Devotional

“¹ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, ² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. ³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers. ⁴ Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. ⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. ⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” Psalm 1:1-6

God created mankind in His image, yet many times we hardly resemble Him. We were all born into sin, and we need a guide to enter into the holy. Thankfully, Jesus chose us to be a part of His family, and we just need to accept His invitation. Options which we didn’t have before will become available, like going out of our way to do good regardless of circumstance or immediate outcome, giving without expecting anything in return, loving those that are difficult to love, and forgiving those that have hurt us deeply. Before knowing Jesus, we had no reason to do any of those things, but He set the standard for what is right and what is true.

Make no mistake, good leads to good, likewise, evil leads to evil. No one is immune to the effects of the fallen world. Here, we have a choice to follow Jesus and live according to His word, or follow our own passions and live a self-centered life. We all begin with the second choice, but God will make the first option available to those who follow Him. On our own, we will lead ourselves into destruction, eternal separation from God. But He will watch over the way of the righteous which is a much more difficult path to live out. In a world that God works through His followers, let us commit to choosing the “Jesus Way.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, our souls long for a time when you walked with us in the cool of the day. We have strayed far away from you. We are not in step with your ways and our hearts are not aligned with your heart. We have not recognized your sacrifice which served to draw us back to your side and walk once again with you in the cool of the day. For this we repent. We are humbled and astounded at the lengths to which your grace and mercy extend. Teach us to walk at your side, to walk in your ways, to walk in your grace.

Scripture Memorization

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “⁷ But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. ⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Photo Credit: Bill Zielinski @zphotobc

Music Credit: Phil Wickham – The Jesus Way (Hometown Version)

Devotional Written by: Sambi Katano

Prayer: Pastor Deborah Downs