Psalm 1 blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of Sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his Delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season whose Leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper the ungodly are not so but are like the shaft which the wind drives away therefore the ungodly shall
not stand in the Judgment nor s ERS in the congregation of the righteous for the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly Shall Perish I find it interesting that the Bible highlights the importance of the following areas who we walk with this is to do with those with those people that we are in agreement with who we stand with this is to do with those we entertain who we sit with this is to do with those that we invite and fellowship with to understand these three elements of walking standing
and sitting with someone allow me to use the following illustration two people cannot walk together unless they are in agreement you only walk with people that you agree with you share certain Common Grounds or at the very least you are heading in the same direction so when we are told that blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly I believe the Bible is telling us here that a Believer can never find themselves in agreement with someone who is ungodly think about it let's say you're walking with someone on a long
road and as you are walking what are you doing you are talking and sharing there is an exchange of information there is a discussion going on there is a sharing of experience you are in agreement now how can the believer walk with the unbeliever unless you are ministering the gospel if you walk with the ungodly you will not receive wise counsel therefore the Bible highlights the following to every believer there is a blessing to be received when one doesn't walk with the ungodly now when it comes to those we stand and sit with we have
to consider the following when you stand with someone there is some familiarity however when you sit with someone there is a relationship when you stand and entertain someone that means you are making time for them whereas when you sit down with someone be it at a restaurant in your home or at a park there is a close about that kind of setting imagine that you have one neighbor who comes to your home and you have a discussion while standing outside you are familiar with this person but you don't quite have the kind of relationship where
you would invite them into your home and sit down to break bread in both these cases the Bible tells us that there is a blessing that is given to those who do not stand in the path of Sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful picture a person literally standing on a pathway which is flooded by Sinners as the Sinners walk by this believer he begins to be desensitized and used to the sin he sees one person after another living in sin and walking this path of Sin Sin then becomes familiar it becomes normalized
it becomes common behavior and as you stand there long enough the fear to fall into sin begins to fade but remember blessed is the man who stands not in the path of sinners why because to a Believer sin should bother us sin should make us uncomfortable this is not to say we can and will never sin but when you stand in the path of Sinners there is a tolerance of sin that builds up in your life and finally we're told blessed is the man who sits not in the seat of scoffers sitting in the seat
of scoffers highlights a shared perspective on something a scoffer is someone who mocks God it's a person who disbelieves the word of God now a true child of the Lord would not sit with a scoffer and entertain the mockery of God or his word overall this Psalm gives us clear guidance when it comes to the people we surround ourselves with and those we keep at a distance let's pray for wisdom in our lives when it comes to those in our Circle let's pray for God to open our eyes concerning Those whom we should be friends
with and those who we should love from a distance a popular saying regarding success is show me your friends and I'll show you your future and one quote I like reads friends should be like books few but hand selected now the Bible also weighs in on this topic of friendship we all get to choose who we let into our lives we can surround our ourselves with like-minded people with people who will build us up and encourage us to dwell richly in Christ or we can linger in the company of people who will lead us astray
people who will take us far away from God's perfect will for our lives the choice we make when it comes to the company we keep can have serious consequences not just in the short term but in the light of Eternity 2 Corinthians 6:14 says do not be unequally yolked with unbelievers for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what Fellowship has light with Darkness this passage is often applied to the context of dating or marriage but it applies in a general sense to friendships as well we as Believers should be careful about who we let
into our Inner Circle this doesn't mean we can't have friendships with unbelievers but we shouldn't allow ourselves to be yolked to be tied to be bound by them we can't allow them to hold us back from following the Lord because while we might share certain Hobbies or interests or life situations at the end of the day if we do not share the most important part of us our faith and trust in Jesus Christ then that's a relationship I don't need to maintain 1 Corinthians 15 ver 33 says do not be deceived Bad Company ruins good
morals no matter how good of a Christian you think you are no one is 100% safe from the influence of evil if we're not careful we can allow ungodly people to hinder our own walk with Christ as humans we are social creatures we tend to imitate each other's behavior and attitudes the more time we spend with certain people the more like them we become that's why the Bible warns us regarding the company we keep Proverbs 13:20 says whoever walks with the wise becomes wise but the companion of fools will suffer harm today there might not
be anyone in your life that you would identify as a fool but can you identify anyone who constantly attracts trouble and often brings you into it the devil can plant people on our Lives who may seem genuine at first but are actually harmful to our relationship with God these people might end up discouraging us portraying us and even destroying us however when we surround ourselves with fellow Bible believing Bible practicing Christ loving people then our interactions become seasoned with Grace and tenderness we become better equipped to face the struggles of life when we know that
we have a support system that stands with us that prays with us that intercedes for us and believes with us let us pray heavenly father I pray that you would bring people into our Lives who would stand with us in faith send people in our Lives who will pray with us and pray for us put people in our lives Lord who are filled with Godly wisdom and a genuine love for Christ and father I give you praise for those people who are already in my life people with whom I can share all the joys and
struggles of Life In Your Perfect Design Your Word in Hebrews 10 verse 24- 25 which says and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as in the habit of some but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day Drawing Near Lord thank you for the people in my life who I know I can count on thank you for the ones who always encourage and uplift me surround me with people who gently push me to become a more faithful and obedient
follower of Christ dear lord your word tells me that there is a blessing when we cling to what is good and pure and we let go of what is evil and sinful I pray and ask for guidance and wisdom from the holy spirit so that we would not walk in the counsel of the ungodly help us holy spirit to be vigilant and Discerning so that we would not stand in the path of Sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful I pray that my heart's Delight would be in your word in being obedient to
your word and in studying your word I pray King Jesus that the greatest affection in my life would be to follow your instructions and be obedient to your will give me a strong desire to meditate on your word day and night let your word be so deeply rooted in me that I will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and may your word produce a change in me may your word transform my life and produce a good character may I be someone who walks with well-chosen friends someone who has the joy of
the Lord and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding I pray that others may also find me to be someone who is filled with Godly wisdom and with the love of Christ remove any self-righteousness from within me remove any Pride make me someone who is only concerned with loving the Lord with all my heart and soul and loving my neighbor Lord I pray also for the people in my life who do not honor you for the people living outside of your will still lost in sin help me to exercise caution in wisdom help me
to have a burden for their souls to be saved and at the same time give me the grace not to become tempted to join in their lifestyle help me to be on guard against any harm they might potentially cause to my walk with you by your grace help me to be a light to them help me to be a caring and compassionate witness I want them to know you I want them to have fellowship with the light just as I do father Empower me to speak the gospel into their lives whenever I can but also
help me to set the boundaries that are necessary for my own spiritual health don't let me expend so much on others that I neglect my relationship with you God I know that throughout my life many people will come and go so I pray that you would lead me to people who are striving for righteousness lead me to people who will help me develop and grow in faith give me discernment and wisdom to know who in my life has been sent from God who has been planted by the devil Holy Spirit oh open my eyes help
me to see things as they truly are reveal everyone who seeks to do me evil or is a danger to my walk with God and give me the strength to make all the necessary adjustments Earthly relationships can be so tricky to navigate so father Wherever I Go Supply me with a community of Believers that ultimately point me to you may the Holy Spirit give me the wisdom and discernment to monitor who I allow to walk in and out of my life I ask these things in jesus' name amen Psalm 1 blessed is the man who
walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of Sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his Delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season whose Leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper the ungodly are not so but are like the shaft which the wind drives away therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment nor sinners
in the congregation of the righteous for the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly Shall Perish 2 Corinthians 6:14 says do not be unequally yolked with unbelievers for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what Fellowship has light with Darkness proverbs 13:20 says whoever walks with the wise becomes wise but the companion of fools will suffer harm and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as in the habit of some but encouraging one another and all the more
as you see the day Drawing Near [Music]
