Filed Under :
Friday, March 12, 2010"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."-Psalm 1:1
As I said yesterday, this is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Not only do we find godly instruction telling us what to stay away from, but if we look closely we can see the slow fade of a man turning away from God. Let's take a look:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly..."
First he is walking, but he is walking in the wrong place: the counsel of the ungodly. He is taking advice from the wrong people and hanging out with the wrong crowd. The old saying, "You are what you eat." applies in our relationships as well. We become who we hang out with. If our friends don't serve the Lord, then it won't be long before we follow suit.
"...nor standeth in the way of sinners..."
At first he was walking, but now he's come to a standstill - in the way of sinners. Walking apparently became to tiresome and he decided he needed some rest - not a long rest, of course, just long enough for him to regain his strength.
"...nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
Having enjoyed his rest so much, he decided to go ahead and sit down, kick back, and relax - as always, in the wrong place: this time in the seat of the scornful. Now that he's comfortable, he doesn't feel like exerting the energy required to get back on his feet, let alone start walking again. "Maybe someday..." he tells himself. But that day never comes.
So do you see it? Every person that has ever backslid has followed this same pattern. As the Casting Crowns song says, "People never crumble in a day." It's always a slow fade. First one compromise, then another, and another, until before you know it you've found yourself in a place you never thought you would be, doing things you never thought you would do.
We have to be on guard against these little compromises. They may not seem to be much at the time and, in fact, the usually aren't. But over time they build up, and then all of a sudden we find ourself scratching our head, wondering, "How did I end up here?"
"It's a slow fade when you give yourself away,It's a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray,Thoughts invade, a choice is made, a price will be paid when you give yourself away.People never crumble in a day..."
-Slow Fade, Casting Crowns
0 comments:
Post a Comment