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; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 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. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Psalm 1:1-4 These verses before us today point out the need for an individual to focus on the Word, ways, and will of God, rather than the world. This is our path to spiritual success in our life. How often in the course of our daily life does God have our undivided attention? The text says that the good life of a man is indicated by his NOT doing three things: walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, and sitting in the seats of scoffers. Note that this progression starts with merely letting sinners hold our attention. When the world has our attention, don’t be surprised when our behavior becomes more and more sinful. Little by little men are induced to turn aside from what is right. The downward spiral of sin is ordinarily not murder, substance abuse, and big sins, but rather the constant bombardment of distraction. When we are occupied by worthlessness, our heart is kept from God and from the good life. The man with the good life in this scripture attends to his identity, and meditates and delights in the Lord’s Word. His secret to a good life is that he treasures God and not the nothingness and emptiness that distractions give us. To mediate is to capture the heart, but meditation is not just sitting still. Note that, interestingly that the Hebrew word used here implies grunting, growling, or groaning. The word used here means to murmur at a low volume. Actively thinking, and seeking, about the Word of the Lord. The way that an animal focuses on and enjoys its food. Satan will continually try to distract us with anything and everything while we are meditating on the word of the Lord. But we are to focus on and keep our attention on it. The nature of mediation means 1) the retiring of the self away from the world 2) the steeping of the heart on the promises of God, and finally, 3) feeding on and working with the promises of God and how they apply to you as an individual. When we are focused on distraction, we are bound to instability. And we have to start asking ourselves, “what am I doing to stabilize my walk with God?” . We need more silence in our lives. Leave more space for the mind to focus on God. We need to chew on and speak to ourselves on a promise of God. One or two every day. Regular meditation, everyday.
