God's Promises... (5)

Like a tree planted by rivers of water...

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at God’s promises. Last week we looked at how Abraham kept on believing until he saw the promise of God in his life. We, too, need to persevere until we see God’s promises in our lives.

Let’s look at today’s Scripture.

Psalm 1:1–6 NIV

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Influencers in our lives...

I’m sure that most of us can look back in our lives or even presently and see people that have had great influence in our lives. Maybe it was parents, teachers, a youth pastor, friends, co-workers and the list can go on and on.

The voices that influence us can set us on a path that can make us like a tree planted by the water, or like chaff that the wind drives away. We need to make the choice of who or what we are going to allow to influence us.

One of God’s promises is

Blessing

Psalm 1:1 NIV

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,

Other translations will use words such as “Blessed is the man (person) who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

Blessed means joyful is the person who doesn’t let ungodly, worldly, thinking influence them.

As we look at verse 1, we see progression from listening the worldly mindset, to becoming one of the mockers.

Ask yourself the question,

Who or what are my influencers?

Some of our greatest influencers are people that we have never even met: Social media, TV, articles that we read, YouTube, and the list can go on and on.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. Romans 12:2 J.B. Philips

Saying “Yes” to saying “No”

It’s a lot easier to go with the flow than to swim up stream by yourself.

We are blessed, we are joyful when we say no to the council of the ungodly, this is what we believe.

Standing in the path of sinners is how we behave. When we start believing like the wicked, it’s not long before we start behaving like them.

We don’t start by mocking God or His people but once our mindset changes, once our belief system changes and our actions follow suite, so do our words change. (Meditations on the Psalms)

Maybe you’ve heard of

The deconstruction of faith

that has happened to many people that once believed the gospel. Chances are that they didn’t wake up one morning as an agnostic or an atheist. For some they saw people suffering and struggled to wrap their minds around how a loving God could allow suffering in the world.

For others, it was science disproving the God of the Bible. I find this interesting, because none of us were there at the beginning of the earth, and regardless of your conclusion of whether or not there is a god or not. It takes faith.

As Christians we believe that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Many scientists have put their faith in theory of evolution and “The Big Bang” Theory. They believe that everything happened by chance. We believe that there was an intelligent designer.

Some may say that you can believe both, but if the God believe in is not true, how can He be trusted.

Still others struggle to understand how thew God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament.

“Don’t let the world squeeze you into it’s mould...but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”

What it does it take to be like a tree planted by rivers of water?

Psalm 1:2 NIV

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

Let’s bring a little perspective here. This Scripture was written close to a thousand years before Jesus was born. The Psalmist would have known the stories from the first five books of the Bible.

He knew the stories of Noah, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He had read the stories of the Israelites in captivity as well as the faithfulness of God in the Exodus. There were the stories of the 40 years in the wilderness, and yet he found it refreshing to hide in his heart to bring life.

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

It’s one thing to have God’s word, but

we need to delight in God’s word

Psalm 1:2 NIV

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

To delight doesn’t mean to read the Bible because that’s what we are supposed to do as Christians.It’s our desire or longing.

Is there something that consumes you? Something that you just love to do?

Let’s say that money isn’t an issue. Some people might long to fix up an old car. Others love playing golf and could spend hours of enjoyment.

Others love baking, crafting, quilting, crocheting, reading a good book.

Still others love to farm, build, tinker.

Once a job just becomes a drag or boring, even if the pay is good, maybe it’s time to start finding something that gives you life.

Does God’s word bring you great excitement, do you long to read it and see how it applies to your life? Do we just put it on the back burner and think that maybe some day I’ll read it? Do you study God’s word? Do you meditate on it?

When we

Meditate

on God’s word, it’s not emptying ourselves or focusing on only one thing, it’s thinking about, mulling over, and digesting God’s word. It’s allowing God’s word to nourish us. We need to allow God’s word to saturate us so that we become more like Jesus.

Have you ever paid attention how others eat? Maybe your habits have changed over the years how you eat and some of that has to do with your teeth.

There’s the doddlers. There’s the ones that savour every bite of their food. They really enjoy every bite. Of course there are those that are in a hurry and inhale their food as quickly as possible.

Probably lots of us grew up scarfing down our food so that we could go and do something else. The French will take a bite and set their fork back down and not only enjoy their food but enjoy the experience. The doddlers are the ones that might play with their food and not really eat it.

then there are picky eaters. Were you a picky eater when you were younger, or maybe now that you have grown up, you don’t have to eat the food that you were forced to eat, so you don’t.

As a child, I didn’t like cooked cabbage. Coleslaw was no problem. I didn’t like cooked beans or beets, but French styled or pickled were fine. Turnips, parsnips, Swiss chard, and cranberries, were pretty much the food that I would have preferred not eat, but the rule at our table was that even if you didn’t like something, it would be a good idea to eat a little and maybe after a while you might acquire a taste.

I get a kick out of the faces around our table at some of the food that we get our kids to eat. At least half of the issue not the taste on the tongue but the taste that is between our ears. It’s funny because I’m sure that I had the same expression.

We need to take time and savour God’s word. We might eat bigger portions of our favorites, but we need to get into the Old Testament and put a little on our plates and try it.

Psalm 1:2 NIV

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

We have a lot of things that we meditate on and that we might choose to meditate on, but only God’s word can cause us to grow and establish us.

Like a tree

Psalm 1:3 NIV

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Who is that person?

The one who meditates on God’s word day and night.

2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

God inspired people to write His word down to teach us, rebuke us, correct us in our wrong thinking, and to train us in doing what is right. As we apply what we are learning which comes from allowing God’s word to penetrate our hearts, we become trees that are planted by streams of water.

In John 15:1-8

John 15:1–8 NIV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I like the way the the NLT puts Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:3 NLT

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

You may go through different seasons in your life but as you remain in Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit, you will bear fruit in each season.

God will produce fruit in your life. You might be going through a season and you just don’t know how it’s possible for God to produce fruit in you.

Ask for wisdom

James 1:5 NIV

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 3:17–18 NIV

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

What kind of fruit may you produce?

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

As God is working in you, He will use you to minister to others. There are some who plant, others that water, and yet God will get the increase.

Is there anyone who God has been speaking to you to minister to? It could be someone who knows Jesus or somebody who doesn’t know Him yet. If not ask God to lay somebody on your heart.

God has promised us prosperity. Whatever this person does will prosper, but don’t set your goals so low that it can only be money. God will bless you spiritually, physically, emotionally, and yes even financially, but it’s so that we can be a blessing.

What about the ungodly?

Psalm 1:4–6 NIV

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

They are like chaff that the wind drives away. Let’s not walk in their counsel, or stand in their ways. Let’s not become like mockers, but but let’s

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As Reinhard Bonnke used to used to say, “I want Hell empty and Heaven full.”

Let’s pray