“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not rise in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
In this first Psalm, the writer draws upon rich imagery to mark out a sharp contrast between the righteous, the blessed man, the man whom the Lord knows, and the wicked, those who fear not God.
The God-fearing man does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Their counsel or philosophy does not chart the course. The wisdom or reason of unconverted worldly-minded men is set on mischief, avarice, greed, worldly lust, malice, and temporal things. The godly man reasons differently. He delights in God’s law, God’s counsel, the inspired scriptures, and God’s leadership by the Holy Spirit. He meditates upon them and thinks on them continually. They become a part of his being and direct his every action and undertaking.
The righteous man does not stand in the way of sinners. His anchor is not theirs. He is not established by what they are. Their hope is in temporal things, wealth, power, the admiration of men, and the achievements of men. He is established in Christ. He is like a tree planted. It is fixed forever, never to be moved as long as it lives. Like a tree planted by the rivers of water, the godly man is fixed in Christ Who is the way, the truth, and the life. All that man needs to sustain him and make him fruitful flows from Christ. As the planted tree brings forth fruit, so the righteous bring forth lasting fruit. The ungodly do not stand. They have no certain fountain of water, so they dry up. They are not fixed, so they drift with the wind. They will not stand in the congregation of the righteous, and cannot stand in the day of judgment which will surely come.
The blessed man does not sit in the seat of scoffers. The scoffer is a fool resting upon a false hope. He is at ease when he derides the righteous and mocks the warnings of a Holy God, but his rest and security are a delusion. It will surely fail. The blessed man rests under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty. The righteousness of Christ is his hope and refuge. Because his leaf, the vitality of his life, gathers food from the eternal God, it shall never wither but will prosper in all that he does.
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Conrad Murrell
Conrad Murrell served in evangelistic ministry for over 50 years and was powerfully used by God in many Assemblies of God and Baptist churches in the United States and around the world. Throughout that time, Conrad pastored churches in Texas and Louisiana, successfully hosted numerous Bible conferences, engaged in continuous itinerant preaching, and diligently evangelized throughout the United States and Mexico. In addition to his fruitful ministry, he also wrote several books, many of which are read worldwide today. Mack Tomlinson's biography of Conrad Murrell is a testimony of God's grace and truth in the life of a man called by God for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Conrad Murrell was a significant contemporary and friend to two of the 20th Century's leading experts on revival, Leonard Ravenhill and Richard Owen Roberts, as well as a dearly loved co-laborer and associate of several other significant evangelists of our age, such as Manley Beasley and Al Whittinghill. Like them, he was a committed, passionate, and anointed itinerant minister. He was a man's man, a man of conviction and grit, but most importantly, he was God's man—a man completely devoted to his Lord and Savior.
Godliness | Holiness | Meditation | Psalms
November 11, 2023
More from Conrad Murrell
God’s Sanctifying Wrath: Psalm 5:3-6
Love is not merely an attribute of God: it is the essence of His Person.
Praying To God: Psalm 5:1-4
It may be observed that prayers may be divided into two kinds: Expressed and Unexpressed.
God Will Protect: Psalm 4:5-8
All of man’s attempts to find joy and peace apart from God have been met by failure. The present attempts
will fare no better. Only God Himself is absolute good.
God’s Mercy To Sinners: Psalm 4:1-4
Sinful men have no righteousness of their own. Their hope of audience with a holy God is His own righteousness imparted to them through faith in Christ.
No Other Hope: Psalm 3:4-8
Jesus promised that he who believes in Him shall never die. When those who fear God and trust in Christ lie down, they know that they will arise.
He Will Restore: Psalm 3:1-4
The righteous do not always march forward victoriously. They do not always shout with the voice of triumph and joyously sing the song of the conqueror.
A Majority of One: Psalm 3:1-4
Truth and reality are not discovered by a majority vote. They are not created by the sum total of all the wisest and informed of men.
A Singular Savior: Psalm 3:1-2
It is no easy matter to maintain our faith and peace when reversals seem to multiply against us. Our lives are on a fast track downhill.
Kiss The Son: Psalm 2:10-12
Present-day kings of the earth should not be thought to be heads of state. That may have been true in times past, but power is rarely in their hands now. The Hitlers, Stalins, Titos, and Sadam Husseins may have a short day, a passing flash of glory, but they are soon overthrown in today’s world climate.
The Decree Of God: Psalm 2:7-12
The blessed person is the wise one who puts his trust in the Lord. “Kiss the Son.” Receive Him as your King.