Daily Devotional For Monday, July 6, 2026
Good morning Southside. I hope your weekend of celebrating our 250th anniversary as a nation was rewarding and relaxing. Today, our daily devotional comes from Psalms 1:1-3:
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! (2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. (3) 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” (NASB).
Wow! What promises are packed in these 3 verses. If you notice there are two progressions here towards one’s spiritual downfall — walk —> stand —> —> sit. The second progression is seen in the words: wicked —> sinners —> —-> scoffers. The more ungodly friends are, the more we are inclined to choose the worst of the worst in friends. Walking in the counsel of the wicked is a reminder that who we associate with impacts our lives.
I am always amazed at parents who criticize their children or teens for the friends they have and totally ignore the ungodly friends they have themselves. 1 Corinthians 15:33b says, “Bad company corrupts good character” (NLT). We are guilty by association. There is truth in the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” We are and become who we associate with in life.
The psalm goes on to say that those who meditate on God’s Word experience delight in the Lord. Meditating on God’s Word gives us a foundation to stand on when we are treading across spiritual quicksand. Meditating on God’s Word insures our survivability like a tree in a storm. The more we thirst and drink from God’s Word, the healthier spiritually we are. We are not just planted, but we are firmly planted by streams of water.
When the storms come and the waters rise, we do not move. While others are being washed away, we stay and even produce godly spiritual fruit. And in whatever we do for the Lord, we prosper and succeed. This psalm says we are “blessed” if we do what it says. “Blessed” means happy, joyful. Have you ever thought about what you depend on to make you happy? This psalm begins by comparing two different lifestyles that end with two different results.
The blessed person is first characterized by what he or she does not do. There is a downward spiral this psalm teaches us to those who do not trust the Lord. The wicked first settles into sin by stages – he sits down with other ungodly people and is influenced by them. The wicked first are identified with the ungodly, then they are influenced by them and then they spread sin to others through their mocking and sarcasm of God. Sin will take you from bad to worse quickly.
All of us are vulnerable to listen to the counsel of the wicked all too often through the music we listen to each day, the media we watch on TV, and the friends we associate with too much. We may have mocked and made fun of someone who was godly. This psalm shows that the godly attempt to never associate with evil, sin and what is ungodly. We are blessed if we love God’s word, His commandments and His standards for our obedience.
Reflection Assignment: How would the Lord rate your love and obedience to His word, the Bible? How “blessed” would you say you are as a result of your obedience to His word? Who in your life has a greater influence on you than God’s Word? Where and when in your life have you personally experienced this downward spiral this psalm mentions?
Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, help me to meditate on Your Word. I want to be like that tree Psalm 1 mentions. I do not want to spiral downward. I want to be a blessing to You and to others. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly