Monday 17 May 2021

May 17: Psalm 1:1-6
 
Key Verse: Psalm 1:6
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
 
Devotion:
When I first read this Psalm as a young Christian, I thought it was talking about my life and the way I was, blaming me for keeping bad company... I immediately thought someone was telling me it’s all karma; I was facing a bad life ahead of me! But then I got to know Christ properly and someone was kind enough to explain what the love of Jesus was all about... then this Psalm took on a whole new meaning.
 
Today I listened to someone who simply stepped through this Psalm one verse at a time and reminded me to think about the words. Not to sit there like a frightened student listening to a strict teacher, but as an eager pupil wanting to know more from an ancient writing. These are the worlds God gave to the writer many hundreds of years ago – words to give encouragement to people and not to lay blame!
 
If we listen to the world, we start to try and find blame; isn’t it easier to blame someone else instead of admitting to things we have done wrong! Isn’t it easier to find blame somewhere else so we don’t have to worry about who is guilty! This is not what God wants us to know. God wants us to remember what Jesus has done – what He did hundreds of years after this Psalm was penned!
 
So, do what my friend asked me to do and think about the words in this Psalm, one phrase at a time. Think about where we choose to be in our lives. Think about who we choose to be with. Think of what we choose to do. Think of the ways Jesus chose to live, who He chose to be with and where He chose to be. This is more the line of life God wants for us too. We have a choice to make about where, how and who we live our lives with!
 
Points to Ponder:
Who do you mix with in your life?
 
Are you mixing with Christ enough?