Psalm 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. (vs 1)

If there is one thing to know about God, it is that He goes on forever. He’s always on the move, onto bigger heights and deeper depths. He is always seeking to tell us more, to show us more, and to give us more. His love for us never sleeps, and His care for the entire universe is never idle. God is a mover. (As further evidence of this, scientists have discovered that the universe itself is constantly expanding. And not only is it expanding, but it is expanding at an ever-increasing speed.)

Contrast that with the picture of the wicked in this opening verse of Psalms. As an author, I believe that most writers choose their words very carefully. As such, this writer chose to paint a picture of the wicked as a group of people who are slowly winding down. He says that a person is blessed if he doesn’t hang out with the wicked, who go in progression from walking to standing to sitting. Those who choose the path of the ungodly will end up at a stand-still.

This reminds me of a documentary I once watched on fractals and the Mandelbrot set. I have to admit that most of it was over my head, but I was able to discern that as a particular mathematical equation was applied to various numbers, one of two things happened: Either the number “shot off” into infinity, or it spiraled down to zero. (Plotting the numbers on a graph results in the beautiful visual images of the Mandelbrot set.)

I can only imagine that some math wizard is going to email me and tell me that I’ve explained it all wrong. And I’m sure I have. However, what made my ears perk up was that all the numbers did one of only two things: Spiraled down to zero or went on to infinity. There was no halfway point, nothing in between.

The same is true for us. In the end, there is only the righteous and the wicked. The wicked will end at a stand-still, having spiraled down to nothing and been given over to death. But the righteous will go on forever, into an ever-increasing eternity with God. He is never idle; He is always on the move. Are we ready to go with Him?