September 18 “Blessed, More Blessed, and Blessed Again” Psalm 1:1-6
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “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.” (Psalm 1:1-6)
In my studies of Psalms and the writing of King David, it is thought that Psalm 1 was his favorite because it introduced the Hebrew word, “Esher,” which is translated to mean “Happy,” or “Blessed!” The message that David is proclaiming, is that, when we walk in the presence of the Lord and we seek a relationship with Him, and we are committed to doing His will, then we will be “Blessed” and “Happy!” In David’s time, the main method to establish a close relationship with God was to “delight in His Law!” They were to “Learn it,” “Meditate on it,” and to “Practice it,” daily! In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus is the fulfillment of the “law,” and, because we are unable to “Keep the Law,” in our humanity, Jesus came to forgive our sins and to reestablish our relationship with Almighty God. Psalm 1 is still relevant for us today! Since Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law, and we are followers of Christ, then we are, indeed, keeping the Law! Folks, we must avoid those that will take us away from our devotion to Christ and we must limit the exposure to the negative actions that will cloud our pathway and cause us to forget our “Blessings!” God’s word is Clear: The one who follows God and seeks His face and turns from the wicked ways, will have the opportunity to be “Blessed” and “Happy” in this journey that we call “Life!” Once again, I reference the events of the past few months that have solidified the necessity to “seek His Face and to Praise His Name!” Amazingly, on January 31, 2022, in the middle of a stroke, and the aftermath of diagnosis and treatment, I remained resolute and confident that my God was (and is) in control and that He would (and will) see me through to the end! I still believe, and I am Blessed, More Blessed and Blessed Some More! Just as the Hebrews were to meditate and learn and practice the “Law,” we are to “Meditate” on God’s Word, and we are to “Learn” God’s Word, and we are to “Practice it” every single day! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!