"How To Receive God's Blessings" - I

“How To Receive God’s Blessings” – I

Psalm 1

INTRODUCTION: Tonight, we will begin a new series on “How To Receive God’s Blessings”. Last Sunday we took a look at “Blessings And Curses” from Deuteronomy Chapter 27. I want to expand on the “blessings” part. There are numerous references in the Scriptures on how to be BLESSED by God. In the weeks ahead, we will isolate several passages on “How To Receive God’s Blessings”.

Everybody WANTS to be BLESSED by God … AMEN? No one wants to be CURSED by God. Open your Bibles to Psalm 1, where King David begins his psalms with a “blessing”.

“Blessed” – Some versions of the Bible substitute the word “happy” for the word “blessed” (Moffatt, Norlie). I prefer the word “blessed”, because it demonstrates what we need to receive the “blessings” of God. Of course, the man/woman who is “blessed” by God, will be “happier” than the person NOT BLESSED by God … AMEN? BUT … for so many people, “happiness” depends on what “happens” to you. The person who is truly “blessed” by God, will find joy, peace, and contentment IN SPITE OF the circumstances.

David gives us a description of a “blessed” person … AND … how to “be blessed” by God. Let’s see “How To Receive God’s Blessings”.

I. WHAT THE BLESSED CHRISTIAN DOESN’T DO – 1:1

BLESSINGS result not only from what you DO … BUT … also from what you DON’T DO. Growing up, I found out that I was “blessed” by my father NOT JUST by doing the RIGHT things … BUT … also by NOT DOING the WRONG things.

Here’s a story about a woman who didn’t do the RIGHT things:

STORY: Mr. & Mrs. Smith had just come back from their honeymoon, and Mr. Smith calls his new bride from work to tell her that he’s bringing 4 of his co-workers, and their wives, home for supper. The new bride is a bit apprehensive, and tells him that she had only planned a meal for the 2 of them. Mr. Smith tells her to go out and get some Chinese food, and double the recipe for the cake she was planning on baking.

Several hours later, the new Mrs. Smith calls her husband at the office, and she’s in tears. She explains that she tried to double the cake recipe, but she can’t. “What’s the matter?”, Mr. Smith asks. “Well, the recipe calls for 2 eggs.” “So, double the recipe … use 4 eggs … don’t you have them?” “Yes,” she explains, “but that’s not the problem.” “Then, what’s the problem?”, Mr. Smith asks. Through her sobs, she explains, “The recipe says that the cake must be baked at 350 degrees, and I have checked the oven, and it won’t go up to 700 degrees!“

You aren’t “blessed” by doing the WRONG thing!

NOTICE the REGRESSION of POSITION in this verse … “walk” … “stand” … “sit”.

NOTICE the REGRESSION of PEOPLE in this verse … “ungodly” … “sinners” … “scornful”.

“ungodly” – lost, but moral.

“sinners” – open rebellion against God.

“scornful” – hardened sinners.

To receive God’s “blessings”, you DON’T:

1.- Walk In The Counsel Of The Ungodly.

“ungodly” = lost but moral. To be “blessed” by God, you don’t listen to ungodly counsel … you keep out of their way. When you walk with them, talk with them, become a part of their group … you will seek their advice, and eventually, do what they do.

As Christians, we have a HIGHER walk. Romans 8:1 – “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 2 Cor. 5:7 – “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

WHERE are the UNGODLY walking? Away from God. When we walk with them, we are ALSO walking away from God. You won’t find God’s “blessings” there!

You have to be careful of your walk.

STORY – Barbara Walters did a story on gender roles in Kuwait several years before the Gulf War. She noted then that women customarily walked about 10 feet behind their husbands. She returned to Kuwait recently and observed that the men now walked several yards behind their wives. Ms. Walters approached one of the women and said, “This is marvelous. Can you tell the free world just what enabled women here to achieve this reversal of roles … why men now walk several yards behind their wives?” The Kuwaiti woman replied, “Land mines!”.

We need to be careful about our walk … by NOT seeking counsel from the ungodly. We have a HIGHER Counselor. Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Someone once said, “Choose your friends wisely. You become what they are.” The Bible tells us in 2 Cor. 6:14 – “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:”