Psalm 1:1-3 - The Blessing of Gods Word.
Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV) Blessed 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; 2 But his delight is in the
law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day
and night. 3 He 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.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Imagine for a moment that youre on a
diet, and youve decided to go on a walk every
morning for exercise. You settle on a route that
takes you right past your favorite doughnut shop
just when theyre making them fresh. You know
its a mistake to go that way, but you do it
anyway. As you walk by the doughnut shop,
congratulating yourself for exercising, you glance in the
window. Soon youre standing at the window. And
before you know it, youre sitting inside - not
at a table but in a vat of raw dough.
Thats how sin works. Psalm 1:1 sums it
up perfectly: Blessed 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 (NKJV). Notice the progression. First there
is walking, then comes standing, and finally
its sitting.
Contrast that with the next verse: But
his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in
His law he meditates day and night (verse 2
NKJV).
To paraphrase it, he loves to read the
Bible. He loves to hear the Bible preached. He
loves to hear songs with verses from the Bible. He
loves the Word of God and meditates on it, which
means that he thinks about it. He ponders it. He
considers it day and night.
If you want to be a blessed, or happy,
person, then you will need to separate yourself from
some things and some people and in exchange
surround yourself with other things and other people.
The problem is the believer does not pull the
nonbeliever up; the nonbeliever usually pulls the
believer down.
If you want to live a godly life, then
you will need to separate yourself from ungodly
influences. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
The psalmist speaks of the person who is
blessed, fortunate, and happy. He meditates on God's
Word day and night. To meditate is to think
deeply about something, to go over and over it so
that it sinks into the heart and influences the
way we think, feel, and act.
Repetition helps us create habits and can
transform us. Just as repeatedly eating the right
foods or consistently exercising changes our
bodies over time, so repeating a passage of
Scripture and consistently thinking about it will
gradually change the way we think. And changing the
way we think will change the way we live.
Choose a verse that ministers to your
soul, perhaps a promise you want to trust in. Turn
it over and over in your mind. What are the
implications of it? Let it sink into your heart. If you
can make space to meditate daily on a short
portion of God's Word, you will change your mind-set
and your heart over time (Pro. 23:7). [The
Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
Meditation means to think deeply and
continuously about something. For a Christian, this
means remaining in the presence of God and
pondering each truth He reveals about Himself until it
becomes real and personal in your life. This takes
time. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus accused
certain would-be followers of calling Him Lord
and yet never doing what He told them (Lu 6:46).
They had the correct truth in their heads, but it
had never translated into obedience.
When you meditate on Scriptures, the truth
moves from your head to your heart and results in
obedience. As the Psalmist said: Your word have I
hidden in my heart, / That I might not sin against
You (Ps 119:11).
When you know Gods Word in your mind
but not in your heart, it means that you have
learned the principles and concepts and doctrines of
God, but you have not come to know Jesus
personally. You can reject a doctrine, or ignore a
concept, or challenge a principle, but it is much
more difficult to ignore a Person. You can have
Scripture in your mind and still sin against God.
There are those who can recite long passages of
Scripture and yet live ungodly lives. However, you
cannot have Scripture fill your heart and continue
to sin against God. When Gods truth is
allowed to touch the deepest corner of your soul,
the Holy Spirit will transform you into the
image of Jesus Christ. Dont just read your
Bible, meditate on Gods Word and ask Him to
change your heart. [Experiencing God Day by Day by
Henry and Richard Blackaby re Psa. 1:2]
There is nothing more calculated to
strengthen the intellect than a study of the Bible. No
other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts,
to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad,
ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's Word were
studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of
mind, a nobility of character, that is rarely seen
in these times.
No knowledge is so firm, so consistent,
so far-reaching, as that obtained from a study
of the Word of God. If there were not another
book in the wide world, the Word of God, lived
out through the grace of Christ, would make man
perfect in this world, with a character fitted for
the future, immortal life. Those who study the
Word, taking it in faith as the truth, and
receiving it into the character, will be complete in
Him who is all and in all. Thank God for the
possibilities set before humanity. . .
The time devoted to a study of God's Word
and to prayer will bring a hundredfold in
return.
The Word of God is the living seed, and
as this seed is sown in the mind, the human
agent must give diligent care to the successive
stages of its growth. How is this to be done? After
the Word has been prayerfully received, it is to
be cherished, and practiced in the daily life.
It is to spring up and bear fruit, putting
forth first the blade, then the ear, then the full
corn in the ear.
It is not enough to study the Bible as
other books are studied. In order for it to be
understood savingly, the Holy Spirit must move on the
heart of the searcher. The same Spirit that
inspired the Word must inspire the reader of the
Word. Then will be heard the voice of heaven. "Thy
Word, O God, is truth" will be the language of the
soul.
The mere reading of the Word will not
accomplish the result designed of Heaven; it must be
studied, and cherished in the heart. The knowledge of
God is not gained without mental effort. We
should diligently study the Bible, asking God for
the aid of the Holy Spirit, that we may
understand His Word. We should take one verse, and
concentrate the mind on the task of ascertaining the
thought which God has put in that verse for us. We
should dwell on the thought till it becomes our
own, and we know "what saith the Lord." . .
The Word of God is the bread of life.
Those who eat and digest this Word, making it a
part of every action and of every attribute of
character, grow strong in the strength of God. It gives
immortal vigor to the soul, perfecting the experience
and bringing joys that will abide forever. {LHU
111}
CLOSING THOUGHT
Gods Path to Blessing
The Bible is more than just a book you
put on your shelf. Its a pathway to Gods
blessing.
Over and over in Gods Word, were
told that studying and applying the Bible leads
to blessing.
For example, the Bible says, Blessed
is the one whose delight is in the law of
the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and
night. That person is like a tree planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they
do prospers (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV).
What does it mean to meditate? Some
people think it means to put your mind in neutral
and contemplate the lint on your navel as you
say, Ommmmmm.
But thats not what meditation is!
Meditation is seriously thinking about
something. You meditate on Gods Word when you read a
verse, think about what it means, and ask yourself
how you could apply it to your life.
Doing this, Psalm 1:1-3 says, is like
planting deep roots into the ground. It means you
wont get blown over when troubles come.
God wont bless you if youre not
digging in and studying the Bible.
I want whatever you do to prosper. I want
your life to be filled with meaning and purpose.
But for Gods blessing, the Bible says you
must not only read Gods Word but also study
it.
I want whatever you do to prosper in the
years ahead. But God makes the condition clear. If
you want his blessing, you must study his Word.
James 1:25 tells us how: But whoever
looks intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what
they have heard, but doing it - they will be
blessed in what they do. (NIV).
If you want God to bless you, commit to
looking intently at the Word, continuing to examine
Scripture, remembering what youve read, and obeying
what it teaches you to do.
Its not complicated.
But itll change your life. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Psalm 1:1-3 - The Blessing of God's Word for
the New Year.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180119-1012.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
