Issue 1201 – Blessed is the… – July 21, 2023
We frequently saw scenes like this while driving in Washington State the other day. Many of the farms had a pond of some sort, often with a stately weeping willow tree flourishing on the pond shore. The weeping willow is a stately, albeit messy, tree that needs plenty of water. Hence, the edges of ponds or streams make for ideal habitat.
Seeing majestic willows near ponds often reminds me of Psalm One. It’s one of my favourite Psalms for two reasons. The imagery is vivid and accessible for anyone, and the short psalm makes for easy memorization.
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 that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1
The contrast between blessing and curses. The righteous are blessed, and the wicked will receive their just reward. That is the way we all think like should work. The good guy wins, and the bad guy pays for his crime.
The problem is that without Christ, none of us are good people; none is righteous on their own merit except Jesus. As believers, we have been covered in His righteousness and are saved from eternal suffering. Still, we have lives to lead in this broken world, and wandering into areas best left for the dark side is easy.
The Psalmist gives us some wise advice in the form of a progression. Do not walk with the ways of the wicked. Don’t stand and spend time indulging the course of those who make sin a lifestyle. Lastly, don’t get settled in with those who mock the truth.
It is very easy for our sinful nature to revert to our old patterns of behaviour that grieve the Lord and impair our witness. If you don’t believe that, consider how you behave when you spend time with old non-believing friends or suddenly get angry in traffic. How often does the old self rear its ugly head?
Fortunately, the Psalmist gives us more wise advice. There are blessings for being in the Word. That means reading the Bible, but it also means more than that. It means studying it to gain wisdom and understanding and then applying it to our lives. All the biblical knowledge in the world isn’t going to help if we don’t do any more than intellectually know it.
Our faith is to encompass our minds, bodies and spirits. The Word is meant to impact all those areas, and empowered by Holy Spirit, to conform us to the image of Christ.
Just as a drought will wither a willow tree, a drought of time in the Word will harm our faith walk and relationship with Christ and others.
In 2009, the Centre for Biblical Engagement studied the impact of reading the Bible. Those who read the Bible 4 times a week or more are 61% less likely to indulge in destructive behaviours. That is a considerable change and suggests a solid correlation between the frequency of bible reading and happiness and emotional health.
Are you regularly drinking from the well of living water? Or are you struggling with the impacts of drought?
May daily time in the Word form part of your routine, and may it richly bless you.
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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