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Blessed

Psalms and Proverbs

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night.  Psalms 1

Who wants to be blessed? 

This opening Psalm gives a fitting introduction to the entire book of Psalms as well as the following book, Proverbs. The simplest way to state the theme of this chapter, and consequently all of Psalms and Proverbs, is how to live the life of a blessed follower of God. 

This opening Psalm is not evangelistic. In other words, it doesn’t explain how to become a follower of God, a believer. But it tells us how to live as a believer. And how to live in such a way as to be blessed.  Certainly, the blessings of forgiveness and eternity in heaven are of utmost importance. But also, Psalms and Proverbs reveal, in great detail, how to have a blessed life while living here on earth. 

Here and Now

Even though our life on earth is brief, God’s Word gives much attention to how we are to live on this earth. And part of His general grace spread over the world is that there is a prescribed and predictable pattern of His earthly blessings upon individuals, as well as people groups and even nations. When an individual, a society or people group, and even a nation, follow the general principles of God’s Word, blessings occur. That’s a promise. That’s a guarantee. 

Let’s say you are a Christian. You have decided to follow Jesus. You have bowed before God, repented of your sins and turned your heart toward Jesus. That is exceedingly wonderful. As a Christian, your sins are forgiven and your eternity is secure. But don’t consider your spiritual journey complete. Now it is time to soak in the instructions of God’s Word and especially the Psalms and Proverbs and ask the question; 

How then should I live? 

The Psalms tell us how to live through poetry that was meant to be put to music and sung as hymns. The repetition of singing the hymns drives the principles deep into one’s heart and becomes part of their conscious mind through memory.  

Proverbs is meant to be didactic. It is to be taught and studied line upon line, precept upon precept. Repetition was the mode of learning the Proverbs. In the ancient Jewish society, the didactic teachings of the principles of righteous living began at a very young age. We would be wise to return to this ancient practice. 

It’s funny, God has given very, very specific guidance as to how we can prosper in this world; how we can experience joy, loving relationships, raise our children, deal favorably with foes and adversaries, attain wealth and handle our wealth and all the keys to a rich and fulfilling life. Instead, in our youth and our young adulthood, we most often build a foundation of bad decisions with selfish and arrogant motivations and lazy and indulgent actions. The results are trials, tribulations, heartbreak and pain. Been there, do that. 

It’s never too late to turn things around. God’s Word will give us all that we need, especially Psalms and Proverbs. The ramifications of our previous bad decisions will linger in our lives but a new foundation of godly living and good decisions can and will emerge. Why didn’t we start earlier? Well, we are just too human, I suppose, for our own good. But it’s never too late. Come with me over the next couple of weeks as we consider some life lessons from Psalms and Proverbs.  

Who wants to be blessed?