Read Psalm 1:1–3

In the first three verses of Psalm 1, the psalmist describes the one who chooses to live a righteous life, the one who consciously resists the subtle inroads of compromise. You can’t turn on cable TV these days without witnessing the vivid contrast between godliness and wickedness portrayed on the screen. You’re left with a choice: Which will it be?

Let’s do a quick review of God’s standard for a life of blessing:

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. (Psalm 1:1–3)

Three expressions stand out to me in these verses:

Follow...that’s an action word that signals your allegiance and devotion.
Stand around...that’s a phrase that determines the company you keep.
Join in...that’s an expression that proves collusion.

We can either follow the lifestyle of this world and stand around in the company of those who do, and sell out to all that goes with such an existence by joining in with a system that denies the Lord and refuses to submit to Him.

Or we can live a life in sharp contrast to that and follow Christ, standing firm in the principles of godliness and wisdom from His Word, and join in on God’s great plan of redeeming the world through the vibrant proclamation of the Gospel.

The choice is yours. Be honest...are you all in with God?

Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

The full devotional can be purchased at https://www.tyndale.com/p/good-morning-lord-can-we-talk/9781414380681.