Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. – Psalm 1:1-6
We’ve all heard it said that you become like the company you keep. And if you’re a parent, you’ve likely warned your children of this exact fact. And in case there’s any doubt, that warning is Biblical.
The book of Psalms starts off with a clear admonition to watch yourself! It doesn’t take a theologian to decipher what God is saying here. Blessings come your way when you stay away from trouble! Blessings come your way when the way you live is determined by your hunger for and knowledge of the law of the Lord (your Bible). And any child of God that has ever strayed off of that path understands this concept. The further you go, the more you feel un-blessed. The more the wilderness you’re wandering in becomes an uncomfortable familiarity. Until you finally reach a place where you’re face to face with the fact that you’ve allowed the wind of your sinful choices to blow you away from where you belong.
It is here that you must make the choice to turn around and run back to God. Get back on the path illuminated by His Word. Remember who you are! You’re a redeemed child of the Almighty and you do not belong where you’ve ended up.
And the promise of your Father is clearly stated. He watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. And our righteousness comes through Christ alone!
The words “it was credited to him” were written not for [Abraham] alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. – Romans 4:23-25