Prepared by Festus Olu Ade Alade- Pastor First Baptist Church, New Bussa
Text: Psalm 1
Introduction
The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament is God’s answer to the headaches and heartaches of life. Without it the Bible would not be complete – as a matter of fact, next to the Gospels, Psalms is probably the most read part of the Bible because of the reality and the promises found there! David powerfully summarizes where we find blessed and happy people!
The “Book of Praises” begins with “the happy man.” Someone has correctly observed that, Job is the Unhappy Man in the Bible, Psalms expresses the Happy Man, Proverbs presents the Wise Man, Ecclesiastes reveals the Worldly Man, and the Song of Solomon exalts the Heavenly Man. From Genesis 30:13 we learn that the word “blessed” means “happy” The hymn says, “trust and obey for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus…”
The Psalm says that the way to happiness is to be found in this triplet (three things):
- Be careful where you WALK :- Your Counsellors, Teachers, we used to “walk” according to the way of the world, but instead we supposed to walk in the Spirit, according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the Bible. Your walk today should be “in him” (Col. 2:6). Where you walk shows who influences you. Do you allow yourself to walk with fools, or wise? (Pr 13:20) Who you walk with will determine how you end up. What counsel do you turn to? Your music or your Bible? (Eccl 7:5)
- Be careful where you STAND – Your habits – doing things the world’s way instead of God’s way. Your stand should be “in the power of his might” (Eph. 6: 10). We used to stand against God and stand only in our own strength (flesh). Sinners have a “way” about them – a way of talking, a way of lying, a way of manipulating. All around we see teens “standing” together – be careful where you stand!
- And be careful where you SIT – your ATTITUDES. Look at the attitude that develops – scorn – mockery – bitterness, People today just “sit in judgment” of everybody and everything, especially those who are TRYING to do right. Off cuss, birds of a feather are supposed to flock together – scorners, mockers are always walk, stand and sit together. You can say not to it today if you are going to be a blessed. Your seat now is “in heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6) at the feet of Jesus, “not in the counsel of the ungodly,” not in the “way of sinners,” and not in the “seat of the scornful.”
THE ANTIDOTE TO SIN: The antidote to these is verse 2. If you do verse 2, you will not be found doing verse 1.
• To “delight in the law of the Lord” (1:2) is to value it more than your “necessary food” (according to Job 23:12) and to rejoice over it the same way you would rejoice at finding over a million Naira-Ps.119:162).
• To meditate “day and night” means to read it in the morning and then think about it throughout the day, and even after the sun sets or the lights go out. Requires memorisation (Ps 119:11). Don’t just study the easy parts of Scripture – good start – but the food is in learning even the word off hand – Ps 119:97-104. Think about the words of this Book and remind yourself what it says.
THE REWARD OF VERSE 2
“A tree planted” is one that God plants (see Mt 15:13). You can try and setup everything you want in life: business, a family, career, but it won’t amount to anything of value (Psalm 127:1). It is a life planted by “rivers of water” -John 7:38) – more than you will ever need! Not a boring, simple book, but an infinite source of truth, and promises and wisdom and hope!
Three types of success to be experienced:
a. He “bringeth forth his fruit in his season”: God plants something in us that bears fruit at the right time – gifted for service, it is NOT instantly known at salvation, but it will be evident, at the right season, This is the fruit of the Spirit’s presence in your life (Gal 5:22-24)
b. His leaf “shall not wither” as the fig tree of Matthew 21:19, that dried up from the roots. It Simply describing abundant health. Sin won’t be wearing you out like it used to (Rom 6:23a). Long life is promised to humble servants who stay close to their Master and
c. “Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Joshua 1:8)
These ungodly are only actors – they only have shells, but no substance! They shall not be able to “stand in the judgment” (i.e. they will fall down). They will not appear in the “congregation of the righteous” in heaven as defined in Heb. 12:22-23. They and their way “shall perish” (see Ps. 49:12, 17-20) See also John 3:16!
CONCLUSION
Think about this helpful question and give the right answer for it. Which “man” are you? Are you walking with the wrong friends? Watching the wrong TV and movies? Where are you getting your “counsel”? Who has the power to tell you how to live and what to think, and how to react? How is your attitude? Are you stuck, sitting with scornful people, mocking the Bible, and ignoring God’s will for your life? Or… Are you delighting in God’s word? (10 chapters a day?), Meditating in it? Exploring it and studying it, and living it? And what kind of fruit is in your life? More and more sin, or more and more Godliness?
Be MAN enough to do what is necessary to become the blessed man of Psalm 1, and not the ungodly man!