November 24, 2008
A Blessing
I've been spending my personal Bible
reading time in the Psalms of late. The Psalms show the full range of human
emotions as well as the faithfulness of God. When I read the Psalms I see real
humans not mythical people designed to make a religious story look good. There
are people on the mountaintops praising God and there are people deep in the
valleys of life complaining to God and asking Him to kill their
enemies.
The Psalms start with a blessing.
Psalm 1 NET
How blessed is the one who does not
follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in
the assembly of scoffers! Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord's
commands; he meditates on his commands day and night. He is like a tree planted
by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never
fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts. Not so with the wicked! Instead
they are like wind-driven chaff. For this reason the wicked cannot withstand
judgment, nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. Certainly the Lord
guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.
Blessed is the one who pays no heed to
the calling of the world but instead listens to the counsel of God. Blessed in
this life and blessed in life eternal.
The world screams for our attention.
We're bombarded by pressure from peers. We deluged with advertising from every
imaginable form of media. Satan tells us lies. It's in our face almost every
moment of the day. It even invades our sleep in our dreams as our brains store
away the input received for the day. It pounds away at our very being like old
time railroad crews laying ties. It hits us constantly.
The world manages to conceal much of
its ugly side and manages to be very seductive. It promises us fun, youth,
wealth, fame, pain relief and more. In short like the old snake oil salesman it
promises that its remedy is "Good for what ails you and if nothing ails you it’s
good for that to." The problem is that the things of the world can never deliver
on their promises except for perhaps a moment that is just long enough to keep
us listening.
God speaks to us continually as well. He
is all around us and Holy Spirit whispers in our spirit. We have to take the
time to tune out the world and stop to listen to God's counsel. When we do that
He encourages us, empowers us and strengthens us.
He tells us the path to follow. He
teaches us to seek the things that are truly important. He calls us to love the
unlovable, forgive those who don't deserve it and give sacrificially. He tells
us that the secret to "success" is not to chase the smoke and mirrors of the
world but instead to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and
souls and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself."
That's far from the wisdom of the world
which says look out for number one.
God promises a blessing for those who
follow His ways. To find those ways we must seek the counsel of God. We find
that in His Word. Our understanding is deepened as we begin to put what we have
learned into practice. Blessings accompany obedience. Blessings follow
faithfulness.
Until next time, may you seek the
counsel of God and find His blessing.
May All of God’s Blessings Be Upon You!
Darrel Mason