Psalm 1:1-6 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Before leaving the topic of how we seek God, John added our need to fellowship with other believers. If we so desired, we could flip through page after page through scripture after scripture presenting us with the positives and negatives of “gathering ourselves together.” But more than likely, we’ve heard all of these verses so much that we’re immune to or desensitized to them.
So let’s head straight to the source of the verses. God Himself. Yahweh. Creator. And His creation.
Although not a hunter, nothing invigorates me more than a tromp through the outdoors. Give me a backpack, water, Clif bars, a notebook, and a Bible and send me to the woods at your own risk. I may never return. I may even get lost. On purpose.
On my hiking excursions, I soak in nature. And if nature has taught us anything, it’s this- there is safety in numbers, or even more specifically, the weakest members of the pack are always the first picked off. This word picture may capture your attention more than any Scripture I could quote.
Think about it. An animal with a wounded leg, a weaker immune system, frail health or is just too young to be on its own will inevitably slip behind and make quite the tantalizing appetizer for a predator. Or you can go the opposite way with it. An animal that thinks he is strong enough to venture off into the great unknown alone is singled out and cut off, isolated and endangered. The power of one is no match for the collective strength of the group. Pride can kill (and not just the lion variety).
What is evident in nature is mirrored in our Christian walk. If we aren’t empowered by the Holy Spirit through constant and consistent relationship time with Yahweh and other believers, we’re prone to fall in a weakened state. If we set out in pride to save the world alone because we think we’re more righteous, we’ll be devoured by the enemy.
Truth is…we need to run with the pack. With the Jesus Pack. With other believers. How can we find the “right” pack to run with? John gave us four questions to ask ourselves to see if we’re running with real Refugees:
1. What kind of fruit do they bear?
2. How do they speak of others, including the church?
3. Do they frustrate or encourage?
4. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
Consider these questions and we’ll analyze them deeper tomorrow.
