Blessed is the man ...

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY – 19 SEPTEMBER 2023

PSALM 1

The book of Psalms is a devotional book, a prayer and a hymn book for the people of God.  The New Testament has over 400 quotations from the book of Psalms.  When the church of Jerusalem chose new apostles the Lord gave guidance through the Psalms.  Psalm 16 verse 10 “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”  Acts 2 verse 31 Peter quoted from the Psalms “he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soul was not left In hell, neither his flesh did see corruptions.”  Singing selective psalms was part of the early church.  Ephesians 5 verse 19 “speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and  making melody in your heart to the Lord.”  Sadly not as much a part of worship as could be.  The psalms are primarily about God, creation and his relationship to mankind.  It speaks of a tender-hearted father, a God who keeps his promises.  The Psalms also speak of those who are victorious, who have faith and doubts.  In these verses we read of wickedness, ungodliness and what their latter end will be.  I want us to consider the first 2 verses of Psalm 1.

 

The writer starts of with a high note – “blessed is the man”.  The word “blessed” can be translated happy.  The psalmist is saying “happy is the man.”  We all like to be happy and full of joy.  We dread those moments when we are robbed of cheerfulness and contentment.  The truth is that there will be times of sadness.  The secret to obtaining lasting happiness is found in healthy habits.  To be a blessing of God you have to be a blessing to God.  We must be careful about the places where we walk, stand and sit because that will determine whether we are blessed by God.  There are 3 points from these verses:

 

Happiness comes from taking the right step – “blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.”  He commences with the power of negative thinking.  He is warning his writers of a path that the child of God must not tread.  This path is easy to get on but much more difficult to get off.  If a man is going to be happy that man must avoid the path of the ungodly.  Many things make it possible for happiness to flourish.  The path of the ungodly is poisonous, counter-productive.  God’s people must take the right step and avoid the ungodly path at all cost.  Negatively the righteous person refuses to participate in the way of ungodliness.  “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3 verse 3)  God made it clear to the Israelites.  He was in the business of obedience.  They must not be contaminated by other nations.  He made it clear you are in the world but not of the world.  A godly man is separated from the world.  That was the teaching of Jesus.  John 17 verse 16 “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.”  The believer must be aware of friendships with the world that lead to being spotted by the world.  James 1 verse 27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keep himself unspotted from the world.”  Happiness comes from taking the right step.

 

Secondly taking the right stand – “nor standeth in the way of sinners.”  The blessed and happy man does not mingle with ungodly men.  It is not saying you shouldn’t mingle with ungodly.  Jesus was known as the friend of publicans and sinners.  We are not to stand in the way of sinners.  In other words, the blessed and happy man is not to take part in the ways of the ungodly.  The godly man will do everything not to be associated with evil men.  We are to be separated people.  John in his first letter in chapter 2 verse 18 says “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  Many there are, may be professing Christians, who stand in the way of sinners.  They do not go along with the ways of the ungodly and take part in their practices.  We are not to take part in the sinful practices of the ungodly.  We are separated people.  A man of God is separated from this world.  No involvement in what the godly do and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them.  Does not associate with those who gather themselves in ways to support the devil’s kingdom.

 

Happiness comes from taking the right step.  Happiness comes from taking the right stand.  Thirdly happiness comes from taking the right seat – “nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”  The child of God does not listen to the ungodly man, nor linger and laugh with the scornful man.  The sinful have their counsel.  Notice the progression in verse 1 of wickedness - the ungodly, sinner and then the scornful.  This progression as you read in many ways represents the backsliding in all its forms.  Everything is going well when walking along until something catches our attention.  Before we know it we are standing and then finally sitting.  May not be the intention to stand for long periods, and then sit down. There are times the attention is so taken by what it sees and the individual stops, stands and then sits.  That is the same way backsliding works.  The inward progression – we must avoid sin when walking, contemplating when standing, comfortable with sin when sitting.  As the company gets worse sin will increase its hold so watch that first step.  If you follow the wrong counsel, follow the wrong companions and finally sit with the wrong crowd.  The happy, happy man will avoid the seat of the scornful.  God delights to bless individual lives but what brings God’s blessing?  What are we to do in order to be blessed by God and enjoy real happiness?  By delighting in his word - verse 2.  When the word of God has captured our full attention we will take the right step, right stand and right seat.  The word of God will fill us with real joy and real happiness.  We cannot go wrong when we meditate on the word of God.  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  The secret success to happiness – by taking the right step, the right stand and the right seat.  From that will follow blessing and from blessing flows true and lasting happiness.