The Two Ways

There are two ways to go. Which way will go you?

Legendary New York Yankees baseball player and “philosopher” Yogi Berra once said, “When you get to a fork in the road, take it.” What is funny for Yogi to say, however, doesn’t help us very much. We must choose carefully which way we will go.

In Psalm 1, the Bible teaches that there are two ways: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. Let me ask you three questions to help you think about which road you are traveling.

Who are you following??

Are you following the crowd, or are you following Christ? You will never be satisfied, truly happy, or content by following the crowd.

Psalm 1:1-2 (HCSB)
¹ How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! ² Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.

It is very tempting to follow the advice of the wicked, to take the path of the sinners or to join a group of mockers. But that way is not the right way. That way is not the best way. That way seems right, but in the end it leads to destruction (Prov. 14:12).

Jesus calls you to walk in His way. He says, “Follow me” (Mt 4:19). His way is the way of blessing, the way to true happiness (v1). The way of Christ is…

• the way of peace
• the way of forgiveness
• the way of love
• the way of holiness
• the way of strength
• the way of humility
• the way of serving
• the way of truth
• the way of hope
• the way of life

To follow Jesus’ way, you don’t just follow a plan or a path, you follow a Person. You follow Jesus Himself. You come to know Him faith. Then, you learn from Him by reading the Bible and letting the Holy Spirit guide you.

As Psalm 1 says, delight yourself in His instruction. Take time every day to read His Word, think about it throughout the day, and let His Word transform your life. Follow Him.

What are you doing??

What is your life producing? A person who is following Christ will produce the fruit of the Spirit in their life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. You will focus your life on the important stuff of relationships, helping others, making an eternal difference in the lives of others, and worshiping God.

Psalm 1:3-4 (HCSB)
³ He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. ⁴ The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.

The way of the wicked, by contrast, are like the hollow chaff, blown away by the wind. This is a vivid picture of those who pursue earthly pleasures, possessions or accomplishments. Ultimately, those things will leave a person hollow. Empty. Those things will not last for eternity.

So, what are you doing? Is your life producing fruit that will last? Hear the words of Jesus:

Matthew 7:13-20 (HCSB)
¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. ¹⁴ How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. ¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. ¹⁶ You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.”

Where are you going??

That path you are on… where is it taking you? Is it the road leading to heaven, where you will be with the Lord and His people – the community of the righteous – for all of eternity? Is it keeping you close to the community of the righteous even on earth? Or is it a road that will not stand up in the judgment, a path that will lead to eternal ruin?

Psalm 1:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. ⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Take these verses as an encouragement if you are following Christ. For the person who is following Jesus, you will be in the community of the righteous with the Lord forever. And He watches over you every step of the way, from here to eternity.

But if you are on the path of the wicked – if you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior – realize that the path of the wicked will lead to eternal ruin in hell, separated from the Lord forever. If you are headed that way, I beg you to turn away from your sin and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Response

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then take Psalm 1 as a reminder to you that it is never wise to follow the wrong path, and it is ALWAYS best to follow the way of Christ. Keep following Jesus.

If you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, then turn away from your sin, trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and begin to follow Him. If you do that (or if you have questions about it) contact me. I’d love to talk to you about this most important decision you will ever make.