Psalm 1
If you’re a godly person, you have a favored position because of your delight in the Lord.
I’m reminded of the words of Jesus in John 14:23. “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.” There’s no greater joy than having the presence of God Almighty living within you.
The True and Living God, the God of the Bible, is holy. Because He is holy He cannot stand sin. Sin is an offense to Him and it must be punished. His anger and His wrath against sin were satisfied at Calvary when Jesus died on the cross. He is a God who loves you so much that he sent His son Jesus to die in your place. Jesus took the punishment that you deserve!
Now, when you accept, by faith, the sacrifice Jesus made for you, you can be accepted into God’s family. You can belong to him in a personal way. He forgives your sin, you become His child, and He becomes your Lord and Master. Your life will be fruitful and worthwhile; it will have meaning and purpose. It will count for something. That’s the development of the righteous.
But what about the wicked? Our text says they’re like chaff. Chaff! What is chaff? It’s the outer husks that cover the kernel of grain. What’s it good for? Nothing! It’s waste. Worthless! Blown away by the wind when the grain is winnowed. Dusty, irritating, something to be discarded. That’s the description of the wicked. That’s what they have to look forward to. That’s the development from delighting in wickedness.
Not only that, but the Bible tells us that the chaff will be burnt with fire. “Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” That’s Isaiah 5:24.
All the pleasure, all the fun, all the excitement, all the thrill of the forbidden; all gone in a moment. No lasting fruit. And then what? We move to our final difference now.
The Final Difference is:
Accept a Different Destiny
Look at verses five and six. Oh, the tragedy of foolish choices, of identifying with the wicked for a moment of pleasure. The tragedy of thinking there is safety in numbers. It all comes to nothing in the judgment. And make no mistake my friend, judgment will come. Hebrews 9:27 and 28 tell us, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment: so, Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
That’s the contrast, my friend. The Psalm writer says the ungodly shall perish. Not maybe, not perhaps; THEY SHALL PERISH! They will stand condemned by their own choices. “… these shall go away into everlasting punishment:” And, John the Baptist spoke these words at the baptism of Jesus. Listen, “[His] fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”
But the righteous, what about them? Verse six says the Lord knows the way of the righteous. Second Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” I pray you’re one of those whose heart is loyal to the Lord.
Because the righteous refused to delight in the way of the wicked, God now delights in them. He knows them as His very own. Because they were grieved by the blasphemy of ungodly men, they now rejoice in the commendation of their Father; “well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”
The righteous are accepted by God because they have chosen in faith to obey His Word. They were willing to come to the cross of Christ and voluntarily confess their sin and their need for a Savior. They surrendered the control of their lives to Him. He became their Master and Lord. Because they delighted in Him through the trials and struggles of life, He will delight in them and give them a home with Him in heaven. And they will live and reign with Him forever and ever. Oh, what a glorious destiny awaits those who delight in the Lord.
What a stark contrast my friend. Eternal punishment or eternal glory. And today you can still choose. If you’re living an ungodly life, you can change by the power of God. If you’re already a follower of Christ, you can be challenged to draw closer to Him. To delight in Him more fully. That’s what I want.
You can choose what you will delight in; the way of the wicked or the way of the Lord. But once you make that choice your life will take on development and a destiny that are predetermined. If you choose the way of the ungodly, sorrow and heartache will be the fruit that develops in your life. Destruction will be your end.
Or, you can delight in God and His Word. You can experience the development of lasting fruit, righteousness, peace, and joy. And you will reach the destiny of the righteous. A glorious eternity will be your reward.
My friend, now you know how to live a godly life. The choice is yours. It’s not a choice to be made lightly. Eternity hangs in the balance. Let’s pray.
Oh God, our Father, thank You for these clear instructions on how to live a Godly life. Lord, I pray for my listening friend who is Your child. I pray that he or she will have a renewed delight in You, a new passion to glorify you through a godly life. Bless them Father as they recommit themselves to You even as we pray together.
Now, Father, I pray for my listening friend who does not know you in a personal way. I pray they will come to you today, repent of their sin, and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Help them to understand this decision will change their destiny and the development of their lives and give them a new delight in You. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.