Delight

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1,2

This passage to some extent bothers me.  It makes it sound like we are to be completely isolated and insulated from those whom we might (and God might) consider ‘wicked’ or ‘sinners’ or ‘scoffers,’ when the reality is that there by the grace of God, go I.

Jesus in his ministry spent an abundant amount of time with the wicked and sinners and scoffers.  And some of them, maybe a lot of them, turned their lives around and followed the Savior. But again, the passage actually isn’t telling what we are to do to achieve righteousness, it is telling us what we will do. After righteousness calls.

A lot of us have before and after stories.  What life was like before Christ, and what it has been like after.  Before Christ, many of us can relate to being in ‘counsel’ (literally getting advice from) with wicked or being in the ‘way’ (a path or road with the goals and purposes) of sinners or sitting in the seat (a place of honor) of a scoffer.  But after Christ, we delight – not in those former things, as Paul says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (visit 2 Corinthians 5:17)

The new delights in what God wants (as outlined generously in his law), yet still not being afraid to be around ‘wicked’ or ‘sinners’ or ‘scoffers’, but allowing God’s word to give us the advice, purposes and place of honor that any of us needs.

Be out there.  We have to be.  But always come back to Christ.  And delight in him.