The Power to Do Joy
vs. 1 “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers”
Comes From What You Delight In
vs. 2-3 “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
Delight in: they choose to like the safety of the walls of sobriety, the challenge of living different, the benefits of serving God, the truth of the gospel. They willingly comply. Delight in how booze makes you feel, or how that high affects you, and you will lose yourself to it.
But Unfocused People…Don’t.
vs. 4-6 “But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”
Wickedness is different from occasional evil; wickedness is a settled, chosen, practiced evil.
Wickedness happens when we stop believing in the reward for living well. We begin to believe that wickedness will win, and all we can do is give in to it.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.