As I read this psalm this morning I saw it in a whole new light. I love the WORD! It is never done with us. Anyway, I used to read this and think that wicked meant really evil people, those who are so bad, the ones who find pleasure in killing others or whatever. And I thought it meant I was asking for advice from those who weren't living for God. It does mean this, but there is so much more to it.
I realized this morning I have been seeing this in too narrow of a light. Wicked just means anti-God. The whole world system is anti-God. So, if we follow the common sense approach to life according to what the world and media tells us is smart, then we are walking in the counsel of the wicked.
And if we choose to not believe we are standing in the path of sinners. Unbelief is sin. It is a big sin actually (if sins are rated that is). If we don't believe in some area we are denying God and His power in that area of our lives.
The scoffing part -- oh boy, we Believers can scoff. Have you seen this happen -- a fellow believer steps out in faith and it looks totally like the wrong thing to do. Do people encourage that believer? Or do we criticize? When we choose to criticize we are scoffing. Yes, sometimes we need to give godly counsel but often God does things in ways we just don't think are the right way to go about it (we can be so arrogant).
The rest of Psalm 1 is great too. It is a progression of what will happen in a person's life who does choose God rather than the world. Verse 2 tells us this person will delight in God's Word. This person will think about it day and night.
And verse 3 says, "And 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."
Let's be trees this year! 2012 is a great year to start believing no matter what!