By Emeritus Prof. Mercy Olumide
The Benefits Of Adoration (Cont)
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful,” (Ps 1:1).
“Blessed is the man.” Psalm1, serves as an introduction to the entire Book of Psalms. It contrasts the only two kinds of people recognised by God, each with a distinct set of life principles:
1. The godly, who are characterised by righteousness, love, obedience to God’s word and separation from fellowship with the world (vv. 1-2).
2. The ungodly, who represent the ways and counsel of the world, who do not abide in God’s word (or counsel), who are cynical about God and mockers of that which is holy, and who consequently have no part in the assembly of God’s people (vv. 4-5).
The lives of those who delight in God and His word have a root system that draws life from God and prospers. The unglodly are like chaff that is blown away by the winds of God’s judgments; they have no part in God’s kingdom (1 Cor 6:9) and will perish (v. 6). The separation between these two kinds of people will exist throughout redemptive history and on into eternity.
The names of Jesus in the book of revelation – Part 36
Ps 1:1 “who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.” The first verse of the book of Psalms emphasises the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous can be distinguished by their lifestyle and associations (v.1), and by the things in which they delight (v. 2). No person can experience God’s blessing (lit. ‘blessed is the man that” v. 1) without turning from harmful or destructive associations (v. 1) to become rooted and established in God’s word (v. 2).
Only then are they “like a tree planted by the rivers of water” (v. 3).
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Ps 1:2)
You can learn how to follow God by meditating on his Word. Meditating means spending time reading and thinking about what you have read. It means asking yourself how you should change, so that you will live as God wants you to live.
Knowing and meditating on God’s word are the first steps toward applying it to your everyday life. If you want to follow God more closely, you must know what he says. This “law of the Lord” means all of Scripture: the first five books of
Moses, the Prophets, and the other writings. The more we know of the whole scope of God’s word, the more resources we will have to guide us in our daily decisions.
“His delight is in the law.” Those who are blessed by God not only turn from evil, but also build their lives around the instruction of the Lord.
• Email: ymolumide@gmail.com. Facebook: Yetunde Mercy Olumide
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