No one wants to live an unproductive life. We all want to live a life of meaning, making a difference in the lives of those around us. The Bible is filled with exhortations for us to do just that. Jesus tells us that we, his followers, are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Briefly put, that means that we have an impact on the people around us. We have a positive influence on those who come into contact with us.

The first chapter of Psalms expounds on this theme. The first Psalm introduces the book and sets the agenda for its content. Here we read of the two ways that are set before mankind—the way of the Lord versus the way of the world. We all must choose one path or the other, and these very different paths result in very different outcomes. The way we choose determines the fruit of our lives and the eternal destination of our souls.

The chapter opens with the admonition to refuse to walk with the wicked, stand with sinners or sit in the company of mockers. We are not to allow ourselves to be influenced by people who have chosen to oppose God. While we cannot completely evade their presence, we can resist their attempts to lead us down the wrong path in life. “Bad company corrupts good character” (1Cor.15:33), and we must avoid this at all costs. Someone once said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” If our future is to include a fruitful life and a blissful eternity, we must not allow ourselves to become compromised in our beliefs and our actions.

Instead, we must delight ourselves in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night (v.2). God’s ways should give us joy and pleasure. Reading the Bible and thinking deeply about its principles should never be burdensome. Rather, our attention to the Scriptures should delight us as it helps us to avoid the ways of the world and points us in the right direction. There is really no way to live a productive life without devoting ourselves to the book that informs us of how to do just that—the Bible.

V.3 informs us that the one who lives according to Scripture is like a fruitful tree—everything they do prospers. If you want to live a productive life, your life must be deeply influenced by the word of God. As we obey his commands and put his principles for living into practice, those around us cannot help but be blessed by our presence in their lives.  

The wicked, however, have a quite different fate in store for them. By ignoring God’s word, they set themselves on a different path. Rather than being productive, their lives are ultimately useless. They end up being blown away like the chaff in the wind (v.4). Therefore, they cannot stand in the judgment nor be a part of the righteous assembly (v.5).

V.6 concludes the Psalm— “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.” The devil makes the way of the wicked seem like an attractive choice, but he is a liar and a deceiver. The way of the wicked leads to eternal destruction. However, the Lord watches over the way of the righteous. This is not passive, distant watching. The word conveys the thought of watching with compassion and includes the idea that the Lord intervenes in the lives of those who follow his ways.

This Scripture, like many others, lays out two pathways before us and gives us a choice to make. We can go God’s way and live a fruitful life and be blessed forever. Or we can go the way of the wicked and amount to nothing and be forever punished. The choice is ours to make. Choose wisely!