Saturday after the Last Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Scripture: Psalm 1 (NKJV)

1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Devotion

We all reap the fruits of what we have sown in our lives. Lives lived in the company of the dishonest, the immoral, and the violent have consequences. That life finally shows. One realizes eventually that he is just like those with which he has spent his life. But the pious man or woman has cultivated virtues. Few things are more beautiful than the older men and women who have spent their lives studying the Word and practicing piety and discipline. They have a calm strength. They have resolve. They are Christians we should emulate. And yet, they would be the first to tell you that those virtues did not come from them, but from the Lord.

Such saints learned about their Lord by meditating day and night on the Word. They became more like Jesus by spending time in His company. Good company improves character, and there is no better company than Jesus. But Jesus is more than just a good example or good company. He makes you holy as He dwells within you. Jesus doesn’t just improve your character, He makes it possible for you to “stand in the judgment.” There is spiritual life in “the law of the Lord.” Jesus works through His Word to make the saints into what they were always meant to be. The evidence of our lives will often show how we spent our time, and with whom.

We pray: Lord Jesus, help us to remember who it is we need to cling to. May we always reflect You to the world around us. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.