TEXT: Psalm 1:1-6 – “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.”
We can be happy by
associating with the right people. We can be happy by choosing to delight
ourselves in God’s Word, let God’s Word capture our full affection, and have a
fruitful, productive and weather resistant faith.
This is the result of choosing the right people
to associate with and the right thing to bring true delight into our lives. (v.
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.” And, (v. 4) “The ungodly are not so, But are
like the chaff which the wind drives away.”
The Bible doesn't promise a soft and easy life.
It promises that there will be times when we must face the storm that bring the
unpleasant wind and rain into our lives.
There will be days of drought when we must endure the scorching heat;
there will be long, lonely winters that are cold and bitter. It is a fact of
life that we will go through trials and tribulations, and we will go through
seasons of pain as well as seasons of joy. The successful and blessed person is
the one who can weather any storm that life brings.
At the end of World War II, the Allied forces
swept through Germany, searching farms and houses for snipers. In the basement
of an abandoned house, on a crumbling wall, a victim of the Holocaust had
scratched a Star of David, and beneath it, had written these words:
I believe in the sun even when it does not
shine; I believe in love even when it is not shown; believe in God even when He
does not speak!
There
are some Christians who believe that if you have faith, you won't have any
serious problems.
The
Bible doesn't teach that faith prevents bad weather; it teaches that faith
protects you during bad weather.
There is passage in the book of Jeremiah that
is similar to the first Psalm. Listen to these words written about the one
whose trust in the Lord:
"He shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its
leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does
not cease to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:8)
Put your faith in God. He will help you endure
any storm or any drought that life brings your way. In fact, BECAUSE you are
living in God's favor, your life will flourish with spiritual fruitfulness even
in times of apparent drought!
This psalm closes with a word of assurance: (v.
6)"... For the Lord knows the way
of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” That is the
clincher!
Psalm 1 offers God’s perspective on happiness
that is much different than that of the world.
Happiness is knowing God's will and living it
out in our daily life.
·
God favors those that choose to associate with
the right people, He blesses those who delight in His word and are guided by
it’s wisdom and not the opinions of the ungodly.
·
God blesses those who pursue Him with a
one-track mind with inner happiness and joy.
·
God blesses us with weather-resistant faith
that is fruitful and productive.
God and His Word for their lives influence
people that are happy.
God has freely offered His love and favor to
us. Living so that we may enjoy it's benefits is our choice! Happiness
doesn't discover you. Happiness is not a stroke of luck or good fortune.
Happiness is a way of life found in obedience to the will of God.
Will you be blessed with a godly happiness and
joy that is based on and founded in the relationship that you have with God.
