OUR FRUITS EXPOSE HOW WE WALK!
Psalm 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;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
So much has been written on this psalm and, I am sure, we
are all very familiar with its content: two men, two patterns of life, two
results, and two destinies. Every man left to himself will always live
according to wickedness; he will be in the way of the sinners, and will surely
be one of the scoffers.
Only Christ lived perfectly the manner of life described in
the first sentence; so He is the only one Who could take our place. Only He
could provide a way for us to be able to enjoy both the grace of God and the
power of His Spirit that cause us to be truly blessed.
Such blessing is not the product of our own merit, yet our
lives are, none-the-less, made up of daily choices. Every day, every hour,
every minute we are confronted with decisions that will place us on the path of
blessedness, or the path of destruction.
These verses clearly indicate that if one is not following
the way of the Lord, he will not love the word and will not meditate it. A
person who has not been transformed by the word of God will not have fruits
that please God. He will not desire to spend time with the followers of Christ.
There will be a judgment day, when even those who have
become children of God will have all their actions judged, and all that were
not godly will be exposed and destroyed.
1 Corinthians 3:14-15
If the work that anyone has built on the
foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up,
he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
No true believer can approach this truth and be superficial
in evaluating his own life. We are so quick, many times, to rationalize or try
to justify our sins. But there are no valid excuses, and our lives suffer
because of the wrong decisions we make. God’s careful and sure evaluation will
expose our works.
We are so quick to lose sight of the fact that God knows
about every thought, every action we make. He will judge us!
These verses are a real blessing for us, because they warn
us and give us a standard by which to measure our lives. As I read them I also
realize that, even though we might have fallen, we can start afresh and walk
correctly and love the word of God, and God will prosper our lives according to
His word.
As human beings who live each day by grace, we are rooted in
the promises of God. We begin our relationship with God by grace and we live it
each day, needing His grace in order to make any degree of progress spiritually.
If it were not for grace, we would be completely hopeless.
So as you read this psalm today, allow God to expose your
life, allow God to direct your path, be committed to obedience, and live by
grace in the blessings of God.
May God work in us a desire that grows into a strong resolve
to please Him with our lives and to be pleased with His perfect care.
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