“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”
To be happy or blessed from the Psalmist’s point of view excludes some things. We are to exclude being one who “stands in the way of sinners”. Hanging with the wrong crowd does not bring happiness. The company we keep affects how we live. It is not saying we cannot live in this world, but taking our stand with those who sin puts us in their camp. Do not act like the crowd.
If “walking in the counsel of the ungodly” demonstrates buying into the philosophies and the mindset and worldview of the kingdoms of this world, to stand in the way of sinners is speaking of the practical ways in which we live. Sin will always destroy us no matter how much fun it may seem at the time. Ignoring God’s laws may not have any immediate consequences, but we pay for it later and wonder how we could be so foolish. We can prevent so many mistakes by saying no to sin.
Does it surprise you that, according to research, those who have been married to the same man or woman without any affairs or divorces, were happier, contented people, than those who were never married but lived with boyfriends or girlfriends and had sexual relationships with various people? God created us for love in a married relationship and people wonder why they feel so empty, used, and abused when living contrary to God’s laws. There are people within the church that take their stand in sin and their walk with God suffers.
We also need to exclude “sitting in the seat of the mockers”. Notice the digression- the one who “sits” with the scornful or the sinner has become acclimated to the world system on some level. He is “comfortable” and able to “hang out” with the ungodly, turning a deaf ear to those who speak the things of God.
The mockers are people in rebellion against God. In our day mockers or scoffers seem to be becoming more and more plentiful. On many television sitcoms and other shows, Christianity is ridiculed. They are people who laugh at religion, who joke over the sacred, who scoff at morality and decency. People enjoy immorality and are entertained by it instead of becoming ashamed and convicted. The world finds this very clever and witty, but it’s a symptom of those who have rejected the law of God as the guiding principle of life. If you want to be unhappy then sit with people who have a negative, critical, gossiping, ridiculing, sarcastic, swearing attitudes that tear down others
We need to realize how evil that is because those people are not just making fun of us, they are often making fun of God. Bruce Almighty represented most folks that see God as their personal gum-ball machine. They live self-filled lives and rebuke and mock God when they want the magic genie to make life just the way they want it to be. Folks are sadly surprised to find the roads to money, sex, and power come to an unhappy dead end.
Application: We are in your life are you walking with people who are going in the wrong direction?
Prayer: Lead me oh thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.
