At the center of the Bible is the book of Psalms. This great collection of songs and prayers expresses the heart and soul of humanity. In them the whole range of human experiences is expressed. There are no cliché’s in this book. Instead, David and the other writers honestly pour out their true feelings, reflecting a dynamic, powerful, and life-changing friendship with God. The psalmists confess their sins, express their sins, express their doubts and fears, ask God for help in times of trouble, and they praise and worship him.
Perhaps one of the best passages of scripture that contrasts the godly and the ungodly is David's Psalm one. And for the benefit of any women reading this, the word man refers to mankind; so please don't get the idea that you are being left out. It includes both men and women. The word Adam includes both sexes. The verification of this is found in Genesis 5:2. “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” Psalm one has but six verses and reads as follows.
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so; but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish."
The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man-but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes; he delights in God's word; therefore, God causes him to prosper. On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff and his destiny is judgment. Finally the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous (and it will be blessed) But (He also knows) the way of the ungodly (and it) shall perish. The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.
Oswald Chambers says that, "The moral miracle of redemption is that God can put a new nature into me through which I can live a totally new life. But I must get to that point. God cannot put into me, the responsible moral person that I am, the nature that was in Jesus Christ unless I am aware of my need for it."
References: Psalm 1, The King James Version, The Old Time Gospel Hour Annotated Study Bible Commentary, My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.