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Psalm 1:1, 2 - The Blessing of God's Word.

Psalm 1:1, 2 - The Blessing of God's Word.

Psalm 1:1, 2 (KJV) 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. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his 
law he meditates day and night.  

Those whom God blesses are not delighted with what pertains to 
sin and the world; they delight in the Word of God. It is love for 
and obedience to the Bible that brings blessing on our lives. The 
people God blesses not only read the Word daily, but they study it, 
memorize it, and meditate on it during the day and night. Their mind is 
controlled by the Word of God. Because of this, they are led by the Spirit 
and walk in the Spirit. Meditation is to the soul what "digestion" 
is to the body. It means understanding the Word, "chewing on it," 
and applying it to our lives, making it a part of the inner person. 
[Wiersbe's Expository Outlines] 

   Crushing consequences and a raunchy reputation is what you 
can get when you follow worldly counsel and people. What do you get 
when you follow God? Joy! There is delight in doing what God wants 
because it is only then that we are doing what we were created to do. We 
are accomplishing our purpose. We are following the counsel of an 
all-wise, all-knowing God and experiencing the countless benefits that 
come with that: We're not harming anyone and being eaten alive with 
guilt. We're not continually embarrassing ourselves (and those who love 
us) with our behavior. But how in the world can we do everything the 
Lord wants? By surrendering to him and immersing ourselves in his 
Word, we will begin to delight in doing what he has planned. Thinking 
about his law day and night is what brings true joy not only to our 
hearts but also to God's.  
   Dear GOD, more than anything, I want to make you happy. I 
want to do and be all that you planned when you created me. It's your 
counsel I want to follow, your side I want to be on, and your behavior I 
most want to imitate. Help me to continually think of you and the 
words you wrote so that I might experience your joy. May you smile 
when you think of me. [Praying Through The Bible By Fuller] 

   I have noticed that Christians, generally speaking, seem to 
be preoccupied with knowing more about themselves rather than 
knowing more about God. Ask any Christian bookshop manager: "What are 
the best-selling books?" Not those that unfold for us the nature of 
God, but those that direct us toward such things as how to get a 
better self-image, how to manage money, how to find inner healing, how 
to get more excitement out of life, and so on. Not that these 
subjects are unimportant, but they are explored in a self-absorbed way 
that gives the idea that the most important thing in life is knowing 
ourselves better. It isn't. The most important thing in life is knowing 
God better.  
   John Lancaster, a minister in Cardiff, South Wales, in an 
article entitled "Where on Earth Is God?" asks the question: "Given a 
choice between attending a seminar, say, on the 'Glory of God in 
Isaiah' and one on 'The Christian and Sex,' to which would you go?" He 
makes the point also that although the church often answers the 
questions that people are asking, the real problem may be that people are 
not asking the right questions. In today's church we are far too 
man-centered and not God-centered.  
   It is not by accident, I believe, that the Bible opens with 
the thunderous acclaim: "In the beginning God." I tell you with all 
the conviction of which I am capable: if God is not our primary 
focus, then everything else will soon get out of focus. 
   O Father, from this day help me determine to make You my 
primary focus. And give me the grace and strength to maintain it, 
through all the fluctuations and uncertainties of the days ahead. In 
Jesus' name I pray. Amen. [Every Day With Jesus Bible with Selwyn 
Hughes devotionals] 

TREMENDOUS SERMON ON THIS TOPIC FOR THE NEW YEAR:

Click on: 
http://www.lluc.org/article/97/services-sabbath-school/sermon-video-library 

Then Click on the sermon entitled: A Guiding Light - 12/28/13 by 
Randy Roberts