable skill—”the skill for living.” Don’t take your lead from others until you take a look at their lives. If they have crashed into a lot of icebergs, they may cause your life to sink as well.
The “blessed” person delights in God’s Word, “not in the counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1-2)—HWR
When you're in need of wisdom,
Be careful to whom you go;
Make certain they are godly,
And that God's Word they know. —Fitzhugh
Take your direction from those who follow God's Word.
Who do you go to for counsel?
Who do you hang around with?
Who do you sit down with?
We will pick up with verses 2 and 3 next time.
I would like to hear you comments. Please email your comments to Dan Wilson at ephesians4teacher@gmail.com
Who do you go to for counsel?
Who do you hang around with?
Who do you sit down with?
We will pick up with verses 2 and 3 next time.
I would like to hear you comments. Please email your comments to Dan Wilson at ephesians4teacher@gmail.com
