“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psa. 1:1–3
Over the years I’ve read a lot of New Year’s Resolutions made by different people. Many people use the start of a new year as a time to try to reach a specific goal, perhaps related to their health, their finances, their time management, or their spiritual lives. I have never yet seen anyone announce their resolution to have a complete failure of a year—to be fruitless and unrooted, to wither away and not have anything they do succeed.
Yet God’s Word draws a clear distinction for us between those who walk in His way and those who do not. All of the positives that are promised to those who love God’s Word and meditate in it and obey it are denied to those who do not. “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away” (Psalm 1:4). While we would not make a resolution to fail, if we do not develop roots in God’s Word, we will fail in the ways that matter most.
Obediently following God and reaping the blessings and rewards that follow requires a conscious and dedicated effort. We are surrounded by the counsel of the ungodly, the work of sinners, and the negative attitudes of the scornful. Yet, God offers us the refreshing, life-giving, Word of God. When we find our delight within its truths, we will think on it and obey it…and we will experience the good fruit of it in our lives. The path to success in all parts of life begins by conforming our walk to God’s Word. (Daily in the Word)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
