The Blessed Life

 

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 ESV)

What we meditate on shapes our minds, wills, and emotions. Our actions are determined by our thought-life. Meditating on God’s word day and night is foundational to the life of the disciple, and there is no Christianity without discipleship. Holy Scripture is “God-breathed.” God’s words have creative power – he spoke the world into existence. He raises those who are spiritually dead to life with His word. The inner life of a disciple is formed by the Word of God through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. 

The revelation of who God is causes us to get a glimpse of his transcendence. 

Meditating and contemplating the truth of God brings stability to our lives. Transformed thinking leads to a profound sense of joy and peace even in times of uncertainty. As New Testament believers we have the Spirit abiding in us at all times.

“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8 ESV)

This transformation of our inner person is the outcome of gazing at the beauty of Jesus, as revealed in the Gospel. King David was careful to use his sanctified imagination to “set the Lord always before him.” The Holman Christian Standard Bible says, “I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8)

King David ask God to create in him a clean heart. God’s creative activity in the human heart never ceases. And just as our Creator created the human race by breathing life into Adam, so he has created a new race called Christians, by giving us his Spirit. We are, spiritually speaking, a new creation in Christ, whom God has created out of the midst of fallen humanity.

God has given his children access to the blessed life – which means true happiness. A key component to spiritual growth is avoiding the counsel of the wicked, at all cost. And to avoid the talk and the reasoning of those who scoff at God and his people. This is an essential part of the Spirit-led life.

As we consistently engage God in prayer, and meditation on the Scripture – our souls will flourish and prosper. Listening to Hollywood, the media, politicians, and the talking heads of popular culture can lead us into spiritual depression. But, our attentiveness to God’s voice brings a deep sense of joy in a confused and negative world. “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 NLT)

Having confidence in the nearness of God is the key to our enjoyment of him. So even when His presence is not felt – we still know that Jesus is with us. And that “he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

The goal of our lives is to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Rooted In Good Soil

“Truth is a great fertilizer for the soul.” – Stuart McAlpine

If a tree is not planted in good soil and well-watered with the right nutrients, it will eventually wither and die. According to Stuart McAlpine, the picture we see in Psalm 1 is probably of a tree planted near an irrigation channel in Babylon, while the Jews were living in captivity. This is an interesting observation because even if we are planted in enemy territory, we can still flourish spiritually if we seek the Lord.

We are God’s trees and we must feed off the word of God if we are to prosper spiritually, like the man mentioned in Psalm 1. We must be intentional about our spiritual growth. This requires turning off the computer and television at times and tuning out all other distractions.

Eugene Peterson teaches that we must meditate on Scripture the same way a dog chews on a bone. This is a much more aggressive form of meditation than most of us have understood. This requires a day and night preoccupation with the truth.

 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV) 

 

….that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love… (Ephesians 3:16-17 ESV) 

Jesus Christ is the good soil that God has planted us in.