The Person God Blesses ( Psalm 1:1- 3)
From the beginning of creation, God blessed mankind (Gen. 1:28); it was only after sin had entered the world through Adam’s disobedience that we find the word “curse” (Gen. 3:14- 19). It has always been God’s desire that mankind should enjoy His blessings. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that the believer in Christ has been “blessed with all spiritual blessings.” How rich we are in Him! Sad to say, many Christians do not “possess their possessions” (Obad. 17) and enjoy their blessings in Christ. In these verses we have a description of the kind of Christian God is able to bless.
A. A person who is separated from the world (v. 1).
The Christian life is compared to a walk (see Eph. 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). It begins with a step of faith in trusting Christ and it grows as we take further steps of faith in obedience to His Word. Walking involves progress, and Christians are to make progress in applying Bible truths to daily life. But it is possible for the believer to walk “in the darkness,” outside the will of God (1 John 1:5- 7). The people God blesses are careful in their walk: though they are in the world, they are not of the world. By contrast, it takes little imagination to see the person walking near sin, then standing to consider it, and finally sitting down to enjoy “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25). We see this sad development in Peter’s disobedience. Jesus said he should go away (John 18:8), but instead, Peter walked after Jesus (18:15). Next we see him standing with the wrong crowd (18:18), and before long he is sitting by the fire (Luke 22:55). You know what happened:he walked right into temptation and three times denied his Lord. If Christians start listening to the counsel (advice, plans) of the ungodly, they will soon be standing in their way of life, and finally will sit right down and agree with them.
B. A person who is saturated with the Word (v. 2).
Those whom God blesses are not delighted with what pertains to sin and the world; they delight in the Word of God. It is love for and obedience to the Bible that brings blessing on our lives. See Josh. 1:8. The people God blesses not only read the Word daily, but they study it, memorize it, and meditate on it during the day and night. Their mind is controlled by the Word of God. Because of this, they are led by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit. Meditation is to the soul what “digestion” is to the body. It means understanding the Word, “chewing on it,” and applying it to our lives, making it a part of the inner person. See Jer. 15:16, Ezek. 3:3, and Rev. 10:9.
C. A person who is situated by the waters (v. 3).
Water for drinking is a picture of the Holy Spirit of God (John 7:37- 39). The Christian is here compared to a tree that gets its water from the deep hidden springs under the dry sands. This world is a desert that can never satisfy the dedicated believer. We must send our “spiritual roots” down deep into the things of Christ and draw upon the spiritual water of life. See Jer. 17:7- 8, Ps. 92:12- 14. There can be no fruit without roots. Too many Christians are more concerned about the leaves and the fruit than they are the roots, but the roots are the most important part. Unless Christians spend time daily in prayer and the Word, and allow the Spirit to feed them, they will wither and die. The believer who draws upon the spiritual life in Christ will be fruitful and successful in the life of faith. When Christians cease to bear fruit, it is because something has happened to the roots (Mark 11:12- 13, 20; and see Luke 13:6- 9). What kind of fruit are we to bear? See Rom. 1:13 and 6:22, Gal. 5:22- 23, Heb. 13:15, and Col. 1:10.
