The Counsel of the Wicked

The Counsel of the Wicked

Today’s Passage: Psalm 1:1 

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

Words of Devotion from Scripture

One can easily read the first verse of Psalm 1 and think they have it figured out. Don’t ask a non-Christian for moral advice, simple right? Yes that is true, but there can be more to it than mere moral advice. Our morals have an impact on many, if not all, of our daily decisions throughout our life. 

What we must understand as we move through life then, is that if one is not a follower of Christ they are his enemy (Romans 5:8) and a slave to sin (John 8:34). With that in mind, the next question that begs asking is who do we idolize?

Not necessarily a “false idol” or “fake god”, but somebody in a specific vocation or field who you want to be like. It may be a successful businessman, an MVP athlete, or even a famous singer. As we idolize these men or women, we are walking in their counsel whether we realize it or not. 

We study their methods to become rich, attempt identical moves on the field, or try to sing and live like they do. Is it possible this was a human behavior the writer of the first Psalm was directing us against? While we may not be asking for moral advice from those we look up to, we are still influenced by them. This can be very dangerous as many times they get to where they are through immoral actions or attitudes. 

Look at many of the politicians who have had successful careers while having affairs, cheating on their taxes or even taking bribes! It might be harder to live in light of Godly counsel, but in the end those who live and work to God’s glory will prosper (Psalm 1:3).

Is this the time to look toward a Godly man or woman rather than the world for direction?