The word “chaff” is an odd word. We don’t use it much in everyday life, though farmers are pretty familiar with it. Chaff refers to the casings, or husks/hulls, left behind after a crop of corn or grain has been harvested. It is completely inedible to humans, but is sometimes used as fodder for animals. Essentially, chaff is the waste product left behind after the harvest is complete. Symbolically, in the Bible, the word is used to refer to anything that is worthless. In this case, wicked people are compared to chaff. Unlike the Godly man, the wicked man is worthless and will be blown away by the slightest wind that comes his way. Unlike the Godly man, the wicked man cannot be steadfast and will be “driven away” by the storms of life, because there is no substance to him. This verse spells out very clearly that the wicked man will in no way prosper in God’s world. Wickedness is not virtuous; it is, on the contrary, worthless and empty.
And we pray:
Father, Help me to not be like the wicked man in this verse. I don’t want You to see me as worthless. I find my worth in You. I strive to be a Godly person who follows Your way. I want to be useful in Your harvest, not left behind as worthless chaff. Help me Lord to be pleasing in Your sight and to follow You in all things, I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.