Show Up! IV

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful

 - From Psalm 1

Psalm is probably the most-read Psalm.

Sure, we are more familiar with other Psalms, especially the 23rd. 

But those are memorization Psalms. We hear them more frequently in sermons, and in Christian music. 

We just think we have read them more times. 

The person that has embarked on a Read the Bible program, that doesn't start at Genesis 1, will often start with the Psalms. Or the Gospels first, then the Psalms. But the point is, the Psalms are at the top of the list of Bible books we want to get to first. 

And so, human though we are . . . we begin, and read Psalm 1. We get through some number of other Psalms, maybe through the entire book, and then on to the next book, maybe Proverbs, or maybe the Epistles. 

At some point, most of us stop our forward progress . . . only to commit once again, at some later date, to read the entire Bible, at which point we start all over again.

And Psalm 1 becomes the one single Psalm that we have read more than any others. 

God knows this, and must have made it very important. And He did. 

He draws a stark comparison between the righteous and the wicked, in just a few verses. 

When we don't show up at the right places, where do we go instead? Usually, where we oughtn't. There really are no neutrals. You're either on the right path, or not. And if you're not on the right path, you're on the wrong path. If only one path leads to life . . . then it's the path you want. 

You can walk in the counsel of the wicked. You've shown up in a place where bad advice is given.

You can linger in the way of sinners . . . you've shown up, and deliberately gone to a place where bad things are done. 

You can sit in the seats of the scornful . . . be right there present, with these intelligent, cool, successful people that are very good at mocking and belittling the people of God and all the other deplorables. You feel safe. You feel wanted. But you're not in God's presence and you're not in life. 

Real "show-uppers" know that it is more difficult to get to the right place. You have to go to people that need you . . . to people that can do nothing for you, that can repay you little to nothing, for the good you do. 

But that's how you know you've shown up at the right place. 

Show up. It's one of the hardest things to do. But it's the right thing to do.