433_The way of the righteous

Psalm 1:1-6 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Some years ago, a young man stood at the crossroads—literally and spiritually. He had received two job offers. One promised rapid career growth, high pay, and prestige, but it came from a company known for its unethical practices and cutthroat culture. The other was modest—a smaller company, lower pay—but with a reputation for integrity, sound leadership, and meaningful work. As he prayerfully tried to make a decision, a verse from Psalm 1 came to his heart: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…” That verse became his compass, and though the choice seemed foolish to many, the young man chose the second path. Years later, not only did his work flourish, but so did his life—his family, peace of mind, and spiritual growth. That one decision at a moral crossroads marked the beginning of a blessed journey on what Scripture calls “the way of the righteous.”

The book of Psalms is perhaps the most read and most loved portion of the Bible. They speak to our hearts in unique ways. The Hebrew title for the Psalms is Tehillim, which means “praises,” revealing the central role these songs played in public worship in the Temple. Indeed, the Psalms are not theological discourses; they are songs—saturated with emotion, longing, repentance, joy, and praise.

In fact, King David, when handing over the plans for the Temple, emphasized praise and worship when he gave detailed instructions about the temple and about worship. Out of 38,000 Levites over the age of thirty, he appointed many to praise the Lord, saying, “4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments I have made for praise.” During King Hezekiah’s reform, the Levites were commanded to sing “praises to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the seer.” Worship through music is not an expression of art but an act of the spirit.

Psalm 1 reminds us that worship goes hand in hand with righteousness. It sets the tone for all that follows by drawing a clear line between two ways of life: righteousness and wickedness. There is no middle ground.

The psalm begins not with what the righteous man does, but what he does not do. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” The progression is from refusing to walk, to refusing to stand, and finally refusing to sit. Sin’s subtle seduction begins with us obeying ungodly advice, then lingering in sinful behavior, and finally settles into mockery and rebellion against God.

The Lord Jesus, in His parable of the sower, first speaks of the bad soil—along the wayside, the rocky, and the thorny ground—before describing the good soil. Perhaps the good ground wasn’t always good. Maybe it had once been hard, or thorny, or shallow, and the farmer had to work the soil: remove stones, burn thorns, break up the hardness. Similarly, the righteous life begins by rejecting the influence of the ungodly.

What is this “counsel of the wicked”? It often sounds wise, even compassionate. It may come through the media, the friends we keep, even the voice in our minds that whispers, “Do what makes you happy.” Ungodly counsel has certain traits: it minimizes or ignores God, elevates human comfort above divine purpose, and denies absolute truth. It tells us we’re basically good people who just need better circumstances. It rebels at suffering, refuses worshipful trust, and ridicules holiness.

Then there is “the way of sinners”. Standing with them means we are no longer just influenced—we’re participating. And finally, sitting in the seat of scoffers means full-blown identification with those who mock God and His truth. We have common ground with those who ridicule God, or dismiss the promise of Christ’s return as in 2 Peter 3.

But the blessed person is the one walking in the way of righteousness. He delights in the law of the Lord. God’s law is neither a duty nor a checklist for him, but his love, as David says in Psalm 119:97, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” He chews on God’s Word, as a cow chews the cud. He repeats it, ponders it, waits on God to understand his will, and lives by the word.

David describes the delight of living this way. The righteous person is “like a tree planted by streams of water.” The godly are rooted in the unfailing streams of God’s love. To this they owe their visible fruitfulness and freshness, the constant success of what they undertake. Inwardly they are nourished by his faithful love.

This is the abiding life the Lord spoke of in John 15: “Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” Fruitfulness is not born of more intensive striving, but comes from staying where God has planted you, in Jesus Christ, through faith. The Lord warns, “If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers.” Abiding in Christ means letting his word abide in us, so that we are judged and shaped and nourished by it daily.

Psalm 1 promises that “whatever he does prospers.” This isn’t a blank check to chase personal ambitions. This is the fulfilling of God’s purposes in our lives. As Psalm 37:4 puts it: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The godly delight in the things that the Lord delights in. His will shapes their goals and ambitions. When they pray, he answers because they are praying for what he already wants to do.

But what of the wicked? The psalmist paints a sharp contrast. “They are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Like the husk separated from the grain, the wicked have no value before the Almighty. Chaff is lightweight, has no direction, and is discarded. That is what people become when disconnected from God – despite their apparent success on the outside. Wealth, fame, talent have no meaning unless ruled by the God of eternity.

The wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor will they be found in the assembly of the righteous. There’s no place for them because their hearts and lives are alien to the heart of God. As Amos asks, “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” No. The righteous and the wicked may live side by side now, but not in eternity.

Psalm 1 concludes: “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” God knows the righteous and delights in them. He is no detached observer. He watches over them and leads them in his way. That path is narrow, and leads through suffering, but it leads to eternal life.

Early Christians were known as “people of the Way.” The Way of righteousness is in following Jesus, for he said, “I am the Way.” Their lives were not about ideas but about the person they followed. Righteousness wasn’t a private idea; it was an open profession of their discipleship to Christ.

Two ways lie before each person. The way of the righteous that leads to eternal life, and the way of the wicked that leads to destruction. No one can drift into righteousness. It is a daily choice to follow the way of the Lord in trust.

So let us reflect on the voices we listen to, the path our feet stand in, the company we sit with, the things we delight in. As those who follow Christ, let us choose the company of the godly. Let us listen to the Lord wherever he speaks. Let us walk in the obedience of faith. If we lose friends, opportunities for advancement, and fame, so be it. For the path of the righteous is the path of those who are known by God, loved by him, and fruitful for eternity. God bless.