Mensa Otabil - Wise Relationships (10/31/2025)
Psalm 1, and so we’re going to look at verses from Psalm 1. We begin with the first verse: 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. This passage shows us some actions that we have to avoid in our lives if we want our lives to be blessed; if we want to live a blessed life.
So, the three things it says: first, it says that we must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. The ungodly, there, simply means wicked people, and the statement tells us whose counsel we receive, whose ideas we open our hearts to, and whose words influence us. So, if you’re going to live a fruitful and blessed life, you have to audit your sources of advice. Who speaks into your life when you are angry? Whom do you talk to when you are down? Whom do you talk to when you are happy? Whose words influence you to take the actions you take? If those people are the wrong crowd and you walk in their counsel, you’re going to end up in a very wrong place. A person who is wicked will lead you in a wicked way.
So, the first thing is, don’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly. The second is, don’t stand in the path of sinners. A person who walks is moving; a person who stands is stationary. So, the first one says don’t walk with them. The second is, don’t stand; don’t be stationary. Don’t be associated with people who are the wrong crowd. The sinner simply means somebody who is always missing the mark; they are always doing the opposite of what is right. Don’t stand with them, don’t associate with them, and don’t be buddy-buddy with them. So, don’t walk in the counsel of the wrong people; don’t listen to advice that will ruin you. Don’t stand and associate with people who are going to really misdirect your efforts.
And the third thing is, don’t sit in the seat of the scornful. Now, if you look at the statements, there is a progression of deterioration: walking, standing, sitting. By the time we get to the third level, you are very comfortable doing the wrong thing. You’ve moved from walking to standing, and now you are really sitting in the seat of the scornful. This is the final stage of compromise, where we settle to where the scornful are. Who are the scornful? The scornful are the people who are mockers; they make fun of everything. They don’t take life seriously, they don’t take God seriously; they make fun of the things of God. They joke about things that are spiritual and downplay them.
The Bible says don’t sit in that seat. That also tells you don’t be scornful of God and don’t be scornful of the things of God, and don’t be scornful about spiritual things. If you don’t know about it, just keep quiet, but don’t be scornful of them, because if you do that, you forfeit your own blessedness in life. Three things: don’t take counsel from the wrong people, don’t associate with people who are going nowhere, and don’t sit with people who are mockers and scorners. If you do these three, you’re going to be a blessed person.
Let’s share a word of prayer together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, show me whom to talk to, stand with, and sit with in this year. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.»