Listen to the Podcast Here or Read the Message Below!

There are some roads in life you can spot immediately and think, “Absolutely not. I am not going down that road.”

Then there are other roads, the ones that look harmless They’re paved nicely. The scenery is beautiful. Everyone else seems to be driving down them. And before you know it, you’ve gone three exits past where you were supposed to turn and you’re thinking, “Lord… how exactly did I get here?”

Welcome to Psalm 1 which begins with a powerful warning: “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers.”

Did you see the progression of how this one verse is applied?

First, you walk with them. Then you stand with them. And eventually, you sit with them.

In other words, what begins as “I’m just checking this out” can eventually become “Well, this is just who I am.”

The greatest warning that read here is that direction matters.

What does “Walking in the way of the wicked,” look like today?”

It doesn't always look sinister. Sometimes it looks like constantly consuming voices that make you cynical, angry, prideful, or hopeless. At other times it looks like following the crowd because you don't want to be the odd one out. Or how about, compromising your convictions and agreeing with others that say, “Everybody else does it.”

Lastly, how about allowing social media to disciple you more than Scripture does. Ouch!

We can spend thirty minutes scrolling through other people's opinions and then wonder why we have no peace when we finally open our Bibles. Psalm 1 reminds us that what surrounds us will eventually influences us.

You don't have to become a criminal to drift from God. Sometimes all you have to do is repeatedly listen to voices that normalize what God tells you to resist. It's like leaving your front door open during mosquito season and then being shocked when the house is full of mosquitoes.

“Lord, where did all these mosquitoes come from?”

Then realizing that you were a willing participant in the mess.

Isn’t it good to know that God does not leave us without direction? That alternative is given us here in Psalm 1. Instead of being shaped by the world around us, the blessed person delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.

Why? Because God's Word becomes our spiritual GPS. And unlike the GPS in our car, God doesn't say, “Recalculating…” with an irritated voice when we miss the turn. He just patiently redirects us if we are a willing vessel.

We are human. We will sometimes take the wrong exit. We will occasionally confuse a detour in life with God's destination. We may even find ourselves sitting somewhere thinking, “How did I ever get myself into this mess?”

But friend, God is faithful. Psalm 1 says the person rooted in God's Word is like a tree planted by streams of water; steady, fruitful, and able to endure changing seasons.

That's the picture God gives us. It is not a life without storms or temptation. Nor is it a life without mistakes. What God is speaking ever so clearly through the Psalmists here is that He is offering us a life with roots. And friend, roots matter when the wind starts blowing.

In the culture for which we live, most want to know what their roots are. They track their DNA hoping it leads to answers about who they are, who else is in their family tree, or some obscure family member they never suspected.

But, what I am speaking about today goes far deeper than your family bloodline. It is not about where your roots are from as much as it is about where your roots are planted.

Just like when you go to the local garden center and you pick out a beautiful blooming tree and decide where on your property that you want to plant it. Some never read the directions about sun or shade requirements. They just plant it where they think is best, or what seems like the right choice for them. After all, we live in a generation that insists that “You do you, and I will do me.” Sometimes the objective is the same, but the way to get there turns into a total disaster and waste of resources.

So, which way are you walking?

Psalm 1 invites us to pause and ask some uncomfortable but necessary questions:

Who is influencing me?

What voices am I listening to?

What am I beginning to tolerate that God has told me to resist?

Or how about... Am I walking toward God or simply walking with the crowd?

The good news is that if you've wandered, you aren't disqualified. All you have to do is turn around. That will require some self inspection and reflection. A Selah if you will.

God is still able to lead you back to the path. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is admit, “Lord, I think I took a wrong turn. Will you help me?”

Several years ago I was on my way home from work, which was about 25 miles away. The plan was the usual, take the highway that goes through town and out to the unincorporated area where I live. As I was approaching the first stop light, I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Take the back way home.”

Now, as I was thinking about that, I realized that it would take me way out of the way and that I would arrive home much later. So, in the flesh, I did not respond with voice or action. Kind of like my dog Morty who does not like me telling him what he needs to do. He just lays there doing nothing.

Then as I was approaching the second and last light before going through town I heard, “Turn now!” Not a yell, or a scream but an urgent plea.

I instantly got in the turn lane and obeyed. Soon after arriving home I heard of a 20 car pile up on the road through town and that some were killed. My heart sank because I almost totally disobeyed that still small voice. Then I thanked God for directing me on the right path.

When we ask the Lord to show us the way, He is right there speaking, leading, guiding and accomplishing His will in our lives if we are only listening and willing to obey.

The motto to this whole message is this, “Blessed are those whose roots run deep in God, even when the world keeps offering shortcuts.”

Remember to keep your feet planted in the river of life and surrendered to the Life Giver. When you do, you won’t be so apt to make the crowd around you the GPS of your soul.

Selah

Mercy In Color

Prophetic Artist, Jane Morin

Connect

Join our community for weekly encouragement.

Contact: info@selahandpsalms.com

Selah & Psalms is a ministry that encourages, equips,and informs others of the deeper truths of Gods word. If you enjoy content like this, will you consider supporting our efforts? Thank you!

© 2026. All rights reserved.

SIGN UP for our WEEKLY EMAIL that includes hope-filled reflections, bible teachings, events and more!