Two Paths

According to Psalm 1, people in this world are on one of two possible paths: the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked. It’s unpopular in today’s culture to say that some people are wicked. In this case, the wicked are simply those who are not on the path of righteousness. The righteous are those who seek God and his direction. The Psalmist says that the righteous man or woman is the one who takes “delight in the law of the Lord.” (Psalm 1:2)
God’s law brings blessing and spiritual strength into our lives. The Bible has a stabilizing effect on people. Because God’s Word is inspired and infallible, it is completely sufficient to meet every need that we have. David writes, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” (Psalm 19:7) Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3 that Scripture contains all we need for life and godliness. The wise person is the one who follows the path of Scripture.
Scripture not only comforts us but it also challenges us. As a pastor, I often hear people say, “I know what the Bible says, but I feel…” In other words, they make a decision to ignore Scripture because they can’t bring themselves to submit to it. The Bible can be subject to various interpretations. We should engage in those discussions and wrestle with what it is saying rather than just rejecting it all together.
I know there are puzzling passages. None of us have yet come to fully submit ourselves to all the ways of the Bible. But if our posture is one that continues to reject the role of Scripture, we will find ourselves “like chaff that the wind drives away.” (Psalm 1:4) We discover that our life stops yielding the fruit of the Spirit; we no longer prosper or experience the fullness of life in Christ. We are on the wrong path.
As believers, we can’t afford to ignore the Bible. Reading it regularly is not enough. We must take delight in God’s Word and do what it says even when we find that hard and uncomfortable. God has promised us that when we put his Word in the right place, life will be full and rich.

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