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.
Therefore the wicked will 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 wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1 ESV)
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This Lenten Bible reading plan follows Cross Training published by Creative Communications for the Parish. Copies of the plan are available at www.creativecommunications.com. If you live in the Spring, Texas area, copies are available, free of charge, in the lobby of our church, Trinity Lutheran at 5201 Spring Cypress Road.
There are few guarantees in life, but the psalmist assures us that spending time in the word and exercising discretion about whom one associates with are behaviors which are blessed on earth and considered righteous in God’s sight.
Love the literary move in this psalm:
who WALKS not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor STANDS in the way of sinners,
nor SITS in the seat of scoffers;
Degrees of getting worse. It’s bad to walk in the counsel of the wicked but worse to stand in the way of sinners. And finally, if you sit down you have become just like them.