God’s Blueprint for Blessing

We are starting a new series today from the book of Psalms. We know this is the biggest book in the Bible and there are hundred of verses. So we aren’t going to hit every chapter, but several that I think will help us as we walk with the Lord.

We start in Psalm chapter 1 today. A fairly familiar Psalm that many of you will recognize. It starts out with the word “blessed” and it compares us to a tree. We could have titled the message “how to become a tree-mendous” Christian!

Lets read the first 6 verses.

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:3–4 ESV

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Psalm 1:5–6 ESV

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

There is so much there in those verses, but we are going to pick the 3 main things that it tells us about a healthy Christian.

I. The Companions That He Shuns

Now, look at the companions that he shuns in verse 1:

Psalm 1:1 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

And here, God is making a division between the righteous and the unrighteous. And, God always divides men; He always separates between men, but He doesn’t do it as we do it. (and I’m using generic term “men” as the verse does but obviously applies to women to) We separate men according to the rich and the poor, according to the strong and the weak, the cultured and the uncultured, but God doesn’t divide them this way. God separates them as saved and lost, saint and sinner, or as someone would say, “the saints and the ain’ts.” We have a way of separating men on sort of a horizontal level. We say there’s upper class, middle class, and lower class. But, God doesn’t seem to separate men on a horizontal level; God separates men on a vertical level: some on His right hand, some on His left hand. On the one side are the sheep, and on the other side are the goats. God doesn’t see as man sees. “Man [looks] on the outward appearance, but [God looks] on the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7)

And, there are three things I want you to see that you are to avoid.

A. Avoid Sensual Wisdom

Number one: We are to avoid sensual wisdom—

Here’s a “man that doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked” That is, he’s not to get his wisdom, his counsel, his philosophy from this world. We’d better learn to get our counsel from heaven. It may come through men, but it must begin in heaven.

B. Avoid Sinful Ways

And so, not only is the blessed man going to avoid sensual wisdom, but he’s also going to avoid their sinful ways.

Psalm 1:1 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

Now, look at it again: “nor stands in the way of sinners” It’s very interesting for me to note here that, first of all, God shows a man in the counsel of the ungodly, and in the next step, he’s standing around sinners. Why? because ungodly counsel always leads to sinful living. And, the devil, therefore, had rather get you to think a wrong thing than to do a wrong thing, because the thought is the father of the deed. And, if the devil can get you to taking ungodly counsel, he’s not going to have much difficulty getting you to live in sinful ways.

C. Avoid Scornful Words

But now, watch it—first of all, there’s the devil’s sensual wisdom that leads to the devil’s sinful ways that leads to the devil’s scornful words. Notice the last part: “nor sit in the seat of scoffers”(Psalms 1:1) The chief seat in Satan’s kingdom is the seat of the scoffers or the scornful. Now, when He’s talking about the seat of the scornful, He’s talking about the man who is proud of his sin—he’s proud of his wickedness.

You see, what you really have here is the evolution of sin. Look at these words again. First of all, you see the man. The man is walking. Then, he’s standing. And then, he’s sitting. Here’s a man walking along, and he meets an acquaintance. And, they walk along together for a while, and they get so interested that they stop and carry on a conversation. And, they become so engrossed in their conversation that they finally sit down. You see, what we’re showing here is the evolution of sin. Here, first of all, they’re walking, then standing, and then being seated.

You see, at first he is irreligious, and then he’s immoral, and then he is immovable. You see, the last stage is when he becomes a scorner. That’s the worst stage; that’s the final stage. And so, the man of God—there are certain people, there are certain companions, that he needs to shun. You will be blessed if you avoid them.

II. The Communion That He Seeks

But, not only from the negative viewpoint—the companions that he shuns—but I want you to see from the positive viewpoint the communion that he seeks.

Notice the word as it turns here on the word but: “But”—in verse 2—

Psalm 1:2 ESV

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

“but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”d And, there are three things I want to say about this verse, as we see the communion that you must seek. There are three things that must mark the blessed man when it comes to the Word of God. He’s not going to get his inspiration, he’s not going to get his information, he’s not going to get his attitudes from the ungodly world, but he’s going to get it from the Word of God. And, according to this verse, as I see it, there are three things about the man of God and the Word of God:

A. He Appreciates the Word of God

Look at it: “his delight is in the law of the LORD.”(Psalms 1:2)

Psalm 1:2 ESV

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

He just simply loves the Word of God.

From the time I have been saved I have loved the Word of God. I’ve not loved it as I could have loved it—ought to have loved it—but the Bible is precious to me. Many people claim to be Christians, but they don’t love God’s Word—and that doesn’t make sense.

To love God is to love His Word. To be a man of God is to love the Bible. I heard of a preacher who came and visited a woman, and she was trying to show off a little bit. It was time to read the Scriptures, so she told her little boy, “Go get that book that mother loves so well.” Well, he came back with the Sears catalog. Now, we need to love the Word of God.

B. He Assimilates the Word of God

Now, this blessed man appreciates the Word of God, but not only does he appreciate the Word of God; he assimilates the Word of God, for it says,

“and on his law he meditates day and night”

And, I’ve told you before, this word meditate means literally “to chew the cud.”

Now, if you’re a country boy like I’m not, you know that “to chew the cud” is what a cow does. This cow goes out there, and then browses in the field, and takes in the grass early in the morning. Bessie goes out and loads up on this, and then, later on, she lies down under a tree and begins to meditate. That is, she gets to thinking about that grass and says, “lets taste that again” and she does this over and over Now, she has loaded up in the morning, and all through the day she meditates on it. That’s exactly what we need to do. We need to so love the Word of God that all through the day—wherever we are and whatever we’re doing—we can go back to that quiet time we had with God and meditate, chew, on the Word of God.

C. He Appropriates the Word of God

Not only must we, therefore, appreciate the Word of God, but when we appreciate the Word of God, we will assimilate the Word of God.

And, when we have assimilated the Word of God, then we can appropriate the Word of God.

Now, notice—the man of God is not under the law; he is in the law. What a difference! That is, he literally appropriates the Word of God. Night and day it has meaning and relevance to his life. It is not a burden to him; it is a blessing to him. It is not something that he has to do; it is something that he gets to do, because he’s found that God’s words are life as he appropriates the Word of God day by day. And, let me say this: that not only must you, therefore, learn it; you must live it. And, you’ve never really learned it—until you live it.

III. The Character That He Shows

Now, the third thing I want you to see: not only the companions that he shuns (in verse 1), and not only the communion that he seeks (in verse 2), but I want you to see the character, therefore, that he shows (in verse 3):

Psalm 1:3 ESV

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Now, what is the character that he will show? But, He uses a figure of speech to say here that the man of God is like a tree. That’s a simile, isn’t it? Okay, he’s like a tree. And, why is the man of God like a tree? Well, number one: The man of God who has been shunning evil communications and the man of God who’s been seeking godly communion is going to show certain character qualities in his life.

A. He Will Show Vitality

Like a tree, he will show vitality—vitality. The emphasis here is the tree is a living thing.

Notice here he says,

Psalm 1:4 ESV

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

“The wicked are not so: but are like the chaff.”(Psalms 1:4) Now, the difference between a tree and chaff—one difference—of course, is life. That is, you will have life. The man of God, who has been sinking his roots down deep into the refreshing streams of God’s Word, is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”(Psalms 1:3) He will have vitality. Jesus said, “[I’ve] come that [you] might have life…and have it…abundantly.”(John 10:10)

B. He Will Show Stability

But, not only will the character that he shows be one of vitality; it will also be one of stability—stability:

Not blown around like chaff. But standing strong through the storms and weather. But, the reason the tree remains there is that the tree is planted—it is rooted; it is grounded. The very fact that this tree is there is not a coincidence. God planted this tree. You know what Jesus said? He may have had this psalm in mind. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 15, verse 13: “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, will be rooted up.”(Matthew 15:13) But, aren’t you glad that the man of God, who has this vitality, also has this stability?

C. He Will Show Fertility

Notice also here God’s Word says, “a tree that yields his fruit in his season.”(Psalms 1:3) He’s going to be a very fruitful tree. Jesus said, “[You’ve] not chosen me…[I’ve] chosen you, and [I’ve] ordained you, that [you] should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”(John 15:16) This fruit grows on the godly tree, and it is the fruit of the Spirit. And, that river is God’s Holy Spirit, and our roots must go down deep into God’s Holy Spirit.

D. He Will Show Consistency

Look again at it: “[and] his leaf does not wither.”(Psalms 1:3)

He will be perennially green. He’s God’s evergreen in season and out of season. He is a man for all seasons. He will not turn brown. Listen, the reason is his roots stay there in that river of revival, and the reason we have dry rot is because we have dry roots. Now, the roots are unseen; the leaves are seen. if the outward life is green, it means that the roots have gone down deep. But, if the outward life withers, it means there’s something wrong with the root system.

E. He Will Show Prosperity

And then, the sum total of this is the character that he shows is prosperity. Look again at it: “and in all he does he prospers.”(Psalms 1:3)

The Bible says that God “[takes] pleasure in the prosperity of his [servants].”(Psalms 35:27) The Bible says that “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,”(Isaiah 54:17) but that the man of God should always prosper. That means that God’s going to have His hand upon your life. Prosperity is the continual achieving of the will of God for one ’s life. Now, it’s not so with the ungodly. Sometimes the people of the world seem to prosper, and we look at them and we say they’re prospering. But, we make the mistake of equating the fact that they’re living high, wide, and handsome with prosperity. look at vs 5-6 Psalm 1:5-6

Psalm 1:5–6 ESV

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

He’s making a comparison here that everyone of that day understood. We don’t so much anymore. But the wheat and put it on the winnowing floor there. and the wheat is separated from the husk or the chaff that’s around. And then, they have a winnowing fork or a big pitchfork, and they just keep throwing that grain in the air. And, as they throw that grain in the air, the wind comes along and just blows the husks, the chaff, off to the side. Now, what is that wind—that blows away the ungodly? It’s the wind of death.

You see, here’s an ungodly man. He’s been living high, wide, and handsome. He doesn’t care for God. He’s perhaps occupying now the seat of the scornful. Maybe he’s just walking in the way of sinners, or maybe he is standing in the counsel of the ungodly. But, he dies outside the Lord, but here’s how it happened. One day everything feels just fine. He’s going along just as well as he was before, but he feels a little breeze. It’s the wind of death, but he doesn’t know it; and it passes by. The next day he feels that same breeze. He says, “That’s strange. There…no wind is in here. Where did that breeze come from?” Third day it blows a little colder. And, that little breeze becomes a storm, and that storm becomes a howling hurricane that freezes his blood; and he dies. That’s what the psalmist is talking about. “The ungodly are not so: [they’re] like the chaff which the wind driveth away.”(Psalms 1:4) But, where are they driven? Where do they end up? Let Jesus tell us. Jesus said, “The chaff [shall be burned] with unquenchable fire.”(Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17) It’ll take another world, it will take eternity. to show where real prosperity is. You see, when God says, “Whatever he does will prosper,”(Psalms 1:3) He’s not saying that we’re going to live in a mansion, necessarily—not saying that we’re going to wear the finest clothes, eat the best food. But, it is saying that we’re going to have the joy that can be compared with no other joy. Sometimes good times may come. Paul said,

Philippians 4:11–12 ESV

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Paul had learned the secret of Psalm 1, that blessed man, and whatever he did would prosper.

Conclusion

This is the life God wants every one of His children to experience. I want you to be a “tree-mendous” Christian. To have that vitality, stability, fertility, consistency, and prosperity. Let’s bow together in prayer.