A Blessed Life

Can’t both men and women be strong?  This month we celebrate the men.

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Psalms 1:1–6 (NKJV)

¹Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ²But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. ³He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. ⁴The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. ⁵Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. ⁶For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

Psalms 1:1–6 (NLT)

¹Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. ²But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. ³They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. ⁴But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. ⁵They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. ⁶For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

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BLESSED – happy, fortunate,

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Psalms 1 is a fitting introduction in that it summarizes the two ways open to mankind, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. It may be classified as a wisdom Psalms because of its emphasis on these two ways of life, the use of the similes, the announcement of blessing, and the centrality of the Law for fulfillment in life. The motifs in this Psalms recur again and again throughout the collection.

The Psalms describes the blessed man who leads an untarnished and prosperous life in accord with the Word of the Lord and contrasts him with the ungodly who shall perish.^[1]

^[1] Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 790.

 

Instructions for the Blessed

 

What the Blessed Person DOES NOT DO:

• Walk – ungodly counsel
• Stand – in the path of sinners
• Sit – in the seat of the scornful

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NOTICE THE PROGRESSION:  WALKING > STANDING > SITTING

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WALKING IN THE COUNSEL

• It begins with Ungodly Counsel or Advice

Walk – to live or behave in a specified manner

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“Just because you are an influencer does not mean you are influencing in the right direction.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

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See Proverbs 14:4

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STANDING IN THE PATH

• Stand – to position yourself and hold your ground
• Path – along the course of
• Sinner – one who has disobeyed divine commands

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SITTING IN THE SEAT

• Sit – to be seated
• Seat – a spaced reserved for sitting
• Scornful – someone who mocks, or treats something with contempt

Jeremiah 15:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, For You have filled me with indignation.

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What the Blessed Person DOES:

Delight in the law of the Lord

Delight – joy, a feeling of extreme satisfaction

• Law – could refer to the five books of Moses – the instruction and direction that comes from God

 

Psalms 119:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

 

Psalms 119:35 (NKJV)

³⁵Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.

 

 

Meditates on the law – day and night

Meditates – to mutter, to reflect deeply on the subject

“The word has to have a place in your life.” – Pastor Billy Johnson

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Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

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What are the Results?

• They will be like a tree
• They will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water

1. Bring forth its fruit in its season. Don’t worry about anyone else’s season.
2. Whose leaf does not wither
3. Whatever they do shall prosper

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Warning for the Ungodly – vs. 4-6

Psalms 1:4–6 (NKJV)

⁴The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

⁵Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

⁶For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

 

• Like chaff – the wind drives away
• Shall not stand in the judgment
• Shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous

Are you the first fruits of what God wants done in your house?