"Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish."
Psalm 1
A righteous man receives counsel from the wise; he doesn't cause his brother to stumble, and speaks only words that build up (Galatians 5:15).
His passion is for God's Word, and that is his sustenance. He waits on the Lord (Ps 46:10).
God decides what fruit and at what time. There is no burning out for the one who's way is know and decided by God and is lived out by the power of God. He prospers because he is not operating out of self, but out of God's strength. Walking by the Spirit produces fruit, renewed strength, and a prosperous hand. The wicked, by contrast, are like dust in the wind. Operating out of self may be effective for so long, however the works of an "I can do this" hand will soon crumble. God is preparing a place for the righteous, a place for those who operate in and by the Spirit. Someday the righteous will be gathered as a congregation, but those who do things on their own will have no place in it.
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:25
