Be Blessed

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

LESSON ONE.

“How blessed is the man…” We need God’s blessings to flourish and prosper. We receive these blessings if we maintain a proper relationship with God and all living things. We must avoid walking in the counsel of the wicked and incurring God’s wrath. Whenever we approach situations in life, we must ask ourselves, “What can I do here to receive God’s blessings and avoid His wrath?”

God’s blessings come in two forms: carnal and spiritual. We must recognize these blessings, prioritize them, and seek to receive them.

CARNAL OR WORLDLY BLESSINGS.

Good health. This is the greatest and most important blessing we can receive. When we pray for God’s carnal blessings, good health is at the top of the list.
Peace and harmony.
Wisdom.
Material wealth.
General prosperity.

We cannot procure these five things through effort or diligence. God is the sole benefactor of these blessings.

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS.

Faith.
Understanding Truth.
Act according to Truth.
Perseverance.

Only God can bless us with faith. Only God can bless us with the ability to understand and act according to Truth. Only God can bless us with the perseverance to continue acting faithfully despite obstacles and hardships. God is the sole author of carnal and spiritual blessings. We cannot create any of these blessings on our own.

LESSON TWO.

Be careful of people. Do not “walk in the counsel of the wicked.” Do not surround yourself with wicked counsel, and be wary that you might be wicked counsel to yourself. Examine the people in your lives. When I meet this person, do I feel closer to God? Does he or she put a wedge between God and me? Wicked refers to any words, thoughts, actions, or works that fall outside of God-centric tendencies. Anything outside of God-centric thinking is evil. We must see the world in a God-centric way, not put ourselves at the center of the universe. My thoughts. My desires. My ideas. My wants. Many people put themselves at the center of the universe and expect others to conform and support this world order. Avoid standing “in the path of sinners” and sitting in the “seat of scoffers!” Do not stand with sinners! Always be humble and avoid company with the arrogant! Whenever we meet people or even address ourselves, do these three things:

Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked.
Do not stand in the path of sinners.
Do not sit in the seat of scoffers.

LESSON THREE.

Delight in the law of the Lord!

Meditate day and night on His law!

We must delight in the Lord’s law. Why? This law opens our eyes. We fail in life because we keep doing the wrong things and making the wrong choices. We’re blind. The Lord’s law opens our eyes and shows us the way. We must delight because the Lord’s law cures us of our ills. The Lord’s law cures our “sick” businesses, relationships, and bodies. When we delight in the law and meditate on it day and night, we begin to see a way out of the darkness. And we must delight in the law because it’s our chance to meet the Lord. When we meet the Lord, we become healthier. Our faith grows stronger. Our religious will and resolve grow stronger. We understand that connection to the Lord and His law gives us life, peace, and victory.

“Meditate day and night…” We must think of the Lord’s law without pause. Whatever situations we confront, we must think of His law. “What does the Lord say about this matter?” Think of the Lord day and night! In all situations, trivial to impactful, make the Lord the center of the decision-making process.

LESSON FOUR

“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season…”

If we seek His blessings, avoid wicked counsel, and delight in His law, we will be like trees firmly planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in its season. Regardless of how hard we try, we cannot plant ourselves. The owner of the land decides where to plant us. By delighting in His law and meditating day night, God firmly plants us by streams of water. The stream of water is God’s love, the love of God’s grace. Is there a better place in the world? We are trees firmly planted by God’s loving grace. We are planted in ground connected to God’s love and grace. And once we are planted, we yield fruit. Whether we meet good or bad events, we always yield the fruit of building our salvation. Every situation in life works to feed and build our salvation.

We need God to shower us with His carnal and spiritual blessings. We must be careful of people, avoid the counsel of the wicked. We must rejoice in His law and meditate on it day and night. If we do, God plants us by streams of water where we are bound to His love and grace.

Summary