Your turn to speak!

True happiness.

Fairy tale?

Pie in the sky?

The Word of God tells us that none of us are accidents. We are here as creations of God; we are made in His image; we are designed to find true happiness in Him and His Word. If we are believers, we have stopped running away from Him, and we've trusted in Him and the pardon from sin that He offers.

Now, if we will build our lives on God and on His Word, we will live in contentment here in this world, and in joy in the next! Throughout eternity! 
And that is no fairy tale.

I said in the beginning of these posts that I'm a pretty happy girl. I should revise that. I'm actually pretty contented most of the time. I believe there is a difference! Of course, I have troubles in my life. I have sadness and sorrow like so many other Christian sisters who may pause here to study. The heartaches have been many in my life, and I know they are not over yet. I'm not immune to tears, and I've known depression, as well.

But God is good. I want to praise Him and give Him the glory for the times that I'm able to raise a tear-stained face to Him and say, "Lord you are good. You have blessed me so much. Even if you don't remove this pain, please help me to see what you are going to accomplish in it." That is NOT me talking. That's the Holy Spirit helping me to speak. He hears me in my agony. He hears you, too. And He will help all of those who pray and rely on Him.

I hope that this last post is not a "downer," and that each of us has received some blessing or encouragement from our studies on Psalm 1. We can be truly happy! For eternity!

I'd like to ask for y'all to enter the discussions this week -- I'm always so glad to see some answers posted here, and I learn a lot from y'all! 

Here is the question for today:

How would you answer an unbeliever who said to you, "Christianity is just pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die."

I'm looking forward to your answers in the comment section below!

There's wheat, and then there's chaff . . .

Yesterday we were looking at the fact that true prosperity is found in God, but that it's not a "here-you-go-here's-all-the-money-you-need-plus-a-guarantee-that-your-life-will-be-sunshine-and-roses" blank check, already signed by our heavenly Father.

It's quite possible that as we deal with our lives, we may have difficulties, and we may look across the way at a person who is not interested in having God in their life, but who is apparently raking in the good things of this world and is frolicking about in their happiness.

Don't you believe it.

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:4-6)

In the verses we ended with yesterday, we see a contrast. The righteous person is like a sturdy, well-watered, fruitful tree: green and growing. The wicked is like chaff from wheat. The psalmist is not showing us man's perception; from our human viewpoint, many who leave God out of their lives are living glamorous, exciting, happy lives. God's view is different; He takes eternity into account and He says, "Those who leave me out of their lives are like chaff."

Like chaff?

Yup.

It all goes back to growing and harvesting wheat. After you harvest the stalks of wheat, with the kernels on the top end, you must separate the stalks from the precious kernels. Only then do you have a valuable commodity; the kernels can be ground to make flour for baking and cooking.

In the ancient world, farmers would make a threshing floor by picking out a low place or depression in the ground, or they would carefully dig one, if necessary. They usually would find a place on a hill where breezes could be caught. The soil would be watered and packed down so it became very, very hard, and smooth. Around the edges of the new threshing floor, rocks would be placed to keep the grain in place. The stalks of wheat would be arranged on the floor, and an ox would be led about, dragging a heavy piece of wood behind. This served to separate the kernels from the straw. The stalks of the wheat, or straw, would be dry and would be broken into tiny pieces or even ground into a dusty powder. That's chaff. It's worthless.

The farmer would take a winnowing fork and throw a pile of grain and powdery chaff into the air. The breeze would blow the chaff away, while the kernels of wheat, being heavier, would fall back to the floor. This would be done again and again until there was no chaff left behind - just good and useful wheat. 

Those who leave God out of their lives have no substance. They may be great before men, but before God they will be blown away like chaff in the final judgment.

Hosea spoke of the wicked:

Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
    like the early dew that disappears,
    like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,
    like smoke escaping through a window. (Hosea 13:3)

If only the people who are running away from God could understand this. But they cannot because they won't listen; they think the things of God are foolish. Unbelievers will face God's judgment but will not stand its test. Only those who are covered by Christ's righteousness will be able to stand before God's throne. We will have the eternal blessings, the eternal prosperity of God's presence.

Some people will scoff. They will call our faith "pie in the sky when you die." In a word, no. It's not a cop-out. It's plain teaching that all must stand before Him:

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28)

In verse six, the psalmist calls our attention to two ways -- two paths. 

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.  (v. 6)

This is a pretty concise picture of the destiny of two groups of people. A long while back, we studied the Proverbs and camped out on this verse for a while:

There is a way that appears to be right,
    but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

Isaiah said this about the way of the wicked:

Their feet rush into sin;
    they are swift to shed innocent blood.
They pursue evil schemes;
    acts of violence mark their ways. (Isaiah 59:7)

In contrast, the way of the righteous is the way of the Lord, Who described Himself as "the way, the truth, and the life." There's something noteworthy about the verse from Psalm 1: it doesn't say that the Lord watches over the righteous and punishes the wicked. . . . instead, it says the Lord watches over "the way" of the righteous and that "the way" of the wicked will perish.

I wondered why the emphasis was on the path, and not on the people.

We are blessed or condemned on the basis of one decision, the way in which we choose to walk. There are only two ways from which to choose; we are all following one way or the other. The judgment some will receive is a result from the decision they've made to walk in the way of the wicked. 

 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

Our heavenly Father does not play favorites. He blesses some and condemns others on the basis of the way in which they have chosen to walk. The psalmist is trying to get it into our heads that the way of blessing is the way of righteousness -- the avoidance of worldly counsel and sinful actions, and the running toward an intimate knowledge of God through His Word. 

If we desire the blessing of God in our lives . . . . if we desire true happiness . . .  then we must walk in His way.

True happiness - planted by the water

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 

4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.  (Psalm 1:3-4)

We've seen in the first two verses of this psalm that there are some things we should NOT do, and then there are some things that we SHOULD do. We should not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scoffers who mock and reject God's Word.

In contrast, we SHOULD definitely delight in God's Word and meditate in it as often as possible.

And if we do?

This whole study was about true happiness, right? 

Not the "they lived happily ever after" fairy tale kind, but true, deep contentment.

The psalmist describes the person who delights in God's Word as a tree planted by streams of water. The Hebrew word used here has a root that can also mean "transplanted." This is a tree that has been deliberately cultivated. The tree may have been growing in the wild, but now it's going to get lots of TLC! The planting site has been carefully chosen. The soil has been amended with organic matter and more, to prepare for the tree to grow swiftly and strong. There may be carefully arranged canals or streams which will provide the transplant's roots a continuous supply of water.

That's a tree that is going to grow deep roots and a solid trunk system. It's going to be able to withstand a hard drought and survive harsh storms, too. Just as the life of that transplanted tree is dependent on the streams of water, so we believers are dependent and thrive on the things to God: His Word, His Spirit, His grace, and His righteousness. Before we were saved, we were dead in our sins, and God transplanted us into Jesus Christ.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  (I Corinthians 15:22)

"Which yields its fruit in season..." Our transplanted tree will continue to grow and mature and then bear fruit. We Christians will do the same:

so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (Colossians 1:10)

"Whose leaf does not wither..." This time of year we have a great number of examples of withering, no? The hot summer sun will wilt our veggie gardens and our flowering plants. Unless we were to spend the entire day gently sprinkling water on them, the turgor pressure (don't ya love it when your old science lectures are useful!) is going to drop and the leaves will wither. If not supplemented with some water, the whole plant will, as my grandma used to say, "dry up and blow away." If we will stay close to God and stay in His Word as we have studied earlier, we will not wilt or wither, but be full of life and vitality.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:5-6)

Then the psalmist sums up his story, and says "in whatever he does, he prospers."

Does God really mean this?

Yes, but it's not a blank check!

The man or woman of blessedness prospers because they are always seeking God's will. Don't forget -- this is a person who is delighting and meditating in His Word! This doesn't mean that we will never face defeat. We studied earlier this year that we should actually expect adversity! It's not a guarantee that we will always have good health, or lots of money. To have prosperity, we must apply God's wisdom to our lives and in turn, we will be fruitful and content. As that tree absorbs water and bears good fruit, we are to "absorb" God's Word. We will have a world view, a perspective on life, that respects God and seeks Him in all things.

No matter what the circumstances of our lives, we can have true prosperity of soul; we can have contentment. God is not promising the "health and wealth" teachings that are promoted by some television speakers. We may be poor according to this world's standards, but rich in the Lord. 

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God...... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:21, 34)

Many people (and maybe we, too, if we are honest) have questioned the truthfulness of Psalm 1. We may know people who leave God out of their lives and they seem to be genuinely happy. They seem prosperous, too. They seem to have good marriages and happy kids. They seem to be doing just fine without God.....and then we may know others who are godly people, who build their lives on God and on His Word, but they are hit with difficulties and adversity. 

What gives?

How do we "square" this? 
It just doesn't seem right?
The psalmist goes on in verses 4-6:

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:4-6)

We'll consider those verses tomorrow.

Prayer requests

Death is never an easy thing to handle.

It's not something we enjoy contemplating, usually. We don't often talk about it, either.

It's an uncomfortable subject for many, but for those of us who trust in the Lord, it doesn't need to be.

I like this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

"Depend upon it, your dying hour will be the best hour you have ever known! Your last moment will be your richest moment, better than the day of your birth will be the day of your death." Charles H. Spurgeon

God knows how frail we are. Psalm 103 confirms that "He is mindful that we are but dust." David was courageous when he said to the Lord:

 “Show me, LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. (Psalm 39:4-5)

Job was another who realized the brevity of his life, when he said, "I will not live forever....for my days are but a breath." (Job 7:16) And James compared our lives to vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Leaving this world is inevitable. Where we spend eternity is optional. God loves us and sent His Son into the world so that He could provide eternal life for us.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

So, then, are we to say we are not happy here? We want to leave this world as soon as possible? 
I don't think so. I believe that God wants us to live life to the fullest and to serve Him joyfully for as long as we have life. We should not be morbid, but simply realize that we are expendable. We should have the outlook that if God were to call us to heaven, that will suit us just fine, because we know we will be with the Lord!

Some of you know from our correspondence that my mother, age 86, was moved, earlier in July, into hospice care because of her terminal cancer. The distance (2,000 miles across the country) and the times (this is the year of Covid-19) made it impossible for me to see her in person before her homegoing. 

I was grateful and honored that some of you were able to join me in praying for peace and joy for her as she awaited the trip home to her Savior. She died barely a week after entering hospice care.

Truly believers can rejoice when a loved one goes home. Even as we grieve for the absence from us here on earth, we can anticipate their joyful arrival in heaven, and we can hope to see them again when we go to heaven, ourselves!

If you have a prayer request or praise, I hope you will leave a comment for us.

Accentuate the positive

Last week, we began looking at the first psalm. We noted that it seemed to be a guidebook for living happily ever after - or at least for contented living! The psalmist set out some instructions first of things we should NOT do . . . now we will look at what he said we SHOULD do!

Let's "accentuate the positive," shall we?

Let's look now at verses 2 and 3; we will see that he tells us true happiness can be found if we build our lives on the foundation of God and His Word:

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 

If we just read through that quickly, and don't give it much thought, we might think it's a very pretty text. A platitude. Not much there . . . but whooaaaaaa, partner! The psalmist just said a mouthful!

Probably most of us would say that we avoid walking in the counsel of the ungodly, and we sure as the world don't stand around in the path of sinners. And now way do we sit down with scoffers and mock the Word of God! No way!

But how many of us can say that we delight in the Word of God? So much so, that we meditate on it continually?

Ohhhhhhh. Well, that is different. He's talking about a significant investment of ourselves.

Maybe we'd better look more closely.

What does he mean by delighting in God's Word?

Let's look first at the word the author of the psalm used. "Delight," as found here in our focus passage, is also used in other verses of the Bible.

The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. (Genesis 34:19)

She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. (Esther 2:14b)

In both locations of the word, the Hebrew text is talking about the way a man delights in a woman. Now there's a clue!

When a man (a young man, especially!) delights in a woman, there's nothing he won't do to be with her . . . we can see that especially in that verse from the chapter in Genesis. For the love of a woman, a man agreed to be circumcised! In fact, the whole city's worth of men said they would, but that's another story that we studied before, when we studied Dinah. (grin)

But I digress.

A young man who delights in a woman will go out of his way to be near her. If they are both on a campus, he will rearrange the path that he walks in order to go past her dormitory, or to "happen" to be near her classroom when she leaves. He will figure out where she usually sits in the library or the cafeteria, and make certain that he is nearby. (Don't ask me how I know these things. I'm pushing aside the mists of time to recall.)

Seriously, a man will even rearrange his priorities so that he has plenty of time to spend with the woman. He will complete tasks early to leave time for this. He wants to have as much time as possible with the woman he delights in. Not because he has to, but because he wants to. He lets nothing interfere with his time with the object of his delight!

You know where I am going with this, no?

Do we delight in God's Word in that way? Do we rearrange our schedules so that we can get some tasks done early? So that then we can spend time reading and studying the Word? Do we want to have as much time as possible to read our Bibles? Is our attitude one of duty (well, I need to read a chapter a day) or of avoiding guilt that we've neglected it? Do we "grind" through a chapter and check it off a list? Or are we delighted to read His Word, to commune with God, and to think about how to apply what we have read to our lives?

The Bible is God's letter to us. We are reading the counsel of an all-knowing, all-wise, and loving God that tells us how to live. We know that His commandments are for our good. It certainly should not be a "duty" to spend time in God's Word! The way to true happiness is to delight in it.

The psalmist also tells us to meditate in the Word. Continually. 

Meditate means to think about what the Word says after we read it. To think about how to apply it to our lives. To truly take it in and make it a part of us. Some translations say "continually" and others say "day and night." Either way, it takes knowing the Word pretty well, since we can't go around with our nose in our Bible all day! 

It's said that whatever shapes our thinking will shape our lives. The only way for us to reject the counsel of the wicked as we were told in the first verse, is to hold in our minds the Word of the heavenly Father. 

True happiness will be found in a life that is built upon God and His Word.

Friday slowdown

Some recent events in my own life have reminded me that being "in the moment" is one of the most important skills that we can possess and use . . .

My mother died in hospice care this week, and I'm dealing with many of the emotions that come along with the death of a family member. Even though we were estranged, I find it a bittersweet time and I know that in heaven, all tears and resentments will be gone as we worship our Savior together.

Enjoy this song and listen to the words - I believe it will bless you as you listen!

Watch where you sit! (or stand)

We're continuing in the very first psalm; we noticed that the very first verse talks about ways that we may leave God out of our lives. The words say "Oh, how happy is the person who does NOT do these things!" 

What things?
Well, the first was to walk in the counsel of the wicked.

The next is that we leave God out of our lives by standing in the path of sinners. 

The commentaries say this means being involved with sinners in sinful behavior. The "path" refers to their way of life or their behavior. Many people have heard in a sermon that "sinner" comes from a Hebrew word that means to "miss the mark." To stray from the standard of God --that's revealed in His Word. Now, in that sense, we are all sinners. We have all missed the mark by deviating from His standards of holiness. But believers have trusted in Christ as Savior and we are converted sinners. Instead of living to please self, the converted sinner strives to please God:

that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:10)

In addition to pleasing God, we learn how to deny ourselves and love God and others.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and will all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  (Mark 12:30-31a)

The Bible teaches us that the objective our our friendships with unbelievers needs to change after we begin a relationship with Christ. If we run with worldly people in their ungodly way of life, we may be tempted to copy or accompany them in their sinful behaviors. It's easy, especially when we are new Christians, to be wrongly influenced by our old friends. That is why a new believer needs to look closely at many of the old friendships and cut off relationships with some former friends, before they draw us back into the old sinful ways.

On the other hand, we aren't supposed to cut ourselves off completely from sinners! Instead, our purpose changes. . . . Instead of going with them and joining in their sinful deeds, now we associate with them as a sinner saved by grace -- someone who wants to tell them about Jesus Christ and bring them to repentance.

and relationship with Him! Oh, how happy is the person who does not stand in the path of sinners!

So, we have talked about walking in the counsel of the wicked and standing in the path of sinners . . . what else does the psalmist say we should avoid? What is the third way we leave God on the outside of our lives?

"Sitting in the seat of scoffers." (v. 1)

Some translations use the word "scornful."

Scoffer? That's not a word we hear much anymore -- it means (according to my handy dandy dictionary) some one who speaks mockingly, derisively, who jeers at someone or something. I bet you and I have known some scoffers. They have rejected God and His Word. They openly mock what they have rejected. Scoffers think they know more than believers do. They even think they know more than God. They're WAY too smart to believe in the Bible, they say. It's too rigid. Too repressive. Too straight-laced.  Sometimes they hide under an intellectual smoke screen: they are too well educated and too intelligent to believe what we do. At the end of the day, scoffers don't want to read the Bible because they want to be their own gods. That way, they can do what they want, and follow their lusts.

Does that seem too harsh?

I'm sorry.

It's true.

They don't want to have anything to do with God because He would interfere in their life. They instinctively know they would have to change their sinful ways!  And that is something they are not willing to do . . . 

The psalmist mentions the "seat" of scoffers - one commentary I read told me that this refers to the assembly or the gate, where such men could gather and talk about their godless philosophy. They get together because there is strength, they think, in numbers. I'm thinking they also get comfort in numbers. Kind of an "everybody is doing it" type of mentality! So, to sit in their seat means to belong to that crowd.

Oh, how happy is the person who does not sit in the seat of scoffers!

Before we flip the coin over and look at the positive side of things, let's look at one more important point. I don't mean to pound on a deceased equine, but do you recall The Screwtape Letters that we've talked about before? Where a demon is instructing the new demon on the block in how to tempt and pull astray "his" human? (Gotta love the dry humor of C. S. Lewis . . .  anyway, the older, more experienced demon says to make things gradual. Cause the person to fall away from God little by little by little.

Can you see that in verse one?

How about this: walk, stand, sit. First you walk. Yes, you are still moving, but it's in the wrong direction and in the wrong company. Next, you stand. You are lingering in sinful places or in compromising behaviors. Last, you sit. You are at ease and comfortable with those who reject God.

Ready for some more gradual slides?

Here is the next progression: wicked, sinners, scoffers. Your first step - you are with the wicked, the ones who are casual and "hang loose" about godly things. Second, you are with sinners, the ones who openly violate God's commands and miss the mark. Lastly, you are with scoffers, who openly reject God and His truth.

One last slippery slope here: counsel, path, and seat. First you listen and begin to think wrong thoughts. Then you stand in the path; your behavior is wrong. Then, you sit with the scoffers; your crowd and your attitude is wrong!

Oh, believer, if we want to be happy, to be blessed, then we must guard our minds and compare things we hear and think with the Word of God. Then we must choose our friends wisely, since they can just as easily influence us as we can influence them.

We've looked now at the "negative" . . . the "don't do these." 

Next time, we will look at the "positive" . . . . the "yes, do this!"

I bet we will find the key to contentment and happiness!

Power-walking

We are studying the very first psalm this week, and last time we mentioned that true happiness could not be found in a life that leaves out God. One of the ways that we leave God our of our lives is to walk in the counsel of the wicked (KJV). 

The NIV says it this way: don't "walk in step with the wicked."

OK, that makes more sense to this country girl.

The commentaries tell me that the word used here in the Hebrew for "wicked" has a root meaning of "loose" or "out of joint." That took some thought for me, but I think this is what is meant . . . . if a person doesn't take God seriously, or if he/she disregards God's Word, we could say they are "playing fast and loose" with the scriptures, or that they are "hanging loose." They are not paying attention to the Word of God and trying to listen to what God says. So, long story short, they are living their life based on the wisdom of the world, and not the wisdom of God.

The wisdom of the world . . . .  Whoaaaaaaa, the floodgates sure have opened in recent years, haven't they? The counsel of the wicked has come into the lives of believers with a vengeance! OK, a moment of honesty here, dear ones, I am raising my hand as someone who paid too much attention to that counsel -- to the detriment of my time with the Word. Many of you already know that there are many speakers who say they are Christian, but who speak mostly in platitudes and psychology. They sprinkle in some Bible verses, but if you listen to their podcast or their sermons, you could have some real difficulty in discerning if they are a Christ-following believer, or a secular counselor!

And their books!

These are just as bad! They are filled with cognitive behavior therapy and other psychological tools, and leave out the Word of God except perhaps for chapter headings!

Some of the most popular Bible teachers of our day write and endorse these books. But if we look carefully, they are simply endorsing the counsel of the wicked, and they can do harm to believers - both rookies and veterans.

We need to be on guard.

We need to power-walk right past these speakers and books. How? How do we know we are not walking right past what God intends for us to read or hear?

Well, for one thing, the world says "the Bible's not enough - you need something besides the scripture," to deal with your problems. Got a hurting in your heart and soul? Well, you need this counselor's book, and this psychologist's workbook, too. But wait! The Bible says that it is good all by itself to equip believers:

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:16-17)

Our Bible provides answers for problems of guilt, depression, anger, bitterness, and relationship issues, too. Psychology and even "Christian psychology" wants to bring the world's wisdom to bear on these problems; we need to be so careful. We shouldn't think that the Bible is insufficient, or "just not enough" on its own. We also need to be on guard to know when the solutions we read or hear about are in opposition to what the Bible says. That's not to say that these books, workbooks, and speakers are worthless -- on the contrary, they may outline a strategy or tips that go alongside of the scripture and help us to use our Bible knowledge to move onward and upward! We just need to power-walk right by the temptation to rely on the world's wisdom, and instead rely on God and His wisdom.

Another clue to the counsel of the wicked is that worldly wisdom elevates man -- godly wisdom glorifies God. Our sinful selves like to be patted on the head and then we get puffed up with pride! The Bible tells us that we need to humble our pride and exalt our God. 

 “I am the Lord; that is my name!

    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.  (Isaiah 42:8)

 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:31)

The world wants us to build up ourselves; the world doesn't understand our absolute trust in God. We need to avoid walking in that path . . . 

Another way to know if you are looking at the wisdom of the wicked instead of the wisdom of God is that the world denies (or at least downplays) the need for the cross.  The world will either assert the basic goodness of man ("well, you know, all of us have a spark of goodness in us!"), or perhaps will minimize the extent or consequences of the fall from grace. The Bible teaches us that we are all utterly sinful and self-serving.  None of us could seek God if we were left to ourselves. Paul was quoting from the Psalms when he wrote in Romans:

as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12, NASB)

Walking in step with the wicked also means that we pay attention when the world says, "there are no real moral absolutes." We know that God is holy and righteous; we know that His standards revealed in the scriptures are absolute -- the world says that those absolutes are just "too harsh," and we need to substitute something else, like "love." In other words, the counsel of the wicked would be to make a god in our own likeness, rather than submitting to the One, true God.

Because of these falsehoods: the idea that we need something in addition to the Bible, the idea that man should be elevated; the concepts that there's no need for the cross and no moral absolutes required . . . all of these are based on the focus of pleasing self instead of pleasing God and others. The world's wisdom doesn't promote self-denial or love for God and others as FIRST priority. In fact, if we walk in step with the wicked, we will hear them say things like, "if you don't love yourself, you can't love others and help them." 
I'm here to tell you -- we can't love ourselves until we first are right with God. We need to confess our sins and live in obedience to God. Then we will see ourselves as God does. And we will be able to love others as He does.

We need to walk in the power of God - that's real power-walking! We must avoid walking in the counsel of, or in step with, the wicked. 

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, (Psalm 1:1a, NASB)

If we walk with them, we are going to leave God out of our lives; we will not have true happiness.

Prayer requests

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19)

Keep your eyes open! 

You don't want to miss what God is doing, or what He has for you!

Oh, believers, if you have paused here today, God wants me to tell you from my own experience, that He has such plans for us!

When we think the problems are unsolvable; when we think they are too great for us; when we look around in discouragement and heartache . . . . look up!

It is then that in His love He will open our eyes to see His hand of mercy. He is always reaching out to us, but sometimes we are so wrapped up in ourselves that we don't look to see! 

As a contemporary song says, "Lord, keep me in the moment -- I don't want to miss what you have for me!"

Keep praying, dear one. He hears. He will answer. I am rejoicing that a problem I faced has been solved by His grace and I'm relieved to have a problem solved. 

If you are facing a problem or a heartache, leave a comment here so that we can join with you in prayer. If it is personal, just ask for prayer and don't specify the need. We are honored to pray with each person who pauses here to read and to study.

If you are rejoicing in answered prayer, I hope you'll leave a comment of encouragement here to support others in their walk with God.

Psalm 1 - can we really live happily ever after?

"Do what makes you happy."

"I'm just not happy."

"I just want to find myself."

When we are kids, we enjoy hearing stories that "end happily ever after." But when we grow up, we realize that life isn't often like that. Life is complex. There are good times and bad. There are problems as well as sweet times. There are sorrows along with the joys.

Can anyone really live happily ever after?

Let's look around here in America. It's an experiment in governing, and it's been developing now on this continent for over three hundred years. It was founded on some inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

Let's look at the people around us; whether in America, the United Kingdom, or anywhere else on this globe, what do people want out of life? Many will reply, "I want to be happy." But for all of this chasing after happiness, we humans are not doing so well. Some try to find happiness in love and marriage, but we have a divorce rate that says we are not finding happiness there. Couples hope that having a family will bring them happiness, but often their children will cause them more pain than they do pleasure! Others try to find happiness in their career. Or recreational activities. Or alcohol or drugs. Very few would say that they have found lasting happiness.

Even believers struggle with this. We may feel that we are "supposed" to be happy. But if we are honest with ourselves, we may admit that we have times where we are unhappy, and that it frustrates us in our faith walk.

I've been told that I'm a bit simplistic, and that I'm a puzzle because I don't spend a great deal of time thinking about the past. But I can say this: most of the time, I'm a happy girl! I don't mean that I'm never sad. Or that I don't shed tears. But in Jesus, I find contentment. Now, I DON'T mean to boast -- I simply want to point all of us to God's Word, because there is where we find the promise of true happiness . . . . to all who follow what it says. Now, either it's a "happily ever after" fairy tale, or it speaks the truth of how to have real contentment.

I believe in Psalm 1, we find the key: if we want to live happily ever after, we must build our lives on God and His Word. Only God can satisfy us, not things, not relationships if they don't include God. Pleasures and self-centered goals cannot satisfy us, either. True happiness can only come from building our lives on God and obedience to His Word.

Psalm One is such a treasure! 

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1, NIV)

There's SO MUCH packed into these six verses! Even more than meets the eye! For example, the first verse begins with the word "blessed." In the Hebrew, this is a word of intensity. It's like the author really emphasized the word, as if he said, "Oh, how truly happy is the person...." or maybe he wanted to say, "Oh, the happiness of the person...." The root of the word is a verb that means to go on or to advance. So if we want to advance, or move forward, to the fullest measure of happiness, we need to look further at Psalm 1.

I kinda think that if the writer had done like today, I know what his "subtitle" might have been. You know what I mean; all the books today have a major title emblazoned on the cover, like "Priscilla and her Passions," and then in smaller letters we see a subtitle, like "Why Priscilla Mugglewhump did the things she did." 

The author of Psalm One could have written this subtitle after "Book One, Psalm One" . . . "choices have consequences."

Why do I say that? 

Because he begins by telling us some things that the happy person DOES NOT do. Our happiness (now and in eternity) depends on our choice of one of two ways. We are going to choose one and reject the other, right? The psalmist begins with what we must reject in order to be happy: we won't find happiness or contentment in a life that leaves God out. If we push God out of our lives and reject what we read in His Word, there's no way to find true happiness.

The psalmist shows us three ways that we leave God out of our lives -- and that's where we will begin next time. I hope we will all find time to re-read Psalm One this week as we study. Maybe add it to our Bible study times, ok? See you soon!

Friday slowdown

This song, based on a psalm (Psalm 34) blessed my heart as I listened. I hope it will touch your heart and give you hope and comfort.

Psalms for worship, prayer, and praise

I'm risking the nickname of "Captain Obvious" here, but probably the most obvious thing to note about the Psalms as we lay the foundation for our upcoming studies is that they are expressions of worship and praise. Even though the term "worship" is not used all that much in the psalms, there are a number of words in the Hebrew that point that way.

It's well for us that we find the whole spectrum of human emotion in the Psalms. From the thrill of praise to sobs of desperation, the heights and depths or what we feel are in this Book. Whatever state of mind we find ourselves in, the Psalms can help us put words to feelings that may be difficult to express. In some of them, the author may even seem to be complaining to God -- that's an expression of how God's people can feel sometimes, living in a difficult world. God can use these outpourings of despair or depression to lead a troubled believer to a new sense of confidence in His grace. And as we renew our faith and confidence, we can find psalms that speak to our joy and renewed hope, as well.

Many believers utilize the Psalms in their private worship, but the Psalms were actually compiled to be used in public worship. The experience which inspired the poetry and music may have been very personal in nature, but the psalm itself was included in the group, or Psalter, so that it could add to corporate praise and worship.  The psalmist may very well have looked up at the skies filled with stars and marveled that the God Who made and holds the cosmos actually cares for men and women here on this earth!

After telling us all about himself in the psalm, the author almost fades into the background; the writer becomes anonymous. It's ok for us to know all the details and for us to hear the sadness or the joy. The language draws us in and allows us to sorrow or to praise, each in our own way, speaking from our hearts to our Father God. As I was thinking about this, I thought about how this is a good concept for us to be reminded of . . . do we have responsibilities to lead in worship? Do we sing in a choir or a small ensemble? Are we called upon to pray in a group setting? 

Our intentions may be good, but it's easy to allow the spotlight to shine on us and our experiences instead of on God and His goodness. We need to pray to be less conscious of ourselves and more conscious of Him. He is the object (and the audience) of our worship and praise.

I'm going to be Captain Obvious again, and say that the psalms are not only for worship, but they are also prayers. In fact, they are called prayers in Psalm 72:

 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. (Psalm 72:20) 

The congregation of the Israelites would sing and pray the psalms, and in our public or our private worship today, it could be a beneficial thing for us to do, as well. 

Lastly, the psalms are praise to God. Praise is more than saying "thanks!" Praise elevates the One Who is praised; it's spontaneous and free; it's joyful instead of dutiful. It shows that we are thinking of God, and not about ourselves. We praise Him because we realize He is both concerned with and involved in our everyday experiences. If things are going well, we have a tendency to believe that it's because of us -- our skills, our hard work, etc. If things are not going well, we feel it is because we did something wrong. One of the things that I find wonderful about Israel's worship is that they were so aware of God's hand in their lives. They let loose with joyful praise when they saw Him act on their behalf. Their laments came when they were puzzled by His apparent absence, or at least a delay before He acted to resolve their trouble.

Do we truly worship and praise God today? Or do we just toss around a trite phrase or two? Do we truly contemplate and then express our joy? Perhaps a good way for us to worship is to use the words of the psalms. The psalms touch our hearts and shout or whisper with the same emotions that we feel or have felt in the past. Yes, I said emotions. Are we guilty of an intellectual Christianity? Do we feel embarrassed to show emotion about our faith? Do we look around to see if anyone is looking before we raise our hands to God? Or before we fall to our knees in awe? Are we furtively wiping away a tear of wonder and joy? I truly believe that if unbelievers see true emotion in us, they may find our faith more believable, and more compelling. I am "turned off" as so many are, by what appears excessive, showy, or insincere. But when talking with a friend, I'm touched when their voice trembles and their eyes well up with tears as they speak about what God has done for them.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

The Word commands us to worship the Lord our God with our whole being!

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  (Mark 12:30)

If we are uncomfortable with others seeing us worship; if we are not comfortable with others knowing that we praise and worship our God, then perhaps it is time for us to allow our emotions to show. Even those of us who are truly saved may find ourselves deficient in this; perhaps we need to spend some time in prayer and ask the Spirit to make us bold enough to truly show our faith and our emotions to others. 

God is active in this world and in our lives. Are we stirred by what moves Him? Do we rejoice openly in the triumph of good? Do we grieve at the evil in our world? When our relationship with Him is personal and real, we will worship Him:

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

I'm praying that our studies in the book of Psalms will lead us to deeper and more fervent worship, and to joyful praise, as well.