Psalms 1:1-2 NIVUK
[1] Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, [2] but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Sometimes it’s hard to make a connection with another human being.
Years ago, I remember a church elder telling me that he found it hard to connect with people from a different class and education strata than his own, white, society.
Well, since then our church has attracted people from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Americas, so I think he might struggle even more now.
You see, we connect with people when we find something in common with them. The reality is that, if we try hard, we can find something in common with most people. That opens the door to friendship, companionship and possibly more.
You might think that making a connection with the Bible is hard. After all, it was written thousands of years ago, by people from a completely different culture, features expressions and idioms of which we are no longer familiar, literary forms we no longer use and has been translated from three ancient languages into our own.
Many people use that as an excuse for not even making an attempt to get to know it.
The book of Psalms is one such book that anxious readers might try to avoid. After all, it contains ancient worship songs and laments that are written in a form which doesn’t even rhyme or have the same rhythm in our language.
So how can they be relevant to today?
And yet they are – and in a beautifully inspiring way.
The Psalms are among the most straightforward books of the Bible. Why? Because they don’t just contain the thoughts of the psalmists, but due to their form, they also contain their emotions. They contain their joys and sadness, confidence and fears, hopes and longings.
They are, in a sense, to use a modern parlance, ‘real’.
Even more so when they talk about the ‘night’.
Nowadays, at least in developing countries, our night-times like to market themselves as being not too bad – even essential for our nations’ economy.
Although, if you have ever actually been out in our cities in the dark, you might not agree with it.
But in the ancient Near East, that was absolutely not the case. There were no streetlights, no CCTV, no police or security officers. The nearest you would get to it would be soldiers who enforced curfew, and they were not always the safest people to be around (see Song of Songs 5:7 for an example).
Night-time, and the dark, became synonymous with everything secretive, threatening, conspiratorial, dangerous, evil.
The greatest, and most strident, example of this is the rather poetic four words we see in the Gospel of John, right after Judas has left the Upper Room to betray Jesus:
John 13:30 NIVUK
[30] As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.13.30.NIVUK
Even Jesus Himself said these words:
John 9:4 NIVUK
[4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no-one can work.
The Psalms we will look at in this series of posts look at night-time. They look at the concept of night not just as being a time when it is actually dark, but metaphorically, as a time of fear and foreboding. As such, they give us some secrets on how we can survive, and even thrive, in the darkness of our own personal night.
The first of these comes, perhaps, in a quite unusual place: right at the beginning of the Psalms in Psalm 1.
Maybe you never thought of it that way. After all, this Psalm seems to be a simple, and rather short, description of those who seek to please God and those who don’t, and what will happen to them in the end. And it is. It is exactly that.
But it is also more.
It is also a Psalm about resilience and strength: where we can find it and where we will never find it.
Let’s look first of all at the first source of resilience: The Company We Keep.
Psalms 1:1-2 NIVUK
[1] Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, [2] but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
On the surface, this might seem like a strange couple of verses to go to in order to learn about resilience.
But a careful reading of this will reveal otherwise.
The Psalmist starts with three negatives – three things that someone seeking to be blessed, or happy, will not do. They will not:
· Walk in step (or in the counsel) of the wicked. It is critically important that we understand this correctly. This verse is not telling us to ignore the wisdom and expertise of those who are not Christians. There are many experts in many fields who do not share our faith. We should respect them and heed them. The contrast in this verse is between those who follow the counsel and wisdom of the wicked and ungodly (those whose behaviours are absolutely contrary to God’s law) instead of being obedient to the Word of God.
· Stand in the way of sinners. The emphasis here us on those who remain in the sinful habits and ways of life of those who have no intention of following God, but are instead headed in the opposite direction, or are doing things that might not be openly rebellious, but are simply unworthy of a Christian.
· Sit in the company of mockers. These are people who have an inflated sense of their own self-importance and deride and pour scorn on those who disagree with them. There are plenty of people like this – not just commentators and authors, but also on social media.
Notice the progression from walk to stand to sit. The idea here is of someone who is taken in by those who seem to be good company on the journey of life, but finds themselves imitating their negative attitudes and behaviours, lingers with fascination at what they are saying and doing, and finds themselves in the company of people who completely despise everything they stand for.
A theological, but much more strident, parallel to this verse is found hundreds of years later in the book of James:
James 1:13-17 NIVUK
[13] When tempted, no-one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. [15] Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. [16] Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. [17] Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. https://bible.com/bible/113/jas.1.13-17.NIVUK
What we see here is the journey of the typical lonely traveller, seeking company and companionship, who finds themselves in a really bad crowd that leads them astray.
It is every parents’ worse nightmare for their children.
1 Corinthians 15:33 NIVUK
[33] Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ https://bible.com/bible/113/1co.15.33.NIVUK
Proverbs 13:20 NIVUK
[20] Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. https://bible.com/bible/113/pro.13.20.NIVUK
But let’s not write this off as teenager trouble. The reality is that it can happen to anyone.
The quest for love and acceptance and significance can often lead us in entirely the wrong direction.
I know, because it has happened to me.
Thankfully I woke up and realised I was going wrong before too much damage was done, but within these verses is a stark warning: if we want to grow and be strong and be happy and blessed – especially after nightfall – then we really need to be careful about the company wrong keep.
But it is never enough to only state the negative. We need to know more than just what not to do. There has to be a positive. And the psalmist states that positive for us:
Psalms 1:2 NIVUK
[2] but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. https://bible.com/bible/113/psa.1.2.NIVUK
Now this requires a little explanation.
We might think that what is being recommended here is that we spend twenty-four hours a day with our Bibles open, reading, studying and meditating on it.
That is not realistic and is not what is being said. Not one bit. This is poetry. It is not an instruction. As well as referring to a literal time of day, this can, and I believe should, be read as advising us to seek out God’s counsel for life in good times and bad – to seek to live His way and not our own. As the Bible says elsewhere:
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIVUK
[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. https://bible.com/bible/113/pro.3.5-6.NIVUK
Matthew 6:33 NIVUK
[33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So what we see here are two deliberate acts – two choices that determine our happiness and resilience in hard times. One choice is to simply fall in with the crowd and find yourself in the company of those who have no respect for other people, no respect for your faith and no respect for you.
The other is to seek the Lord and His wisdom and counsel.
But what happens when we do that? You find The Fruitfulness You Seek.
Psalms 1:3 NIVUK
[3] That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers. https://bible.com/bible/113/psa.1.3.NIVUK
I often like to go for walks alone through woodland, even if we don’t have a dog.
That might sound like an unusual thing to do. However, when I am there I like to just stand in silence for a while and listen to the flow of the river, or the rustling of the wind in the trees, or the birdsong or the buzzing of the bees.
These things helped me during the Covid pandemic. All around us was panic and fear and conspiracies. But standing in that woodland alone made me realise that God’s creation is strong and resilient. No matter what was happening in my world – whatever stresses and strains and suffering – the world was still turning.
There was, and is, in that woodland a sense of permanence; a sense of assurance that if God can provide for that woodland to thrive, then He can also provide for me.
That is what we see here.
Someone who is choosy and selective about the company they keep is strong, resilient, and draws nutrition and hydration from the River of Life:
Revelation 22:1-2 NIVUK
[1] Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2] down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. https://bible.com/bible/113/rev.22.1-2.NIVUK
They are neither brash nor boastful, but are silently resistant, dignified in their defiance against the storms of life. They receive all they need from God. They have no need for chicanery or gambling or robbery. They do not need popularity or fame or followers.
That makes them less vulnerable to the fashions and fads and vagaries of our culture.
They are not like the shallow, vapid people around them. Their roots go down deep – deep into the Word of God.
There is a sense of peace and tranquillity about their lives.
Another stunningly accurate portrayal of such people against the turmoil of the world around them is in a different Psalm:
Psalms 46:1-11 NIVUK
[1] God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. [4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. [5] God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. [6] Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. [7] The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. [8] Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. [9] He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. [10] He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ [11] The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Do you see it?
Tell me: who would not want a life like that?
But the secret to it is explained in the first two verses: being careful and selective about the company we keep.
This is the difference between us and a tree planted by a river. The tree cannot be careful about the company it keeps. It cannot determine whether a squirrel or a woodpecker makes its nest in its branches, or whether a fox or a beaver makes its burrow in its roots.
But we can. And we must.
I’ll give you another seriously good example.
When I was a student, grunge was huge – which was a good thing, in a sense. Grunge fashion was cheap and didn’t need to be washed regularly, so it suited student finances.
Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and the like were massive.
I listened to them too. Their loud, angsty music summed up the spirit of the age.
And let me get this straight: there was nothing morally or Biblically wrong with their music. It was simply a cultural expression.
But for me, it was mentally wrong. I struggled with a sense of worth anyway. Having someone else validate it with angry, shoe-gazing rock did not help me one bit. It might have been fine for other people, but it wasn’t good for me.
I only noticed how bad it had been for me when I stopped listening to it.
Another fine Scottish band had a similar effect: Del Amitri. Now, their lead singer Justin Currie is one of the most gifted songwriters Scotland has ever seen. Their music is excellent.
But it is really depressing.
And their constant songs of unrequited love did not help the mental health of a young lad whose love was constantly unrequited.
My little sister found their songs amusing. She laughed at their misery.
I couldn’t. I saw myself in them.
I was happier once I stopped listening to them.
Do you see the issue here?
Watch the company you keep, the music you listen to, the TV shows you watch. If you find they are not helping you at all, stop giving them air time in your head.
This can lead to you being a little bit radical. Things that are fine for other people are not going to be fine for you. People may not understand you. They make think you are a bit weird.
But that’s their problem.
You have to do what’s right for you – what is right for your walk with God.
Paul taught this principle in Romans 14 – a chapter every Christian would do well to read in detail.
We should not be afraid to take steps of quiet, honourable defiance in order to maintain a strong relationship with God and our own conscience. But if we are ever afraid of looking silly in this, we should look beyond the company we keep and the fruitfulness we seek to The Vindication You Reap.
The athletes who have the greatest natural ability but ally this to training the hardest stand the best chance of crossing the finish line first. It isn’t always the best that win. Sometimes it’s the best prepared. Sport is like that. Giftedness does not always bring victory.
But keeping the right company will certainly help. Look what the psalmist goes on to say:
Psalms 1:4-6 NIVUK
[4] Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. [5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. [6] For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. https://bible.com/bible/113/psa.1.4-6.NIVUK
Jesus has another – and very well known – way of telling the same truth:
Matthew 7:24-27 NIVUK
[24] ‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. [26] But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. [27] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’ https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.7.24-27.NIVUK
I want you to notice something very interesting here. Our society is obsessed with identity.
They say – and to any reasonable human being this is utterly ridiculous – that you have the right to identify yourself as anyone, or even anything, you want and other people have to respect it.
Poppycock!
Our mental hospitals have plenty of people who believe they are someone different to who they are. We all believe they have a problem. We will not pander to their pretensions that they are the King of England, or the President of the USA, or our benign alien overlord, or an animal. Of course not. We will give them treatment to try to control their delusions.
That is simply how life is.
But neither does someone become a Christian by simply claiming to be a Christian. That is as profoundly delusional as someone claiming to be a cat just because they are a little hairy, like to go out at night, enjoy getting their tummy rubbed and drink milk from a saucer.
In the same way, going to church doesn’t make us a Christian, as if taking a cow into McDonald’s would turn it into a Big Mac.
True Christians – true followers of Jesus – have to not just talk like it, but live like it.
James 1:22-25 NIVUK
[22] Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. [25] But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.
They have to be that tree growing beside the water, whose roots go down deep.
The comparisons here are poetic.
The true Christian stands in storms because they are built on the rock of obedience to the Word of God and their roots go down deep; the non-Christian is blown about like chaff in a light breeze.
The true Christian stands in the assembly of the righteous, where judgement is reached and decisions are made; the non-Christian cannot for fear of condemnation.
The way of the true Christian is watched over by God Himself, with the implication that He will intervene to correct it when that true Christian begins to wander; the wicked are left to their own devices and plummet to their own destruction.
Yes, the choices that you may need to make to live a Godly life and be strong in the night may be difficult and may expose you to ridicule from those who do not understand. But one day you will be vindicated for those choices. And it may not take until eternity.
Personally, I have had the joy of experiencing this vindication.
I studied as hard as I could in school – or, at least, much harder than the kids in my neighbourhood (which, I have to say, as not hard to do). I stayed out of trouble as far as I could. And I was ridiculed for it.
But one day I met someone whose family had been absolute tearaways wherever they had gone. I was afraid of this lad. Not only was he larger than me, but he was known for bullying and violence.
However, right then and there, in that bus shelter, he apologised, told me I had been right to do what I did, and confessed that he regretted not doing the same. I was getting the bus to university. He had blown his schooling completely and had to go to college to make up for it and have any kind of a career.
I was vindicated.
You will be too. No matter what you are going through now. No matter what other people think of you – even if those people claim to be Christians.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIVUK
[58] Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
My daughter might sometimes irritate us with her lack of organisation and her bedroom that constantly proves entropy by tending towards chaos. But I have to say, she has done one thing very well: she seems to be a complete expert ar choosing friends.
She is going to see Taylor Swift play Murrayfield with one of them – who even secured her ticket for her. But one of her acquaintances from school often has trouble maintaining friendships. Her friend also got a Taylor Swift ticket for her. But – not entirely unexpectedly – they fell out, so her friend sold the ticket.
Our parents often tell us to be very careful who we let into our lives and allow to influence us. With the invention of the internet and social media, it has never been more important.
Those who do a good job of this will thrive. Those who don’t will suffer. It is as simple as that.
But it is way more important spiritually. Being strong in the night – when hard times come and we feel weak and overwhelmed – depends on whose company we keep: whether it is with those who may bring us fame and fortune and popularity but will destroy us spiritually, or whether it is God and His Word.
Of course, it is difficult to avoid those who are a constant drain on our psyche and spirituality. They are like parasites – they are everywhere. What we need is not to cosset ourselves away from them – even Jesus did not advise that (John 17:15).
What we need is a strategy to deal with them, to stop them from weakening our resilience and wearing us down.
That strategy must involve meditating more and more on the Word of God – by day and by night, in good times and bad.
Because there is no better company.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times when I relinquish my grip on You, fail to spend time in Your Word, and find myself weaker and less resilient. Help me to see that the strength I need to face the darkest night is found in Your Word. Amen.
Questions
1. Three categories of people are mentioned in verse 1. Why should we not spend time with them? Why does the psalmist structure this verse like a temptation?
2. What does meditating on God’s Word by day and night do for us? Hoe does it help us?
3. How does getting rid of the things that weaken us help us, even if other people don’t understand what we are doing? What do you need to get rid of to make your relationship with God stronger?
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