Vida4U “Blessed is the man (or woman)…”
Psalms 1
Blessed is the man (or woman) who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his/her delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates (to ponder, take to heart, to change one’s behavior) day and night.
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore, the ungodly shall 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 ungodly shall perish.
Psalms is a book for all the ages, and for all of life as we follow King David through his life. We see his low points, points of fear and uncertainty, and we see his high points where he truly learns that with God’s presence and help, regardless of the odds, victory was theirs. David fought numerous battles, but one battle in particular the writer wrote that Israel looked like a tiny flock of lambs against the encampment of the Philistines. What went through David’s head, what went through his men heads? Well, through the study of selected Psalms we will learn about the man who God said had a heart after His own, which is a huge statement.
Psalm 1 is the clearest example of actions taken and results given. David uses a fruit tree as his example of a righteous life. Abundant water and abundant fruit (as opposed to the dryness of chaff – the outer part of the wheat germ – the “husk”) which has no value. To separate the germ (which was heavier than the husk) was to cast the crushed wheat into the air and the wheat germ (being heavier) would fall back down onto the sifter with the chaff being blown away, symbolic of it’s uselessness.
Now according to the Psalm the chaff is the unbeliever. Yet there have been many good and useful causes started by people who were not necessarily believers. So why does the scriptures call their actions chaff? If we recall I Corinthians 13 it approaches the question of usefulness, talents, effort and sacrifice from a very different prospective. Again the Bible gives us great insight into God’s thoughts and views.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
The Greatest Gift
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing (chaff). And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love (Agape, God’s Love), it profits me nothing.
Others will recognize your actions and you will be praised by them, but God who is the ultimate rewarder and or judge of one’s soul will render the final verdict. How will He judge your life, and how will He judge mine?
As always God’s view of life is very different than ours. We see that God has a specific standard and if we pull back the layers of reasons and motives for the good deeds that we do what truly are the motives? Because that is what God sees and weighs. Next, in general there are two types of people. There are people who live by their golden rule, take care of number one, and others who are more philanthropic. Those who live by their golden rule are the Takers in life. They can be very nice people and even do a specific measured amount of good deeds, but they never violate their rule. As long as what they are doing benefits them, their in. Once the marriage involves too much sacrifice or becomes increasingly demanding they’re gone; or when the friendship becomes too draining where they have to start sacrificing their wants and pleasures, they’re gone. These are the Takers.
There is another type of individual who seeks to be and to prove by their actions that they are good. There is a need in them to do good and to be viewed by others as being good. Without Christ teaching me what being “good” really is, this person would be me. This is my own “natural DNA.” These people in general are the Givers. However, what is unknown to them is why do they want to do good? What is the motive and who do they ultimately seek to be good for? I know I was not aware, and unfortunately the answer always comes back less than altruistic. It’s nice to do good for others, it has its benefits but ultimately it makes me feel good about me. I did it more for me than for the person receiving the benefit.
It was shocking to see that masked within the kindness was self-interest. And even deeper than that was the thought that by doing good God would accept me into Heaven. He absolutely does not and unfortunately, He literally cannot. Doing the right thing is the right thing to do, but it does not make me righteous. Doing right and being righteous are not even on the same planet! That’s just like saying because I know first aid, I can now perform brain surgery. To say I have lived a good life and that the Holy God of Heaven should receive me into His Eternity is akin to that. It is both massively ignorant of God’s Holiness and beyond arrogant.
The fear of the Lord leads a man to repentance. Another way to say that is when we truly see God as Creator of all, we comprehend His omnipotence and might, to view His fathomless love as He willingly hung on the Cross for us would be then to hate sin, both the sin in the world and the sin in me and hence my only correct response is to bow before Him as I cling to the Cross. The Cross that gives me my only hope of redemption and hence my only response would be to stay as far away from sin as my mind and heart can keep me. This then is to Fear God.
Now, the Takers are too self-centered to care about Eternity. He or she is just living for today, making sure that they receive their fair share of the pie…, and more if possible. They have no concern or care for anything beyond that. They only become “open” to God when a crisis arises. They will either seek God or blame God for the events in their life. Which the later I find strange. If all my life I have been my own god and then sickness, crisis, or a tragedy occurs, do I then blame God? If He was never in the picture before, why is He all of a sudden in the picture now? Did I ever ask Him to lead my life, or to watch over my family, or help me with my job? If not, then why is He to blame for the pain that is now in my life?
Now let’s talk about Givers. Though spiritually in error, they are generally good people. They would “give you the shirt off their back,” as the saying goes. You want a handful of these people in your circle of friends. So in between Givers on one end and Takers on the other end exists the human race – us.
Therefore given these examples and parameters, how did David become God’s man in-spite of some terrible sins he committed? And interesting enough, before David ever became King God called him out.
1 Samuel 13:13-14k
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
Why is disobeying or rationalizing God’s commands such a terrible thing? King Saul was an expert in it and it eventually cost him his throne, his life and the life of his sons. Sin goes deep, it does not just affect the person but also those who are close. What are the commands that we routinely rationalize given the day and age we live in. Even in “Christian” circles these commands are violated. Example, no sex before marriage. In our culture this command, and make no mistake it is a command, is justified by several excuses. We are going to get married; we love each other and what is a piece of paper are some. Also, no sex except for your spouse, so the woman we could not wait till marriage to have sex with is now the one whose being cheated on? Without obedience to God’s Word we are like a boat that drifts soon to become shipwrecked, hurting many people in the process all because of our selfishness. Also, to ignore these other commands, no lusting, lying or cheating etc., is to lay the groundwork for defeat. I worked with someone who frequently eyed women and when I called him on it he simply said that his wife said that he can look but can’t touch. Within a few years his wife divorced him because he “touched.” To rationalize God’s commands so that you can break them is to put yourself above God, a most stupid thing to do. In essence, you just became your own god. As Samuel said to Saul, “you have done foolishly,” or you have played the fool and will now receive a fool’s reward.
Acts 13:22
And when He had removed him (Saul) He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
**
The following words are being copied from an introduction of a book…
Next to Jesus, the Scriptures cover more of David’s life than any other man. David, Israel’s greatest king, is one of the most amazing men who ever lived. He is known as being a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) yet his life is filled with similar ups and downs as those faced by most men today.
It doesn’t seem that if your God’s man you would be committing such grievous sins, and sadly pastors and men in general have also been guilty of sexual sin. However, David was a man who was not born again, though he enjoyed the over shadowing of the Holy Spirit. There were others who were thus anointed. Samson, though called of God from birth and gifted with superhuman strength was a Taker, being extremely heathen until his final days. And then there’s Solomon, the wisest man to ever live. God gave him wisdom beyond any man. He started out good but ended terribly. Too much into his intellect, he soon justified his actions and in time rejected the commands of God as he led Israel into idol worship; a most grievous sin. In just briefly mentioning these few men we can almost make the conclusion that God‘s appointee and gifting is given period, what the individual does with it is what they will be judged by in the end. In his process of repentance, we know that David said, “take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” His sin was separating him from his intimacy with God and he felt it (read Psalm 51). In short, when God moves out, it’s because sin has moved in.
So, let’s start with our first question, what are the characteristics that make a person after God’s own heart?
Let’s look at our text.
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
These are our Don’t commands, and for good reason. Bad company spoils good intentions and ultimately even one’s life. So, who do we get our advice from? Daily we are bombarded by opinions, news outlets, comments from others etc., and what we actually digest and act upon is critical. To walk indicates a direction and that direction comes from applying a specific set of counsel, be it the news, a friend’s advice or God’s Word. What “truth” you decide to “walk in” will define your life and advice void of Godly counsel, which is 95% of what is out there, fails to meet the mark of God’s Word. Why is Godly counsel or counsel that acknowledges God so important? Without that all counsel, as heart felt as it might be, is void of the reality of a God who loves, who cares, who gives hope and who has a very specific way that we are to live and who is Greater than any problem and gives hope far beyond this life. To take godless counsel is parallel to accepting fifty cents when you could bank a million dollars.
To stand is to congregate, who are your friends? As the younger generation says, “who do you hang with?” Whoever they are, they are an influence either for good or for bad and lastly, we have the scornful. These are the mockers. No one reading Vida should be in this very compromised position. To sit in the seat of the scornful is to have lost the battle. Not only are you “walking” in their direction, “hanging with them,” but now you have taken a seat among them. These now have become “your people.” There no longer exists a distinction between you and them. You have now come under God’s judgement. So these next verses I am quoting are for you and bear in mind these are the nicer ones.
Revelation 3:14-19
The Lukewarm Church
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’( our view) —and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked ( God’s view) – I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire His Truths) , that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”
Just as there are prohibitions, actions that bring harm to our life, there are actions that bring strength, joy and peace. Steps that not only protect our relationship but grow our relationship with the Lord.
Psalm 1:2
“But his delight (joy) is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.” (Do we look forward to our time in the scriptures, I know I do. It’s the highlight of each day).
Psalms 86:11-12
Teach me Your way, O LORD;I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore (these verses make a great prayer and great verses for memorization).
3 John 1:3-4
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (how cool it is to bring God joy).
Galatians 5:16-17 (The Unseen Battle).
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Since the sin nature “the Taker” exists in all of us and the Life Giver, the Holy Spirit exists in all those who are born again, the point Paul is making is there is a battle that is spiritual in nature, and to win it must be fought supernaturally. The Spirit seeks for His nature “The Giver” to dominate, and the flesh seeks to Take, who will win is the question? I use to watch wrestling because my friend was so good. In the beginning both contestants seemed equally paired but as the wrestling continued I could see my friend beginning to gain the upper hand as he incessantly grappled with his opponent not seeking to pin him but to tire him out, and soon, tired enough and having no more strength to resist, my friend pinned his opponent. My friend in practice wrestled with teammates 50 lbs. heavier (a big deal in wrestling) than him and by virtue of their weight many were stronger. A few he pinned, but most pinned him. He always gave a good fight. Wrestling was his passion and he overt-trained to win.
And Paul would say that my friend trained to win an earthly crown, we train to win a heavenly crown.
1 Corinthians 9:25-27
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (the believers action must be purposeful, each step away from sin and towards righteousness, each punch a direct blow or a counter punch to the flesh and its ways).
What about us, do we even train, let alone over train? To train as a believer would be to keep your daily prayer times with the Lord, your daily Bible study and in your car or bathroom or on your smart phone note verses that speak to you and read them frequently throughout the day. Listen to Christian messages and Godly music that worships the Lord. Be diligent to make the most of the time you have to hear and read God’s Word, and rule over the flesh. If you struggle in a specific area find out what God’s Word says about that and memorize those verses. These verses will become your sword and shield.
And make time to exercise. I find when I exercise, I stay more alert, more on point as I read God’s Word and live out my Christian faith. Also eating right, exercising discipline overeating habits; not eating sweets and breads that temp the appetite and are not healthy. Saying no to these helps me maintain that “soldier” attitude which is critical for anyone wanting to progress in their Christian faith. There’s a great verse in Ecclesiastic’s about eating.
Ecclesiastes 10:17
Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your princes feast (eat) at the proper time (not gluttons)
And eat for strength and not for drunkenness!
A son or a daughter of a King, which all those born again are, you should select and eat your food based on the strength it gives you. I know taste in our culture is a big deal but it’s overrated. Eating for strength is how we should determine what we eat or don’t eat. When you look at food with this in mind it becomes a disciplined look, a controlled look that will keep us more fit for God’s work. What are the foods that will make me and keep me healthy and strong, those are the foods I eat. For one to discipline his or her eating habits to this level is such a great victory, so few of us do it. I personally believe that the lack of discipline with our eating habits comes back and hurts us in other areas of our life.
And, proper sleep. I have neglected it in my younger years but now find it a must. Since we are body, mind, and soul keeping these areas “tuned up,” helps the Spirit to grow himself in us. These are practical things we can do. As long as we are in our body we are in a battle and those of us who take the walk of faith seriously understand the importance of what I am sharing.
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Zechariah 4:6
So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.
The point the Spirit is making is our battles are spiritual in nature, they must be fought spiritually. As the prophet Zechariah told Zerubbabel that it was the Lord who would build the Temple. It was not for him to build the temple, but it was for him to seek the Lord for guidance. Just as we must seek the Lord for Him to build His Temple in us. Our Temple is not built by brick and mortar, or flesh and blood, but by His Spirit and His implanted Word. Amen
Hebrews 12:11
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained (disciplined or exercised) by it.
Father God,
You are the Master Architect of our soul. You know how to tear down attitudes of defeat, low self-esteem, bitterness, lust, pride, anger, loneliness and the like. In tearing them down we feel vulnerable and don’t like it but afterwards You rebuild us with Truth that will ransom our soul from Hell and deliver us into Your Eternal Kingdom, yielding the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Amen
Go in Peace and Grace – Arthur
Personal Note: Life could get tough in the coming months with all that is happening in the political arena. As believers we must support and pray for our candidates that stand for God’s principles. The right to assemble for worship, the right of the unborn and the dignity of life in general and the social structure that the Ten Commandments give which are being torn from our society, without a fight. Pray, and pray frequently that Truth and Righteousness will prevail. At the same time prepare….
1 Peter 3:13-15
And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; ( if days become hard your testimony will be critical, if you are on the fence in your faith get off, get off now and start to grow your faith. Your salvation and the ability to have a living faith cost the Life of our Savior, please do not take it for granted).
Until next time – Arthur Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.” Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.