This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with a mini-series within it entitled “Focusing on the Word”. For the next few days we are going to look at the first half of the first psalm. This is a very familiar psalm to most believers. So without hesitation, let’s get to it.
In Psalm 1:1-3 the psalmist said, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (King James Version). This same passage in the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) reads, “Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream—a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.”
In typical Today’s Word fashion, we will take our time walking through and dissecting these verses over the next few days. For today I will simply provide a high-level overview of what the psalmist is teaching us.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- The Blessing of the Lord is bestowed upon believers in the earth by God’s amazing grace. The Lord’s Blessing empowers us to prosper.
- When the Lord’s Blessing is on your life you experience divine intervention in a supernaturally positive way. God can open doors no man can close and close doors no man can open. God can raise up people to use their power, ability, influence and money to help you in ways you could never help yourself.
- As God’s child, He wants to bless you richly. He wants to see you succeed. He wants to use you to make the impact you were born to make. However, His full operation in your life comes only with your cooperation.
- The Lord gives you divine instruction (both in His Word and by His Spirit), because He is looking for your cooperation with Him. The more you align your belief system and conduct with His plans for your life, the more you will experience The Blessing.
- When you live a life contrary to the Lord’s teachings, you are putting up “Blessing Blockers”. The Lord wants to bless you, but your wayward conduct and rebellious disposition lead you to live a life ‘out of sync’ with God and His best for your life. The moment you get in position and you begin to flow with God, being led of His Spirit and living a life in concert with His Word, The Blessing is able to FLOW in your life.
- God does not give you standards of conduct to be mean, or simply because He wants to LORD over you. No, He gives you standards of conduct because He wants you to FLOW in His best. The Lord wants to bless you and use you as light and salt in the earth, as a testament of His glory, but you hinder Him from doing so when you are ‘out of position’ and living beneath His best.
- The Lord wants to put you on display. He wants you to be “The Blessed Man” of Psalm 1. So align yourself with what He has assigned you to do. Be led of the Spirit. Abstain from evil conduct and counsel. Meditate and medicate on His Word day and night. Remove every blessing-blocker. If you do, the blessing will FLOW, and you will be A BLESSED MAN!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. In 2016 I strip away everything that is not pleasing in Your sight. I even strip away good things that don’t line up with Your purpose for me. I get rid of time-wasters and blessing-blockers. You want to bless me and I want to embrace The Blessing. I declare that Your Blessing FLOWS unhindered and unchecked by any human or demonic influence in my life. I am empowered to prosper. I was born to succeed. I have a divine assignment and I will complete it before I die. Not by my power, but only by Your grace Father. So I meditate and medicate Your Word day and night. I abstain from evil conduct and I reject ungodly counsel. I commit my ways to You Father and You bless the work of my hands. I declare that every meeting, conversation and activity I engage in today is blessed. I experience supernatural success! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
