Places. Postures. Positions.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. (Ps. 1:1-3 NIV)

Do you ever read a familiar scripture and find new meaning, a fresh revelation or new application for your life? There’s nothing like God unfolding and unveiling the truth in His word…nothing like it!

Recently, I was praying and meditating on several promises that I’m waiting on and started thinking about Psalm 1:1. I was prompted to sit down and read—not quote from memory, but read—the scriptures.

So I did.

I read Psalm 1. Read it again. And read it again. The Lord started ministering to me about how easy it can be to overlook the conditions of His promises; and He showed me several examples of this in some of my favorite scriptures (hmmm…seems like this could turn into a series). He showed me that, contrary to what we often believe, the fact that He promised things does not automatically qualify us to be recipients.

We tend to cling to the parts of His word that make us happy, that encourage us, that make us feel unstoppable, that make great posts for social media. We like the idea of being blessed, planted by rivers of water, yielding fruit, with un-withering leaves and prospering in whatever we do. And who doesn’t want that?! We’re supposed to want that!

What I realized is that the promises in Psalm 1 are preceded by warnings concerning the places, postures and positions we should avoid.

The Lesson in the Warning

Do not walk in step with the wicked (posture): postures are “particular ways of dealing with or considering something; an approach or attitude”.

Do not stand in the way that sinners take (position): positions are “particular ways in which someone or something is placed or arranged”.

Do not sit in the company of mockers (place): places are “portions of space available or designated for or being used by someone”.

I don’t believe there’s any area of our lives that can remain unaffected when we are in the wrong posture, taking the wrong position and in the wrong place. They impact the ways we think, the ways that we act, the people we connect to (or disconnect from), the activities we engage in, the time we spend with God, the way we view God, the ways we interact with our friends, children, coworkers, employees or spouses, the level of integrity that we exhibit--every area of our lives.

Make it Personal

Here’s the thing: Psalm 1:1 is a reminder that as believers, we should not be taking our cues from people that are not walking in covenant with our Father. We can’t mirror the methods and mentalities of the world and expect unconditional access to God’s promises. We’ve been given all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) and we have to walk from our position of victory in Christ, reflecting His character.

Prayer Points

Let's pray that we can identify the places, postures and positions that we’re in that are contrary to where we should be and that God will give us the grace to find our place, adjust our posture and get into the right position!

#Faith #Wordstudy