Psalm 1: God's Offer Of Blessings Or Curses, Life or Death

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It is difficult to understand or to enjoy the blessing of God. If we will only take God at His word and act on it faithfully, we will live under an open heaven at all times. We will be a man blesssed by God, as described in Psalm 1.

1 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
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD

and on His law he meditates day and night
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields it fruits in season.
and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers

4 Not so the wicked


They are like chaff
that the wind blows away
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,


but the way of the wicked will perish
(Psalm 1:1-6)

To be blessed is to enjoy the favour of God at all times.
It is to be in a situation where we know God, enjoy His presence, His love and the riches of His kingdom and where we love Him in reutrn. It is God's desire to bless His children, and He has shown us how we may walk in His blessing through His word (Psalm 1:1-6; Matthew 5:1-12)

A child of God who is not enjoying God's blessing is living under the curse of the Law of God
He is not enjoying life, but wasting away in death. This should not be the case with any child of God. He can choose blessing and not curses, life and not death (Deuteronomy 30:19). He can choose to change his present status, if it is one of defeat and failure, and enter into the blessing of God.

This day I call heaven and earth as witnessses against you that I have set before you LIFE AND DEATH, BLESSING AND CURSES. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.
(Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

1. The character of the blessed man (Psalm 1:1-2)
The man who seeks the blessings of God is one who is godly. He turns away from all evil and seek after God's will.

(a) He turns away from all evil
He does not listen to the advice and counsel of evil men. He does not do what is evil along with the wicked. He does not take the side of those who rebel against God's Word (Psalm 1:1)

1 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.
(Psalm 1:1)

(b) He seeks after God's will by meditating on God's word day and night.
The word of God reveals God's plans and purposes for all of creation, including man. The word of God prescribes for man the way to God's blessings and life.

If we want God's blessings, we must follow His instructions and walk in His ways. Thus MEDITATING on God's word is the most essential and fundamental step of moving into the blessings of God.

1 Blessed is the man...
2 But his DELIGHT is in the law of the LORD

and on His law he MEDITATES day and night
(Psalm 1:1-2)

If you do not have God's word in your heart, you will not enjoy God's blessings.
This is because you will not know how to live a life pleasing to God. Instead, you will do what is evil in God's sight and open a door for the devil to kill, steal and destroy in your life (John 10:10). Also, without knowing God's word, you will not have the faith to receive any blessing from God. However, if we know God's word, we will do what is pleasing to Him (Joshua 1:8).

Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; MEDITATE on it day and night so that you may be careful to DO EVERYTHING written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
(Joshua 1:8)

To meditate is "to murmur and utter God's word and ponder on it in our heart." It is to always speak God's wor loudly to ourselves so that we may know God's will for our lives. And we are commanded to meditate on God's word day and night. In other words, we are always to focus our thoughts on God's word and speak and act according to it at all times.

And God wants us to DELIGHT in His word.
We are to come to God's word with great expectation and pleasure towards God's revelation of His will for us. THis will bring joy to God's heart and God will be delighted to speak to us in return concerning His plans and purposes for our lives.

God does not want us to treat His word as a burden or as something that restricts us from enjoying life.
This is a perveted view of God's word. In actual fact, God's blessings come only through His word. Therefore, be excited when you meditate on God's word.

It is through God's word that His plans for ou life will be revealed. It is through God's word that His divine purposes for creation is revealed. It is through God's word that we can understand the secret plans and mysteries of God, and participate in the divine life (2 Peter 1:4). He has great treasures in store for all who would take the time to dig into His word (Isaiah 45:3).

Through these (the glory and goodness of God) He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
(2 Peter 1:4)

I will give you the treasures of darkness,;br>

riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know I am the LORD,

the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
(Isaiah 45:3)

(a) He is always full of God's life.
Water brings life and nutrients to plants. When we feed of God's word, we are like plants that are well-watered. We will be filled with the River of Life, the life of God. For God's word is "Spirit and life" (John 6:63)

3 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 prosper
(Psalm 1:3)

The River of Life from God's throne will flow into our being (Ezekiel 47:1; Revelation 22:1). We will always have God's wisdom and revelation in all that we do. We will always be filled with God's joy and peace. God's love and power will flow into us and manifest in our life. The Holy Spirit in us will flow forth from our innermost being as rivers of living water (John 7:38-39).

(b) He will always bear fruit for God
A godly child of God will do what is pleasing to God. He will always obey the specific leading of the Holy Spirit. As a result, he will do the good works God has ordained for him to do (Ephesians 2:10). He will thus bear fruit for God's kingdom, building up believers and winning souls into God's kingdom.

However, every believer who follows after God must be patient in terms of fruit-bearing in his life. There will always be a specific time and season for fruit-bearing in his life. There is no need to rush. When a tree is mature and well-nourished, it will bear fruit in its season. So will every child of God who faithfully seeks God and obeys Him.

3 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 prosper
(Psalm 1:3)

(c) His leaf does not wither
The leaf of a tree brings food and healing to others (Genesis 1:29-30;Ezekil 47:12). The leaf of a tree also speaks of the condition of the tree itself (Mark 11:20)

The blessed believer will always be healthy and strong. He will not succumb to sin, doubts, fear or discouragement. He wll not fell withered, dried, defeated of lifeless. God will refresh him even as he refreshes others (Proverbs 11:25)

3 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 prosper
(Psalm 1:3)

(d) Whatever a blessed man does will prosper.
When we meditate on God's word and obey Him accordingly, God will honor His word and bless us (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). We will be at the top, never at the bottom, the head and not the tail. We will be successful in all that we do, in every area of life.

3 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.
(Psalm 1:3)

(e) The LORD watches over the way of the righteous (Psalm 1:6)
God Himself will watch over us. The word "watches over" comes from the Hebrew word YADA, which means "to know." God knows us and our situation intimately, as only God can. And because He knows us and because He cares for us, we will always walk in His blessings whenever we turn to Him at all times.

Never ever doubt that God wants us to prosper and be successful in all that we do. Never ever doubt that He desires to protect us from all danger and harm and give us good health. Never ever doubt that He wants to exalt us before our enemies.

(a) The wicked are like chaff (Psalm 1:6)
Chaff is worthless hay or hush after the grain has been removed. It is useless material that is usually burnt up. It is also easily blown away.

Such is the life of a wicked man
Today he may appear great in his own eyes and in the eyes of the world. But in the eyes of God and from the viewpoint of eternity, he is of absolutely no value or consequence. Be he a Kublai Khan or a Hitler or a Lenin, a wicked man is just a speck of dust before God that God will blow away and that is soon no more (Psalm 1:4). A wicked man's life is wasted life, no mater what honors men may give him.

4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,


but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1:4-6)

Therefore do not envy the status or fame of a wicked man. Never turn to wickedness or evil to achieve prosperity or success. Such "prosperity" or "success" is temporary and will not stand the test of the judgement and approval of God.

(b) The wicked will not stand in the judgement (Psalm 1:5)
The wicked will not rise in the first resurrection of the dead (Revelation 20:5). They will not be accepted by God during the judgement before the Great White Throne of God (Revelation 20:11-15). They will not be part of the assembly of the righteous before God's throne in heaven (Revelation 6:9-10). Instead, they will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

5 Therefore the wicked WILL NOT STAND in the judgement,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1:5-6)

(c) The way of the wicked will perish (Psalm 1:6).
Those who do what is right in their own eyes and not what is right according to God's counsel will suffer death (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). They will suffer death to their schemes, their soul and their life. Their plans will fail. Their evil rewards will rot away. Their wickedness will be exposed. They will suffer shame and disgrace in the end.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will PERISH.
(Psalm 1:6)

There is a way that seems right to a man,


but in the end it leads to DEATH
(Proverbs 14:12; 16:25)

Never do things according to your own plans and will. Always seek God's will through His word and His Spirit. All works down outside of God's will, no matter how grand or glamorous or exciting or fascinating or religious or well-planned, are works of flesh. And all workds of the flesh will lead to destruction (Ephesians 6:8). These carnal works themselves will in the end be destroyed (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Your thought:

1. How can we walk in God's blessings, according to Psalm 1?

What is meditation on God's word?
Why is meditation on God's word so important?

2. Why should we never envy the "success" or "prosperity" of the wicked?

Why do some Christians resort to evil ways to achieve "success"?