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 its 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.
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Psalm 1 – What really is ‘blessing’?
(Verses 1-2) The first word in the Book of Psalms and in Psalm 1 itself is ‘Blessed’. It means ‘Happy’ or ‘to be envied’. Most greetings at anniversaries, Christmas, Easter and birthdays start with ‘Happy’. We all want to be ‘Happy’. Many in our sad world do envy truly happy people. So, how does God, in Psalm 1, tell us we can become ‘happy’ and ‘to be envied’? The starting point is always to turn from sin and trust Jesus as your Saviour: you then begin to know that the ‘joy of the LORD is your strength’. (Nehemiah 8:10) Carry on being ‘blessed’ by not doing three things but by continually doing one thing each day. The three things not to do are:- first, refuse to walk in the sinful ways of others; second, avoid spending unnecessary time, with those who will lead you astray; and third, when possible, do not invest your time sitting with them as if you are their closest pals ‘at home’ with them. The one thing to do each day is to read His word, the Bible, having prayed that God will speak to you through it, and make it your delight as you meditate on it in the day ahead. Get to know it. Then ask keen older Christians about which books to read.
(Verse 3) Put God first, as just described, to thrive personally and spiritually, and be like a leafy well-watered tree planted by streams. Your life will be fruitful, and you will stay fresh and very much ‘alive.’ Your personality will prosper in God’s strength. You will start to live in a new way that pleases both God and you! This spiritual prosperity is nothing to do with physical wealth: it grows from living close to the Lord. God also promises to always watch over you. He is a loving and caring God.
(Verses 4-5) This new way of living for God is so different from those who will not go God’s way. God calls them ‘wicked’. That does not mean they all are ‘mega-sinners’. We are all ‘wicked’, or sinful, in God’s sight because of our sin. The lives of all who refuse to repent and trust in Jesus are like chaff which is finally blown away. They will fall and perish on God’s Judgment Day. The saddest thing is that if even the world’s most sinful man would turn from his sin and believe that Jesus loved him so much as to bear his sin and its penalty on the cross, to save him from eternal judgment, God would gladly pardon him. Jesus would answer his prayer to be forgiven and enter his heart through God’s Holy Spirit. He would change him from within. As well as God’s forgiving and blessing him, others who have received Christ would welcome him too! He really would be at home ‘in the assembly of the righteous’ (meaning other forgiven sinners now counted as ‘righteous’ by God). He should be warmly welcomed at Sunday services and weekday Bible studies of any Bible-trusting church or fellowship group! He should find close friends with such folk.
(Verse 6) Either God counts you as righteous, welcomes you in Heaven after death, and watches over you now – or – ‘perish’ in eternal judgment. (John 3:16)
