Be Blessed! A look at Psalm 1





Read Psalm 1

Sometimes it seems as though the wicked prosper and the Christian suffers, but have you ever thought about what happens in the end? The Bible tells us many truths and if we look at Psalm 1 we can be comforted by the Godly wisdom we’re given and also find the answer to our question; will the wicked always prosper? Psalm 1 tells us of two ways of living and what will happen if we live either way. There is the “way of the sinner” and the “way of the righteous”. We start with a look at the righteous, then we’ll see the downfall of sinners, and end, as we always should, with reason to praise the Lord.

Psalm 1 starts with a look at the man who is blessed because of righteousness; how then, must we live to be one of the blessed? Our text reminds us that the people of God must be characterized by righteousness; sinners have no place among God’s people. Those who serve the Lord and do His will are blessed. The very first verse tells us not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked.” Proverbs 1:10 gives us the meaning of this when it says, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.” If we are propositioned or enticed to do wrong, we must not give in. Do not listen to advice that goes against God’s Word. Verse 1 goes on to say that we are not to “stand in the way of sinners”. This means that we are not to live in habitual sin. We know that we will sin, but intentionally living in sin is to “stand in the way of sinners”. 1 John 3:9 says, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God”. A Christian must desire to live righteously which means that we hate sin and try not to. When you love God, you want to do what He says is right, so when you’re constantly faced with a sin then instead of just giving in to it, you fight against it. The end of verse 1 tells us we are not to “sit in the seat of mockers”. This one should come as no surprise. When you love someone its abhorrent to hear others mock and defy them. Mockers are those who ridicule God and reject His law. The Bible calls them fools, as David wrote, “The fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’, they are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good”. (Psalm 14:1). When we hear others mocking God or taking His Name in vain, we should not join in, but rather, keep ourselves far away from them. When you love God and put Him first in your life you want to be with those who share in your love for Him.

We’ve now seen what not to do, but our text goes on to tell us what we should do. Verse 2 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law, he meditates day and night”. God will bless the person who delights in His law. This means studying God’s Word and seeking guidance for our lives, not from the “counsel of the wicked”, but from the Word of God. When faced with decisions we should seek God through reading the Bible and praying to Him. Our text says to meditate day and night, therefore, we should constantly be seeking God and desiring to do His Will.

If we move on to verse 3, we’re given a visual comparison to the blessed Christian. “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”. We are compared to a strong tree that can withstand the harshest weather and gives shade and food, not only to man, but to all who come to it. Man, birds and other animals will thrive from its shade and fruit. A righteous man will not only be blessed but will also be a blessing to others.

Moving on to verse 4, we can see what association with the ungodly will bring. The wicked may seem to prosper but “they are like chaff that the wind bows away”. When grain is threshed the seed coverings and other debris get separated and blown away. This chaff is worthless. So too, sinners will be carried away on judgement day. They will perish for eternity. We can easily see that of the two ways of living, this one may seem desirable now, but ultimately will lead to destruction. Verse 5 tells us that on the day of judgement the wicked will not be able to stand up under God’s judgement. They will be separated from the righteous, “For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish”. (Psalm 1:6) 
The lifestyle you choose now will lead you to one of two endings. So, choose to be around God-fearing people. Choose to seek your help and answers from the Word of God and love His law. Continually study God’s Word and get to know the God who created you. Choose to be a blessing to those around you and you too will be blessed. Fight sin and temptation, praise God for His just judgement and thank Him for watching over you. May our gracious God bless you!

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