11/9/20 - STAYING BLESSED in a CRAZY WORLD.

“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; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 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. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:1-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The blessings of God cannot be earned, but it does require our participation to enjoy the full benefits of His blessings. As with every gift, a recipient is required, and depending on the gift, some instructions are necessary. God has a set of instructions He has set in place for the full experience of His blessings. Why settle for a sip when you can have the entire well?

The Psalm above is neither difficult to understand or hard to follow. It’s self explanatory if you ask me. But God never leads us to something without providing clarity. This way we’re without excuse and don’t blame Him for our failures. Separating ourselves from those who oppose the biblical truths we hold dear is a start. 2 Corinthians 6:14 is a great verse supporting verse one of the Psalm. We don’t walk the same path, we may be on the same road, but on different paths. We don’t associate with those who mock or dismantle the Word of God. 2 Peter 3:3.

We delight in God’s Word, ways, will and desires. We’re mindful of what we read, watch and participate in. Our focus is on pleasing the God of the Bible. His Word takes priority in our lives. We don’t argue or apologize for it, we believe it from Genesis to Revelation. We hold to the truth that God created everything, that without Jesus nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3. That He Jesus is the only way to God. We don’t adjust to the cultural norms, the culture adjusts to us, His children.

Our consistent walk positions us to be fruitful and blessed in every season of our lives. When the world is falling apart, our foundation remains stable, in a drought we’re well watered, in a famine we’re well fed, when there’s darkness all around we’re protected in Goshen, protected under the shadow of His wings. Psalm 91. We prosper in a downturn, we always have more than enough. A blessing has been pronounced on us by virtue of our choosing the right path.

As clear as our path is, so just as clear is the pathway of those the Psalmist calls the wicked. The contrast is stark. Choices produce blessings or curses. The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the ones who choose a path away from Christ end with destruction. God is not responsible for our choices -we are. But He has always placed before us a pathway to blessings. We like Israel have been chosen to stay blessed in a crazy world. How we represent the blessed life is strictly on us. But the Word is true.

“BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

That’s who we are when we live a set apart life for our God. We’re influencers of the ungodly -not the other way around. Live like you know and watch your blessings flow.

Father in the Name of Jesus, thank You for Your Word. Where would we be without Him. We learn a d grow each time we set our hearts to know You more. We no longer need to fit into the world’s mold. As we stand on Your Word we are blessed in all we do. In Jesus Name. Amen

Written by permission of the Holy Spirit

W. Tennant