Memory verse: Psalm 1:1– “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
The first division of Psalms begins with the will of God for man: to live to receive eternal life. If we take in account the historical aspects of this book, for years Israel had forsaken the will of God. What a fitting song to begin this book of the bible!
The man of God does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Walk refers to his decision to live for God. He does not follow the ways of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners. He has a realization about the will of God. He does not purposely indulge in the ways of the ungodly, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. The blessed man chooses a righteous life. This was Israel’s downfall. They had chose to do contrary to the pleasure of God and refused many times to listen to those who were called by God to lead them. We cannot seclude ourselves from the ungodly. We are called to the light of Christ and must witness Christ, our only hope for redemption. We rely on the Holy Spirit to live holy and to obey the word of God. (Psalm 1:1; Jeremiah 25:4)
The blessed man delights in the law of God. He truly enjoys to read, to understand and to apply the word to his life. The Ten Commandments are not a burden to him because he loves God. His love and teachable spirit gives room for the word to take root. In the natural, when a seed is planted it will grow and remain strong, when it is planted and nourished properly. In the spiritual, man will grow and remain strong, when he is properly nourished by the word. Jesus taught that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Psalm 1:2; Matthew 4:4)
His conscious decision to refrain from unrighteousness makes these blessings possible:
(a) He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.
The blessed man has a never ending supply of nourishment and refreshment. Just as a “hart panteth after the water brooks” and is satisfied and renewed, “so panteth my soul after thee O God.” We are renewed by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit and our hope is continuous in the Lord. (Psalms 42:1)
(b) That bringeth forth his fruit in his season.
The fruit of the Spirit is evident: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Therefore, his actions are timely and appropriate. (Galatians 5:22-23)
(c) His leaf also shall not wither.
The blessed man has a consistency in his faith. He is stable and will not waiver with the will of God. He is not easily persuaded to neglect his faith.
(d) He shall prosper.
The blessed man will prosper in all that he does. Prosperity is not limited to wealth. Through our spiritual blessings we can see that “God will supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory.” (Psalm 1:3; Philippians 4:19)
The ungodly man is either well-planted, fruitful, stable or prosperous. He is like the chaff which the wind bloweth away. He has no solid foundation. Our only means of hope is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior. The ungodly will not stand in judgment because he has no defense. Christ is our only defense, our only advocate with our Father! For those who call on his name, he pleads that our sins maybe forgiven before our Father. (Psalm 1:4-5; I John 2:1)
The way of the righteous is sealed. God knows that the end of him is eternal life. They have been found worthy to enter the pearly gates. (Psalm 1:6; Revelation 21:21)
In conclusion, the most important decision to be made is ‘where will I spend eternity?’. Our very hope to a blessed end is our acceptance of salvation in Jesus. The blessed man is destined to be blessed, “he that endureth until the end, the same shall be saved”. The ungodly are destined for death because they refuse to accept God’s only plan for our redemption. “Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:28)
Pastor Tylvia E. Koromah The Path of Righteousness Church in Christ
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