Psalm 1:1, 2 - The Blessing of Obedience.
Psalm 1:1, 2 - The Blessing of Obedience.
Psalm 1:1, 2 (KJV) 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.
Awful advice, crushing consequences, and a raunchy
reputation-that's what you can get when you follow worldly counsel and people.
What do you get when you follow God? Joy! There is delight in doing
what God wants because it is only then that we are doing what we were
created to do. We are accomplishing our purpose. We are following the
counsel of an all-wise, all-knowing God and experiencing the countless
benefits that come with that: We're not harming anyone and being eaten
alive with guilt. We're not continually embarrassing ourselves (and
those who love us) with our behavior. But how in the world can we do
everything the Lord wants? By surrendering to him and immersing ourselves
in his Word, we will begin to delight in doing what he has planned.
Thinking about his law day and night is what brings true joy not only to
our hearts but also to God's.
Dear GOD, more than anything, I want to make you happy. I
want to do and be all that you planned when you created me. It's your
counsel I want to follow, your side I want to be on, and your behavior I
most want to imitate. Help me to continually think of you and the
words you wrote so that I might experience your joy. May you smile
when you think of me. [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller]
Those whom God blesses are not delighted with what pertains to
sin and the world; they delight in the Word of God. It is love for
and obedience to the Bible that brings blessing on our lives. The
people God blesses not only read the Word daily, but they study it,
memorize it, and meditate on it during the day and night. Their mind is
controlled by the Word of God. Because of this, they are led by the Spirit
and walk in the Spirit. Meditation is to the soul what "digestion"
is to the body. It means understanding the Word, "chewing on it,"
and applying it to our lives, making it a part of the inner person.
[Wiersbe's Expository Outlines]
All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with
Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts
and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will,
that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses.
The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in
doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know
Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an
appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will
become hateful to us. As Christ lived the law in humanity, so we may
do if we will take hold of the Strong for strength. {DA 668}
All of God's revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to
us through obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience opens
heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become ours. [In His
Time; My Utmost For His Highest re Mat.11:25]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Grace Notes: http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php
Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/
More Spiritual Resources: http://www.aBible.com
TWO INCREDIBLE TESTIMONIES:
Finding God in a Prison Cell:
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/1212
With Christ in the Desert:
http://www.itiswritten.com/television#episodes/1211
