Psalms that Pspeak – Psalm 1 Psalm 1:1 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; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 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. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Welcome to a new series called “Psalms that speak.” The book of Psalms is turned to by most people for comfort. We have some of the rawest emotions unearthed in these writings. There are times when the writer is so mad he wants to hurt someone. Sometimes the writer is questioning God for outcomes in life. Other times there is rejoicing in what God has done. The longest chapter in the Bible is in Psalms. And also, the shortest. We start with Psalm 1. These six verses are packed with content about direction in life, where we end up in life, how we get there, what role relationships play, and how to be fruitful now and leave a legacy for later. Have you given any thought about what you’re leaving behind? Your legacy? Today we look at the principle of the path. And here it is… Your direction determines your destination. In the world of driving, we know this absolutely… Direction not intention determines your destination. But here’s what so fascinating… We know that in the world of hiking and in the world of driving but when it comes to the other arenas of life there is a total disconnect when it comes to this principle. Let’s go to Psalm 1 and see this play out. The very first word of the Psalm is a destination. Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man… Blessed. Blessed means multidimensional flourishing. It means the good life. But to be flourishing and thriving and to have the good life starts with a direction which is determined by a decision. Psalm 1:1 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; The multidimensional flourishing life that gets you to a destination you want to be at begins with a hard look at our relationships and our affections. At first, we are just walking and taking advice from people who disregard God and disregard spiritual things. Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked… Walking in the counsel of wicked people is not going to get us to the good life. Jesus said this…Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Walking in the counsel of the wicked is the wide road. It’s easy but it’s and this destruction. Who are the wicked? They are people who are in rebellion against God. They don’t love God’s ways, in fact, they violate God’s ways. They live as if there is no God. They have chosen against God. They have chosen separation from God. They have chosen independence from God. They have chosen not to acknowledge God. 2. At first were walking with the wicked and then we’re standing with them, hanging around them. Psalm 1:1 …nor stands in the way of sinners… What the Scripture means here is something different. We are not to have the same habits as sinners, sinners are people who are outside of God’s will. Paul uses some forceful language here to address this; 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God… …17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; We are not to be intimately involved with people who are building their life by an entirely different blueprint. 3. And the next step is we are sitting with the scoffers. Psalm 1:1 …nor sits in the seat of scoffers… What is the final destination of those who choose not to follow God? Psalm 1:4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. When you choose against God there is a destination. There is no legacy. Dust in the wind. 4 relationship questions to help you get to the destination we call blessed. What relationship needs to be initiated in your life? What relationship needs to be nurtured? What relationship needs to be restored? What relationship needs to be severed? Now the writer turned his attention to a better destination. He turned his attention to the blessed life. The good life. A life of thriving and flourishing. He turns his attention to a legacy. He paints the picture; 3 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. Be this tree. Strong and tall. Stable. Standing. But the writer gives us the directions to get to this place and this is where we will finish. Psalm 1:1 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; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. The principle of the path. Your direction determines your destination. What is the direction to the blessed life? I’m happy to say it is a direction that you can pursue. When he talks about the law of the Lord, what is this law that we should be meditating and delighting in? The law is, for our understanding today, the totality of the Bible. It is the teachings of God. It is the stories of what God is done. It is the testimonies of those who trusted God. It is the commands that lead us to blessing. It is the regulations that keep us in a place of God’s favor. It is the instructions and the guidance as to our relationship with the father. It is the truth that never fails. It is insight into the heart of God. It is what renews our mind and defeats the lies. It is the eyewitness accounts of Jesus Christ. And the writer of Psalm says that we need to delight in the law. We need to turn our heart to desire what God is communicating. What God says leads us to being a tree planted by the living waters where we are blessing others with our fruit. The word of God is the living water. So now you know the destination. What decision will you make today to get there? Let’s see what GOD can do! Pastor Brian Harrell