Being Blessed

BEING BLESSED

Psalm 1

Everyone wants to be blessed. I have never met anyone yet who wanted to be cursed and not blessed. The sad thing is that most people either do not know how to be blessed or if they do know they refuse to do what it takes to be blessed.

An old Chinese proverb says, “If you wish to be happy for one hour, get intoxicated. If you wish to be happy for three days, get married. If you wish to be happy for eight days, kill your pig and eat it. If you wish to be happy forever, learn to fish.”

I like to fish but fishing won’t bring you blessing or happiness. So let’s find out from Psalm one how to be blessed.

I. THE BLESSED MAN

A. THE BLESSED MAN IS NOT CONTROLLED BY THE WORLD

1. HIS COUNSELINGS ARE NOT OF THE WORLD “walketh”

- If we listen to the world for our advice on how to live and handle life we will be in trouble. The world will steer us away from Christ.

- Too many Christians get their counsel from the wrong sources.

- Be careful who you listen to when it comes to making decisions.

- The word walk in the Bible always gives reference to living and lifestyle in this context.

- So the blessed man isn’t living based on the principles of the world. His lifestyle isn’t that of the lost but the saved.

2. HIS COMPANIONSHIPS ARE NOT OF THE WORLD “Standeth”

- Stand here denotes that of someone who is comfortable associating with the lost.

- If you show me someone who feels more comfortable around the world than at church I will show you someone who isn’t walking with the Lord.

- God’s people should never feel comfortable having close companionships with the lost.

- God says we are to be in the world and not of it. We are to be friendly to the lost but not friends. Many today act and talk like the lost and wonder why they have no influence in the world.

- We are called to be different. If we are the same then what do we have to offer them?

3. HIS CONVICTIONS ARE NOT OF THE WORLD “sitteth”

- This shows now that the man has become one of them.

- The progression is that of living by their principles, so you start walking, then you stand with them or spend time as friends, and then you become one of them and sit.

- But notice they are scorners. It all may start innocently but it ends being scornful.

- There have been those over the years who grew up in church but began to walk with the world and then listen to the world and went to hanging out with them to becoming one of them.

- This is why it is so important that parents and grandparents guild the lives of their children. If left alone to themselves the Bible says they are bound for hell.

B. THE BLESSED MAN IS CRAVING THE WORD

1. HE IS IN THE WORD HAPPILY

- Notice it is his DELIGHT to be in the Word of God.

- Delight- greatest pleasure and purpose.

- One reason so many are not blessed is because they spend so little time in God’s Word.

2. HE IS IN THE WORD HABITUALLY

- It’s not just an occasional action but it’s a habitual daily action.

- He spends day and night or we would say continually in the Word.

- This shows that the blessed man makes the time and takes the time to spend with God.

- If we don’t spend time alone with God I promise you that hearing sermons won’t make you Godly.

- Illustration: Lt. General William K. Harrison was the most decorated soldier in the 30th infantry division. He received every decoration for valor except the Congressional Medal of Honor - being honored with the Distinguished Silver Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart (he was one of few generals to be wounded in action).

General Harrison was a soldier’s soldier who led a busy life, but he was also an amazing man of the Word. When he was a twenty-year-old West Point Cadet, he began reading the Old Testament through once a year and the New Testament four times. General Harrison did this until the end of his life. Even in the thick of war he maintained his commitment by catching up during the two and three day rests for replacement and refitting which followed battles, so that when the war ended he was right on schedule.

General Harrison’s story tells me that even the busiest person can systematically feed on God’s Word. No one can be busier or lead a more demanding life than General Harrison.