Maintain the Right Focus

Today, so much fights for our attention. The news, the internet, friends, and others seek to feed us information, ideas, and beliefs. These first two verses of the first Psalm highlight the importance of being aware of what has our attention. For us to “Walk with Christ,” we must choose to give Him our undivided attention.

The psalmist first claims that a person is blessed if they avoid walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the path of sinners, and sitting in the seat of scoffers. These verses do not call us to avoid sinners altogether. However, they warn against such a closeness to sinfulness that it could lead to our compromise.

According to the psalmist, people are blessed if they delight in and meditate on the law of the Lord. The “law of the Lord” is a phrase used throughout the Psalms to refer to God’s Word. Our counsel should come from the Word, not from the wicked.

We can delight in God’s Word because it teaches us, reproves us, corrects us, and trains us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). The effect that God’s Word has on us is to make us adequate and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). Reading Scripture does not need to feel like a chore that we do begrudgingly; it can be something in which we delight!

Have you ever read something and then completely forgotten what you just read a moment later? Maybe this happens when you read the Bible. Scripture can, at times, be challenging to understand and internalize. This is why the psalmist calls us to meditate on it day and night! Meditating on Scripture allows the truth of God’s Word to seep so deeply into our minds, hearts, and souls that it inevitably produces life change.

After reading the Bible, take time to meditate on it! As you go about your day, think about what the verses mean and their implications for your life. Avoid being too quick to move on to the next task. Many things are vying for our attention, but none are more worthy of our time and attention than God’s Word.

Reflect & Pray

Heavenly Father, thank you for being a Wonderful Counselor. I pray that You will reveal what is feeding my mind, heart, and soul. Teach me to love Your Word, meditate on it, and faithfully live it out in this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.