Friday, May 15, 2015

Let’s continue our study of Psalm 1. In our last visit we identified the focus as “The Secret of a God Blessed Life.” As you read the Psalm it’s clear there are some things you should avoid if you want to be blessed. There is also that which you should acquire. If you follow the counsel there is much you can anticipate receiving and experiencing. Listen to Psalm 1: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 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, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” The contrast is between the righteous and those described as wicked, sinners and mockers. It’s a picture of being in the world but not of the world. Sinners live in darkness, without hope, ultimately facing eternal doom. The righteous are able to flourish in the same environment, because they know the Lord watches over them. It will take discipline for the righteous to avoid the enticing lure of the world. That discipline requires meditating on God’s Word day and night. But the reward of doing so is a life that is truly blessed. This is the secret of a God blessed life.