A Seasonal Thought
“BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth is the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish”. (Psalm 1)
This beautiful message introduces the two ways of life:
The first is the righteous way where we are urged to seek happiness by following God’s Law and to meditate on God’s teaching. And if we do, ultimate success is certain.
The other choice the Psalmist writes of is the wicked way, where we can be swept away like wind. Or merely drift to ultimate destruction
We have these two choices before us and at first glance, it seems to be a no-brainer. Yet, many today choose the second path believing it is the way to squeeze the most out of life. But, as the Scriptures say, if we live in the flesh, then that is the fruit of our labour. (Philippians 1:22)
Yet, a smaller number do opt for the righteous way, probably because of the knowledge that living with Christ means that to die is really to gain. I suppose as we age it is somewhat easier to understand this phenomenon. Certainly we should understand that the measurement of a person’s life is not what is taken from life but how life is lived. This is why the Psalmist wrote, “But his delight is in the Law of the LORD.”
Whatever view you place upon the Christmas season, it does seem to be a time when we instinctively search our lives and ask ourselves, “Are we employing the gifts God gave us in the way He would want us to?”
We are living in very strange times and it is not easy to follow always the righteous life. And it is challenging in these days of apostasy to join the greatest army in the world and march under that banner which proudly states “Onward Christian Soldiers”. Yet, all the signs and all the prophecies point to an early return of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, readers, our mandate of spreading news of the Gospel of the Kingdom has never been more urgent. Perhaps each and every one of us should ask ourselves, “Am I reaching out to those lost people who are taking the second path the Psalmist described or just letting them drift. Maybe this particular time of the year is the time to start.
Last month I wrote a column and the title poses a question we should deeply reflect upon at this critical moment in God’s Plan, “What Will You Do When The End Comes?“
