Walk the Right Way or Be Blown Away

What kind of people do we let influence us? Psalms 1:1 starts the Psalms out by talking to us about what kind of people we should definitely not listen to: the wicked, sinners, and mockers. Then Psalms 1:2 tells us what the righteous man does: delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it day and night. I know I don't always do what God tells me to with a good spirit. Sometimes I want to grumble and complain about how hard it is. Usually, it's also at those times that I'm the absolute furthest from thinking about God continually.

Psalms 1:3 goes on to characterize this righteous man: like a tree planted by water, yielding fruit in it's season, whose leaves don't wither, and whatever he does prospers. Note that this tree always has the water that it needs for survival all the time, but it doesn't always yield fruit. It yields fruit when it's meant to yield fruit, in it's season. But either way, whatever he does prospers. Those righteous endeavors meant for good will be successful, although there's not just a steady stream of fruit from them all the time.

Psalms 1:4 then describes the wicked: chaff blown away by the wind. Chaff is the loose seed coverings, leaves, and stems from grain. The way that you get rid of chaff from your grain is by tossing it up into the air while the wind is blowing, and the wind will catch the light stuff and blow it away, and just the seeds and grain will fall back down. What a terrible thing to be considered the trash that gets blown away from the good stuff. Psalms 1:5 then tells us what sinners can't do: stand in the judgement or the assembly of the righteous.

The "stand" here is from the Greek qûm, literally meaning rise, accomplish, confirm, enjoin, make good, help, lift up, perform, remain, rise, establish, strengthen, or succeed. The wicked and sinners will literally fail at every hand in the judgement and where the righteous assemble. We don't need to do anything but love them and welcome them, their wickedness will quickly separate them unless they turn to God; we don't need to force God on them, but just be an example.

The last thing in the opening chapter of Psalms, Psalms 1:6, is that there are two roads: righteous or wicked. It says God watches over the righteous, but the wicked will die. Which road are we going to walk? I want to walk the righteous road, with God watching over me. I don't want to be blown away with the trash.