Blessed

Psalm 1:1-6 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.”
As you read Scripture there is a great deal you can look forward to in terms of hearing the Father. These are a few things you can do to make your time with Him as effective as possible. First, meditate on the Word. This is more than just reading a passage, it means actively thinking about what it means. Take your time and let the truth of God’s Word sink deep into your heart. Psalm 1:1-6 is a great example. We know that the message of Psalm 1 is that we are to live a life of obedience. Can you think of an example of “standing in the path of sinners” or “sitting in the seat of scoffers”? What are some modern day examples of these activities? How would it help you to “be like a tree planted by streams of water” (Verse 2)? What does it mean to be “like chaff which the wind blows away”(verse 4)? By asking questions like these, you go deeper into the meaning of the passage. You might even want to do some research to better your understanding of what the verses meant when they were originally written.

I said earlier that it is of great importance that you expect the Father to speak to you through the verses that you have read. Actively seek to find out what he is teaching you. In reading Psalm 1 you might find out that God’s desire is to be certain you know you are pleasing in His sight. Perhaps he reveals to you that some of the people you are associating with are hurting your relationship with God. The point is that if you read Scripture with the intention of hearing God, you will be amazed at what He shows you and how He changes your life. As you consider the passage you have read, ask Him what he is saying to you and how it relates to your life. Is there anything that you need to change in order to follow Jesus even closer? You need to be ready to obey whatever He tells you to do, act on what you hear. What He instructs you to do might not make any sense at all, it might be difficult, but obey Him anyway. God does not require that we understand His will, He does require that we obey Him even if sounds unreasonable. This is because His goal is to grow your faith and draw you into a closer relationship with Him. If we could see this act of obedience in light of His entire will for our life, it would make complete sense. But the Lord reveals the path He has for your life one step at a time so you can learn to trust Him. James 1:25 promises “One who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” Simply put, as you hear and do what the Lord says, He rewards your faithfulness. Remember, be patient with yourself and with the Father. Is. 40:31 “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary.” As you wait for the Father, He is making you stronger, building you up, and working on your behalf. As you actively seek and listen to God you will not only hear His voice more often; your life will change in amazing ways.

God is constantly teaching us, patiently demonstrating His love and wisdom to us through every event and detail of our lives, He will reveal Himself if we eagerly anticipate and pay attention to His instruction. What a mighty, awesome God we serve! We cannot begin to get hold of how immense, how magnificent, and how powerful our Lord God really is. David wrote Psalm 8:3-4 and said “O Lord, our God, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” Lord, who am I that You would bother talking to me? Why would You care about the details of my life?

Just remember, the One that keeps the sun, the moon, the stars, the galaxies, and the constellations in their places and even maintains the earth rotating at the exact right speed on the right axis, with the precise amount of oxygen we need in the air is the One that will communicate with you regardless of what you are going through. Do not give up, He wants to talk to you. Keep seeking His face and listening for His call.

Dale