Psalm 1:1-4 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.”
Why do you believe the things you do? What has caused you to have the convictions you have? Throughout the Psalms and Proverbs we see things as very black and white. Either you serve man or you serve God. Either your thoughts are driven by the flesh or by the Spirit. Either you believe the foolishness of the world or the truth of God. Your beliefs and convictions have come from one of two places; the culture or the gospel. It is very easy to let the culture characterize our convictions in the church. The culture says success is in numbers. Hope is in possessions. Love is in tolerance. Joy is in fame. These types of convictions seem to be in contradiction to the teachings of scripture but they drive our ministries. We give away free stuff to fill our pews, teach on the best way to prosper, open our doors to all lifestyles, and seek the renown of men. What is the cost; those who say “Lord, Lord” but who He does not know.
The one who is blessed in Psalm 1 is he who does not walk by the standards of men but delights in God’s law. This word “delight” speaks of all that makes God’s chosen happy. It is more than his pleasure, it is his chief desire. Is our chief desire God’s law? This is more than just love and devotion to God's word but is total obedience to it. If we are to be successful as a church, our focus should never be on the pride of men but on the glory of God. Let us delight in His law and trust in His authority over us as the body. Here we will find stability like a tree planted by streams of water.
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