Time in the Word ~ Psalm 1:1-3
Psalm 1:1-3 “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. 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.”
What do you mean when you tell someone to have a blessed day? What I mean is that I want God to bless you to be useful for God’s purposes in that day. In effect, I am telling you that I have raised you up to God and asked that he use your life in extraordinary ways so that you might be blessed by being a blessing in the lives of others. Remember that the next time I say to you: “Have a blessed day,” since I mean it totally from a spiritual point of view and not a worldly one.
What is important for each one of us is that God shape us, use us, and guide us in his great plan of salvation for the nations. That may or may not mean that things will be easy, smooth, or comfortable for you today. To have a blessed day is to get in the flow of God’s will and allow him to do whatever it takes to work his purposes for a lost world out through you. One thing this immediately tells you is that if you focus on yourself and dwell on optimizing your ease, comfort, and pleasure, you will not be blessed by our heavenly Father and you will miss the great opportunity to draw closer to him during that day. Many ask, “How can I adjust my attitude of mind and spirit to dedicate myself to the proposition of being the blessed man or woman of God every day of my life?”
Our devotional text lays down three principles that we must start with every day by reviewing them before we leave our homes.
1. The first principle is that we must avoid bad influences during the day. Paul says don’t be yoked with unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. What he means is that listening to the wrong voices and following the wrong examples will drive our lives into the ditch. So we don’t listen to worldly counsel, and we don’t take the easy path of sin, nor do we treat casually and disrespectfully what Christ has done for us at the cross. The way we do all of this is to follow the line of trust and obedience in our God as we live daily.
2. The second principle is that we must stay in the word of the living God. We can’t be hit and run Christians with God’s word picking it up every now and then and putting it away. Friends, that will not do! The word of God must be our delight, our passion, and our constant companion. The word of God is able to teach, guide, inform, and transform you each and every day, because when you get into the word, our God has a personal and lifesaving piece of information for you (Hebrews 4:12).
3. The third principle is that we must stay calm in the Lord and stand firm in our faith no matter how difficult the circumstances. We cannot be fearful and full of anxiety, because we are mighty oak trees planted by the eternal and life-giving stream of the presence of God. As God blesses us with prosperity, we must acknowledge and praise him as we share our blessings with others.
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