“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful…” Psalm 1:1
Now, I have to say, most of my counsel these days is with my children, I don’t often have the opportunity to stand in the path of sinners (in other words, to linger in their ways), but I have to confess, I sometimes sit in the seat of the scornful. I was reading the first chapter of Psalms the other day and just felt the Lord convict my heart. It is a very politically charged climate here in America, and I have yet to walk away from any conversation about politics and feel refreshed and uplifted. Instead, I usually find that in some way my heart has gotten into scorn: I question people’s motives, I doubt their sincerity, I get frustrated with the media. But the end result is that I find myself feeling dry and yucky.
Just like Psalm 1:4 talks about, my life becomes dry and full of chaff. There is something about the seat of scorn that just sucks all of the life out of your soul and leaves you with nothing but chaff to give. I don’t know if you have felt like this lately, but if you have… there is a good chance that you are sitting in the seat of scorn. What are the words coming out of your mouth concerning your boss? the economy? the government? If they have been filled with scorn, then you have been allowing those words to suck all of the abundance and prosperity from your soul.
But the solution is so simple, meditate on the Lord. Speak about Him and His goodness and His truth. Psalm 1:2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The law of the Lord to us through the New Covenant that Jesus put in place is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. So when we meditate (which means to chew on, to speak about, to think about) on the Spirit and His life and even what He is saying about our lives and finances, then we will be like a well watered place.
Verse 3 promises that we “…shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.” Now that is a promise!!! I want that kind of abundance flowing in my life and it all comes down to what I am doing with my thought life and what I am doing with my mouth.
So, for me, I am repenting of sitting in the seat of scorn, and asking the Lord to wash all of the chaff from my life that that has produced. And today, I want to challenge you to do the same (if you need to) and ask the Lord to flow with His rivers of refreshing again in your heart. Throughout history elections have come and gone, financial crisis has come and gone, nations have risen and fallen, but no matter what happens around you, God’s promise to you as His child remains. He never changes. He is always good, and as verse 6 promises, He knows all of our ways. So delight in Him today, and watch as your life becomes an oasis to everyone around you.
Have a wonderful day.