Pray… How blessed, O God, is the man who refuses to let wicked men influence him, or practice sin as those who do not know You or be counted among those who mock Your truths. Let my delight be forever in your kingdom, Your Word, and Your presence, O Lord. Lead me to pray without ceasing, meditate in your truths, and listen to Your voice. Make me like a tree firmly planted in the stream of Your living water. May I not be like the wicked, nor the double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways. Let me not be deceived into thinking bad company won’t corrupt good morals, for the wicked will not stand in the time of their judgment, nor shall those who practice evil dwell in the fellowship of the righteous. You know and keep the way of those You have made righteous, having predestined them to adoption as sons. But to the wicked who are destined to perish You will say, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you.”
Consider… Remember those who led you, and who spoke the word of God to you. Considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. The Psalmists waste no time entering the battle no disciple of Christ can escape: our fight to the death between good and evil. Here victory or defeat can come down to daily spiritual practices, choosing wisely those to whom we listen and emulating those whom we admire. Engaging in fellowship with mentors we can confide in, imitate the conduct of, and count on for sound spiritual advice keeps us on the righteous side of the fight. Today’s fellowship has become largely teacher-student versus mentor-apprentice based, with too much emphasis on teaching ability and too little on evidence of Jesus’ abiding presence. Disciples are made through a balanced example of learning and doing they see in their mentors, not in classrooms alone. This was Christ’s way. The church is aching for true disciples to bring her out of her malaise. Find, or become, a mentor who leads people from theory into practice, for there is no substitute for this if the Great Commission is our goal.
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