Monday, June 13, 2011

June 14, 2011

"Blessed is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly , nor stands in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down where the scornful gather."   Psalm 1:1

Here's a pop quiz: "Would you rather be blessed or cursed?"

I think I know your answer.

Though the answer is obvious, the significance of that answer is not. You are either one or the other. If you are not blessed you are cursed. I say that because I fear there is a tendency to think that there are shades of blessedness. But the fact is if you are not living under God's blessing you are cursed. There are not "kind of blessed" or "sort of blessed" people. His blessing begins with the removal of the curse. Unless you understand that you will not appreciate the importance of being blessed.

The writer of the Psalms spells out clearly what it means to be blessed.

I like the Amplified Version of the Bible to give clarity to the undesrstanding of Biblical texts. Here is how it explains what it means to be blessed: BLESSED =  (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable).

You can plug in those synonyms without it altering the meaning of the verse. HAPPY is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly......."

To be blessed means to be happy! Happy about what? He is happy because of Who he loves - God! He is happy because of how he lives - godly! And He is happy because of what he learns - the Word of God!

Also, you can substitute the word "fortunate" as well! A blessed man is a fortunate man because of what Jesus did for him on the cross! Notice it didn't say "lucky" it said fortunate. Blessing comes as the result of right choices and decisions not from a random confluence of events.

Thirdly, you could replace "blessed" with "prosperous". Usually, a blessed man becomes preosperous because he makes good choices and wise decisions that result in profitable outcomes for a "blessed" man.

You have it within your power to live a  "blessed" Life! The question is, "Will you?" Will you choose to live a bless life? Now that you know three things God blesses and you refuse to do any of those things - you will live under the curse of sin and pride.

Do you love God with ALL your heart?

Do you live according to His Word?

Do you have a desire and a discipline to learn His Word?

Loving, living and learning lead to blessedness! Reject the curse - receive the blessing!




June 13, 2011

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does 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 will perish."   Psalm 1

In real estate the rule that determines the value of a property is, "Location, location, location!"

Before posting this I did a quick check of Gatlinburg real estate and it verified that it is indeed true. The further you go up the mountain and the better the view, the higher the price. If the home is located in a neighborhood with other higher priced homes that raises the price of the property as well.

Similarly, a man's "blessedness" is determined by His location in relation to God and His Word. Consider these phrases:

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers"

A blessed man locates himself in the neighborhood with godly and righteous people. He doesn't hang out with evil wicked people. Wicked people are spiritually condemned. Who wants to build next to a condemned property?

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."

Secondly, a blessed man camps out in the Word of God! He doesn't spend time reading sexy magazines or going to questionable websites. You are what you read. "As a man thinks in his heart so is he." Contrary to modern thinking, a man cannot separate his private life from his public life.
Third, a man will be blessed if he puts down roots in the living water. Jesus is the Living Water! "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither." The evidence that a man has established his life in a good location is the fruitfulness of his life and the healthiness of his life!

A man who wants to be blessed will locate himself in a place where God's blessings flow. How presumptious is it to expect or demand that God bless what he is doing rather than doing what God blesses?

There is a reason that some men lead blessed lives and others don't. It can be summed up in three words, "Location, location, location!"

Will you choose to be blessed? Will you go where God blesses? Will you do what He blesses?