A Righteous Lifestyle

The Book of Psalms starts in a fascinating way.  It is as if the key to unlocking the depth of all 150 poems and songs in this book is given right at the beginning.  “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of the sinners or sit in the seat of the mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).  The hymnal of ancient Israel opens with a poem about lifestyle.  The goal of worship is a changed life.  The alternatives for every single person is quite clear:  do you walk in the counsel of the wicked or do you delight in the law of the Lord?  Of course, it is easy to think that at least I’m not deliberately choosing for the counsel of the wicked.  The problem though is that the wicked seduce us with its wisdom in very subtle ways.  As someone once wrote, “The devil doesn’t jump out in a red suit, breathing fire, and wielding a blazing pitchfork. No, the devil dresses up like an angel of light, promising you the moon.”  Neither is it as easy as it sounds to delight in the law.  We live in a society that says, “Don’t break the law”, but to actually delight in God’s law is to love a disciplined lifestyle in which I continuously learn to focus on God as first priority in my life.  Which choice will you and I really make today?

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