Psalm 1 is an encouraging and inspiring Psalm. It starts out describing the type of person whom God blesses. Notice verses 1 and 2: “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” And then in verse 3, it describes the rewards such a person enjoys, “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”.
Now, I’m sure many people read that first verse and claim, “Well, I don’t get any counsel from wicked people, etc.” However, the word used for wicked there, really means anyone who is not a true follower of Jesus Christ, not just people whom we might consider to be wicked people by our standards or the world’s standards. So, how often do we seek advice on how to make certain decisions, what to do with our lives, who to date and marry, etc., from people who truthfully are not following God? We might argue, “Oh, but this person is an expert in that field for which I am seeking advice.” But…that matters little in the true Christian life. Are they an “expert” in their walk with God?
Let’s say for example, I’m having a plumbing problem in my house. Do I call an auto mechanic to come give me advice on how to repair the plumbing problem? No, if I’m having a plumbing problem, I need to call someone who knows about plumbing. And if I’m going to truly follow Jesus Christ and have his blessing on my life – I need to get my advice from His Word and from people who know Him also and know how to follow Him.
One of the hardest things it seems for us to learn as Christians is, God DOES NOT operate according to the wisdom of this world. Therefore, it doesn’t matter how skilled or knowledgeable a person is in THIS world’s view – if they do not KNOW Jesus Christ, and are themselves seeking to follow Him, they CANNOT understand or know how we are to live as Christians.
I remember several years ago, when I was trying to plan my finances, I went to talk to a financial advisor. When she asked me what I was doing to save for retirement and my future, I told her “I have a 401K account, and I save what I can – but mainly I trust God for my future.” She looked at me like I had just told her I was from the planet Mars or something, and said, “What does trusting God have to do with your retirement?” And then, when I told her I give $1000/month away to missionaries and others in need, she said, “You shouldn’t be wasting your money like that!” I knew immediately that she wasn’t going to give me any helpful advice – because she didn’t understand the truths of God’s Word or the promises like, “Give, and it will be given to you.” Nor could she possibly understand that the Christian life is entirely about giving of ourselves to God and to others.
Look at that phrase in verse 3, “…. And in whatever he does, he prospers.” That alone should be a major incentive in our lives to follow the advice in verse 1. Starting with the first part, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked…” People who do not have a daily personal life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ ARE NOT the people we need to be seeking advice and counsel from. James tells us EXACTLY where to find the wisdom and counsel we need in this life: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.” (1 Corinthians 3:19) The world and those who do not daily follow Jesus Christ cannot understand God or His ways, and therefore – we shouldn’t be seeking our advice and counsel from them. They may have the best intentions, and in this world’s eyes, they may be the BEST there is in their certain field of knowledge, but if they don’t have the Holy Spirit leading and directing them, they CANNOT give us the advice we NEED!