For the Lord Watches Over Us
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Scripture
Scripture
1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Seeing what’s happening around us, in other words, the earthquake in Turkey/Syria, the tension between the local police and African Americans, the conflicts and war in the Ukraine and Russia; the financial problems in Europe; and the financial problems here in the U.S., where the government is fighting between both parties, large companies are laying off number of employees, and prices in the groceries store are rising, I would say that many people find it very difficult to be optimistic.
The reality is that all of these things combined cause the majority of people to develop a pessimistic attitude; in other words a defeatist attitude. And developing and nurturing a defeatist attitude is something that we can’t afford to do. We can’t develop and nurture a defeated mind, because to do so will stop us from seeing and appreciating the blessings that God pours out upon His people. And I don’t know about you, but I can tell you that I don’t want to miss a single blessing. But now the question that we must ask is: how can we avoid a state of defeat? The frustration of our culture today and how we seem to be going more back-worth then forward in society.
This will be our focus for today, let’s now turn to the Word of God.
Something that all humans have in common is that everyone wants to be happy. All of us would love to be happy and care free, isn’t that so? However, what occurs with frequency is that the vast majority of people believe that to be happy they need to have more money, more possessions, cars, jewels, fine clothes, etc.
If we conducted a survey and we asked different people what makes them happy, I'm sure that we would receive a variety of responses. We would receive different answers because a large portion of the world has heard about the word "delight or happiness"; however, they really don’t know what that really is.
In other words, they have never experienced the meaning of these words in their life. As I said at the beginning, there are a number of people that lead a defeated life. There are a number of people who though rich materially, they are in fact weak beggars. How can we prevent this from happening to us?
Let’s begin answering our question by analyzing the meaning the word "delight." The word “delight” is defined as: “a high degree of gratification”[1]. And it’s a word synonymous with happiness and joy.
In the verses today we see that we are told:
1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
In this portion of the scriptures we find that there is a special blessing for all of those that remain faithful to God.
This is something that our Lord further affirms in Luke 11:28
28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
So here we find a blessing from God, but we also find what we must do to avoid developing a negative and/or pessimistic attitude. What must we do? The first thing that we have to do is to realize that we are not of this world. This is something that is well reflected in the words of the Lord as found in John 15:19
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Once we accept Christ as our King and Savior our citizenship changes. We are now citizens of God’s Kingdom. I don’t know about you, but I’m, very, very happy, to have changed my citizenship. I’m very, very happy, to have been saved and to now be part of His Kingdom. Tell the person sitting next to you: delight yourself in God’s Kingdom.
How can we experience the joy of living in God’s Kingdom? The scriptures here tell us: “…But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night…”
Before proceeding I want to clarify something. When David wrote this psalm, the people lived under the covenant of the law, and that’s why we see that he says: “…his delight is in the law…” We don’t live under the covenant of the law; we live under the new covenant, the covenant of grace. This is something that is clearly declared by the Lord in Luke 22:19-20
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
However, just because we live under the covenant of grace, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have to obey God’s laws, as it’s only through God’s laws that we learn what God despises. This is something that is better expressed by the apostle in Romans 7:6-7
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Before the covenant of grace, people couldn’t come before God’s presence, but now we can. The veil that separated man from God's presence was torn and removed by our Lord’s perfect sacrifice on the cross. The Holy Spirit now dwells in us by the grace of God. What am I trying to say with all of this? What I'm saying is that when we remain in God’s will, we are in essence being governed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And this is something that should delight and bring great happiness to us. We should be delighted to know that we serve the supreme King, the righteous King, the kind King. We live in God’s kingdom, but unfortunately many have yet to realize this.
Why have many not realized this?
The reason why many have failed to realize that they live in God’s kingdom is because there are many who think that to live in God’s kingdom, you have to die. And if you think this way, you're correct but only to a certain extent. I say this because to live in God’s kingdom you must die, but not physically; to live in God’s kingdom you have to die to sin. This is something that is well reflected in Colossians 3:5
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Once we die to sin, we then begin to live within God’s kingdom. What reward is there for living within God’s kingdom?
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
A tree planted beside the waters is a tree that gets constant nourishment. It’s a tree that develops strong and deep roots; it’s a tree that has at its disposal all of the resources that it needs to stay alive and healthy. Regardless of what may be happening around us, every person who deposits their faith in God and delights in His presence will always find the happiness, and peace that only God can give. In other words, just as the tree planted beside the waters, we will receive the constant nourishment that our faith needs. It’s as the Lord tells us in John 4:13-14
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
When we reflect on this brief detail, we can confidently conclude that even the worst moments of our life can’t affect us, when we live within God’s kingdom. They can’t affect us because there is a much more powerful force within us. Look carefully at what the Lord tells us in John 14:23
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Remember that money can buy pleasure, but not love. Money can buy the show, but not the joy. Money can buy a companion, but not a friend. Money can buy a woman, but not a wife. Money can buy a house, but not a home. Money can buy medicine, but not health. Money can buy books, but not wisdom. Money can buy tranquilizers, but not peace. Money can buy a crucifix, but not a savior. Money can buy land, but not heaven. So if you think that prosperity is about money then listen to what the Lord tells you today: Isaiah 55:1-2
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, And he that hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, And let your soul delight itself in fatness.
What should we seek to proper in more than money? We should seek to prosper in God’s Word. Why should we seek to prosper in God’s Word? We must seek to prosper in God’s Word because God's word is what will sustain and help us during difficult times.
We must seek to prosper in God’s Word because the Word of God is the only thing that satisfies our spiritual needs, and what helps us get up when we fall.
14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
We must seek to prosper in God’s Word because the Word of God is the only thing that replaces the abominable thirst for the things of this world, with the desire to love and truly serve God.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We must seek to prosper in God’s Word because the Word of God is the only thing that strengthens us, letting us know that when we are faithful, there is nothing that the enemy can do that will prevail against us.
17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
We must seek to prosper in God’s Word because the Word of God is the only thing that gives us the victory over all things, regardless of how difficult or how hard a situation may seem.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
In Closing
In Closing
In the passages of scripture today we find that we are told: “…Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish…” God knows and wants to show you the path to follow so that you may avoid developing a defeatist attitude.
God's Word clearly shows us that once we accept Jesus Christ as our King and Savior, we then begin to exist within God’s kingdom, and we can’t allow anything to take away the joy that this produces in our life. And to achieve this joy all we need to do is to surrender to Him all of our concerns; surrender to Him all our needs and/or sufferings. In other words, live according to God’s will, with an unshakable faith, and standing firm on God's promises. Once we completely surrender to God’s will, we will then realize that no matter the circumstances or problems, we are under His protection.
We live within God’s kingdom, and we serve a righteous and loving King. God’s kingdom is here right now! Joy and happiness are here right now!
It is encouraging to remember that our heavenly Father has equipped each one of us with special talents. He wants us to utilize these gifts rather than be overly critical of our failures. Think about how God used biblical characters despite their imperfections:
Moses stuttered.
David’s armor didn’t fit.
John Mark was rejected by Paul.
Hosea’s wife was a prostitute.
Amos’s only training was in the school of fig tree pruning.
Solomon was too rich.
Abraham was too old.
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse? So did Peter, Paul —well, lots of folks did.
Aren’t we glad God doesn’t keep an account of our fumbles? He is quick to forgive and forget; despite a bad year He still has us in His lineup next season. He doesn’t require a job interview. He doesn’t hire and fire like human bosses, because He’s more than just a boss. He’s not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry or blind to our need.
He knows how we are formed. He remembers we are dust. — Psalm 103:14
If we are totally in love with Him, if we hunger for Him more than for our next breath, He’ll use us in spite of who we are, where we’ve been, or what we look like.
Do you want to live in God’s kingdom? Accept Him today as your personal Lord and Savior, and you will begin to immediately live in His kingdom.