- Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
- But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law does he meditate day and night.
It is said that we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. Paul explains in Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” So we understand by this passage that just as we are born dying, we are also born sinners. At first glance, these truths would seem to relegate Psalm 1:1 to nothing more than poetic ‘injustice’—for if we are born into sin, how can we fulfill what Psalm 1:1 commands?
With our natural eyes, we do not recognize the evil that disguises itself as light (2 Corinthians 11:14). We often confuse the desires of our hearts with blessings from God when we receive them. The infatuation that yearns for a relationship with someone, if it ends painfully, feels like precious time was wasted—often resulting in a fear to love again. The obsession for a new home or car that leads to deeper debt, when patience may have revealed something far better from God. The frivolous spending on what we feel we ‘deserve’ that distracts us from responsibilities which should have taken precedence. The list of ways Satan deceives us through our selfish desires is endless.
It is God’s desire—and our only protection from spiritual deception—that we cultivate a relationship with our Father in heaven. We know from Jesus’ temptation in the desert that Satan knows every word of Scripture. We also see how Jesus used God’s Word to make the devil flee for a season. Satan knows our tendency to be double-minded, which is how he was able to twist God’s instructions to Adam and use them to tempt Eve’s curiosity.
God’s Word teaches us that every one of us is able to receive His love, mercy, and grace—despite
the mistakes we make along the way or the sinful path we may begin on. Scripture is filled with people who were forgiven after choosing to serve Him. Peter denied Christ three times, yet Jesus restored and chose him to feed His flock. One of the thieves crucified beside Jesus was promised a place in Paradise the moment he acknowledged Jesus as the Christ.
The potential to bring glory to God’s name is within every one of us. Although we are made lower than the angels, we are blessed with the free offer of redemption through faith in Christ who died for us. Every day granted to us on earth is a fresh opportunity to defeat the devil and his fallen hosts, while drawing others out of darkness by the godly light that shines through His children. God has given us His written Word to defeat the evil one and his fallen hosts, while also bringing glory to His name when His light shines through us.
Amen