Psalms 1

It is interesting how some of us catch onto the similarities in different verses and other passages. With a study Bible, en-tow or something similar, you can more effectively draw on the knowledge of others discovered over an extensive period of time. Without such, you would spend a lifetime searching through the scriptures and still wouldn’t uncover all of the 60, 000+ cross-references that God has hidden in His Word. Make the most of the tools that God has placed before you, and you can do this virtually anywhere, anytime.

Verse 1-2
¹Blessed is the man,
If he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor journey with sinners,
Or remains in the dwelling of the scornful.
²But when the law of God,
Is the pleasure of his life, and he meditates on it,
Both day and night.

It appears that there are a number of other verses, elsewhere, that correlate what this passage says to us. Proverbs 4:14 says much the same to us, in fact:
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not enter the way of evil. This is a brilliant summary, though it isn’t followed by the wonderful reminder of verse2, of reminding us to meditate on His [God’s] Word. Now meditate is not, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, singing “Ummmm,” and emptying the mind. That is some eastern, new-age nonsesnse of ill effect. No, to meditate truly is to fill your mind with something so effectively that little else has the opportunity to enter your mind, and to pull your consciousness from where you desire it to be.
Why don’t you practice on these passages, which bear some similarity to this passage:
Joshua 1:8; Psalms 26:4; 229:1, 16, 35; Jeremiah 25:17

Personally, I feel this is some very practical advice, on how not to find yourself in the ‘cushy’ seats of the scornful mockers who are lining themselves up for eternal seperation from God.

Verse 3
³Becoming like a tree planted by rivers of water,
Who brings forth its fruit in season;
Its foliage will not wither, whatever is done shall prosper.



The more we aspire to live a life in God, the more our words and actions will glorify Him. And as our Father, should we not be aspiring to honour Him? Doing so is said to be rewarded with a long, rewarding life. More so, in the promised land. Yes, many believe that to be in heaven, which is definitely not wrong, but Israel’s 40 years of wilderness-wanderings were due to abhorrent disbelief and disobedience. Honour God now, and He most likely has your ‘promised land’ just around the corner. If you’d like to practice some more meditation, read these verses:
Genesis 39:3; Psalms 128:3; Jeremiah 7:8-9; Ezekiel 47:12.

Verse 4-5
⁴Not so are the ungodly;
They are as chaff driven by the wind.
⁵Accordingly as such, no ungodly shall stand in the judgment,
Nor shall sinners gather with the righteous.

A time is decreed and set aside when those who ruthlessly use others for their own benefit will come under the jurisdiction of God Almighty (Isaiah 17:14). And as it states here and elsewhere, “they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff a storm carries alof (Job 21:18).” The proud and boastful may appear too well off today, but they cannot stand before God on judgment day and expect the same benefits they acquire here (Psalms 5:5; 9:7-8).
Now, while this section of scripture here speaks of the judgment awaiting the wicked scorners, their punishment is self-inflicted. If this describes anyone who is close to you, it is encouraged that you seek spiritual guidance to acquire the ‘tools’ needed to help them open their hearts to God and encounter His beautiful, loving nature. And if you find yourself passing judgment on these types of people, only Father God is fit to judge, and that self-righteous attitude is what the Vipers [Pharisees] were known for in Jesus’ day.

Verse 6
⁶For the LORD knows the way of the lawful,
Yet the way of the wicked and ungodly perish.

Typically, we are very sure not to forget the great and tremendous things, but few, if any, remember the little things also, except God. And many ‘big’ things have happened, and will continue to take place before the day of the LORD comes, but don’t let yourself get caught up in it. For Christ is a sure cornerstone (Psalms 118:22), a solid foundation; for God knows who are His, so if your faith is in Jesus, let yourself depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19).

For when we place ourselves into the LORD’s care, true growth begins. Not the physical growth, often measured by bigger muscles and better fitness, but true spiritual growth that comes from a ‘tree’ planted by the water of life. If this is something you truly desire, remember the Baptist’s words in John 3:30; “He must increase, but I must decrease.” For doing so is an effective step in spiritual growth that we all must take:
less of me and more of God.

And when any misfortune befalls you, as it does us all, don’t say, “God, why me? I’m a faithful, obedient student.” Reasons for the struggles we have are:
Firstly, that ‘goodness’ we have is, according to our human measurements, not God’s omniscient measurements. Secondly, ask yourself, “What has God allowed to happen to me that will teach me more about Him or allow me to grow closer to Him?” For such does happen, which at first glance appears horrible and as though there is no benefit in it, but remember, God sees and knows all, including all that is coming. Do you? And thirdly, is the question we often struggl e to ask ourselves, usually from a lack of desire to do so. “What person/influence have I allowed in my life that would do such to me?”

Submit yourself to God, and make yourself an obedient servant to Him; and if you’re unsure what He wants, simply read your Bible. And whatever there is about yourself that you are proud of and don’t want to let go of, make that the first thing you bring to Him in submission, ready for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-49; John 2021; Acts 1:8). For if you are unwilling to let any part of yourself go and give it unto God, are you truly ready to commit to Him? If you have, and it appears as if there is nothing going on, look at how you treat those around you (1 John 4:20), whom you can see and are made in the image and likeness of God; whom you cannot see and live (Exodus33:20).
Psalms 1 It is interesting how some of us catch onto the similarities in different verses and other passages. With a study Bible, en-tow or something similar, you can more effectively draw on the knowledge of others discovered over an extensive period of time. Without such, you would spend a lifetime searching through the scriptures and still wouldn’t uncover all of the 60, 000+ cross-references that God has hidden in His Word. Make the most of the tools that God has placed before you, and you can do this virtually anywhere, anytime. Verse 1-2 ¹Blessed is the man, If he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor journey with sinners, Or remains in the dwelling of the scornful. ²But when the law of God, Is the pleasure of his life, and he meditates on it, Both day and night. It appears that there are a number of other verses, elsewhere, that correlate what this passage says to us. Proverbs 4:14 says much the same to us, in fact: Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not enter the way of evil. This is a brilliant summary, though it isn’t followed by the wonderful reminder of verse2, of reminding us to meditate on His [God’s] Word. Now meditate is not, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, singing “Ummmm,” and emptying the mind. That is some eastern, new-age nonsesnse of ill effect. No, to meditate truly is to fill your mind with something so effectively that little else has the opportunity to enter your mind, and to pull your consciousness from where you desire it to be. Why don’t you practice on these passages, which bear some similarity to this passage: Joshua 1:8; Psalms 26:4; 229:1, 16, 35; Jeremiah 25:17 Personally, I feel this is some very practical advice, on how not to find yourself in the ‘cushy’ seats of the scornful mockers who are lining themselves up for eternal seperation from God. Verse 3 ³Becoming like a tree planted by rivers of water, Who brings forth its fruit in season; Its foliage will not wither, whatever is done shall prosper. The more we aspire to live a life in God, the more our words and actions will glorify Him. And as our Father, should we not be aspiring to honour Him? Doing so is said to be rewarded with a long, rewarding life. More so, in the promised land. Yes, many believe that to be in heaven, which is definitely not wrong, but Israel’s 40 years of wilderness-wanderings were due to abhorrent disbelief and disobedience. Honour God now, and He most likely has your ‘promised land’ just around the corner. If you’d like to practice some more meditation, read these verses: Genesis 39:3; Psalms 128:3; Jeremiah 7:8-9; Ezekiel 47:12. Verse 4-5 ⁴Not so are the ungodly; They are as chaff driven by the wind. ⁵Accordingly as such, no ungodly shall stand in the judgment, Nor shall sinners gather with the righteous. A time is decreed and set aside when those who ruthlessly use others for their own benefit will come under the jurisdiction of God Almighty (Isaiah 17:14). And as it states here and elsewhere, “they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff a storm carries alof (Job 21:18).” The proud and boastful may appear too well off today, but they cannot stand before God on judgment day and expect the same benefits they acquire here (Psalms 5:5; 9:7-8). Now, while this section of scripture here speaks of the judgment awaiting the wicked scorners, their punishment is self-inflicted. If this describes anyone who is close to you, it is encouraged that you seek spiritual guidance to acquire the ‘tools’ needed to help them open their hearts to God and encounter His beautiful, loving nature. And if you find yourself passing judgment on these types of people, only Father God is fit to judge, and that self-righteous attitude is what the Vipers [Pharisees] were known for in Jesus’ day. Verse 6 ⁶For the LORD knows the way of the lawful, Yet the way of the wicked and ungodly perish. Typically, we are very sure not to forget the great and tremendous things, but few, if any, remember the little things also, except God. And many ‘big’ things have happened, and will continue to take place before the day of the LORD comes, but don’t let yourself get caught up in it. For Christ is a sure cornerstone (Psalms 118:22), a solid foundation; for God knows who are His, so if your faith is in Jesus, let yourself depart from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19). For when we place ourselves into the LORD’s care, true growth begins. Not the physical growth, often measured by bigger muscles and better fitness, but true spiritual growth that comes from a ‘tree’ planted by the water of life. If this is something you truly desire, remember the Baptist’s words in John 3:30; “He must increase, but I must decrease.” For doing so is an effective step in spiritual growth that we all must take: less of me and more of God. And when any misfortune befalls you, as it does us all, don’t say, “God, why me? I’m a faithful, obedient student.” Reasons for the struggles we have are: Firstly, that ‘goodness’ we have is, according to our human measurements, not God’s omniscient measurements. Secondly, ask yourself, “What has God allowed to happen to me that will teach me more about Him or allow me to grow closer to Him?” For such does happen, which at first glance appears horrible and as though there is no benefit in it, but remember, God sees and knows all, including all that is coming. Do you? And thirdly, is the question we often struggl e to ask ourselves, usually from a lack of desire to do so. “What person/influence have I allowed in my life that would do such to me?” Submit yourself to God, and make yourself an obedient servant to Him; and if you’re unsure what He wants, simply read your Bible. And whatever there is about yourself that you are proud of and don’t want to let go of, make that the first thing you bring to Him in submission, ready for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-49; John 2021; Acts 1:8). For if you are unwilling to let any part of yourself go and give it unto God, are you truly ready to commit to Him? If you have, and it appears as if there is nothing going on, look at how you treat those around you (1 John 4:20), whom you can see and are made in the image and likeness of God; whom you cannot see and live (Exodus33:20).
Like
1
0 Comments 0 Shares 19 Views