Shalom,
God is the only one we can trust. His word which we listen time and again is not supposed to merely broaden our knowledge. Rather, we must believe and have faith in it and do it in our daily lives.
Do you know a smart watch – a digital watch that has many features, including evaluating our (physical) health? It can detect how many calories we expend, our heart rate etc. The same thing happens to the Bible that can detect the steps of our life, including our spiritual progress. What are our steps? Those are habits, daily behavior, and our relationship with God.
Now we are learning about the book of Psalms. Psalm 1 is also called a psalm of wisdom because it classifies men into two groups, namely:
• those who obey God's will (vv. 1-3)
• those who disobey God (vv. 4-5).
Psalm 1 offers either blessings or curses—life or death. Therefore, we are to take the right path to happiness and avoid the path that leads to misery and destruction. Happiness is obtained when we live according to God's Word. Everything we do will prosper when we find favor with Him. So the lives of those who have such conducts are fully guaranteed by Him, the source of life. We can grow in happiness by keeping the habit of avoiding sin and keeping God's Word.
It should be noted that the first word of Psalm 1 is ‘blessed’ which is in the plural, but the object is in the singular, meaning God gives His blessings to everyone who obeys Him. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life”. When we walk on the path ordained by God, we will be continually blessed because God “has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27).
None of us knows what will happen to the economy of the world or our health. But we are given an assurance that we will certainly get a future full of happiness if we step on His path.
What should we do to receive the blessing of happiness?
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Walking wisely (Psalm 1:1).
The Bible says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Illustration: From the way someone talks to the other person, we can see how close the two of them are. When two acquaintances bump into one another, they will only say hi then continue walking away. Two close friends in the same coincidence would react differently—they would stop and talk for a while. Two closest friends might even sit together to have a longer conversation. Those attitudes obviously tell how close or intimate their relationships are.
Application: We should be careful in choosing our community because bad association spoils good habits (1 Corinthians 15:33). Beware, the ungodly are not only sinners but they do not have
moral ethics, do not respect God, and even forsake Him. Therefore, we must choose a community that gives good influence, guidance, and advice. Along the way, we are influenced by the people we hang out with. But unfortunately, the community of wise people is a minority group because most people push us toward a reckless lifestyle rather than a good life.
The scorners are pessimistic and irreligious. We must avoid their bad influence. Example: Do not join them (whom we don't know personally) in exposing hoaxes and blasphemies on social media! Notice that sin is like a contagious disease; therefore, we have to be careful in choosing who we hang out with or who we surround ourselves with. This does not mean we should not have any relation whatsoever with them, but we need to evaluate whether our interactions with them have positive or negative impacts.
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Walking with a longing and zeal for the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2).
Torah—the law of the Lord speaks of the teachings of God (Psalm 119) which we the believers should not take as a burden (Psalm 119:7-13). Instead, they are the revelation from God from which we may receive abundant blessings. Let’s become the believers who like to meditate on the Torah day and night. Did you know that our thoughts are the source of our actions? Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Psalm 1:2 “And in His law he meditates day and night” shows an expression of longing to keep His will in our consciousness as the Israelites did from childhood (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).
When experiencing life's problems, we need the support from our Christian communities who walk with God, also the right advice that we can get only from God's Word.
“Meditating on the Law day and night” also means that we think, focus and ruminate on God's Word whenever and wherever (not only at certain times) we are active. People who are always passionate and excited about God and His Word will get protection from the enemy (Psalm 63).
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Walking consistently (Psalm 1:3).
A tree planted by streams of water represents a person “who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).
“Planted” means the tree was not originally in that place; this implies that its seed is not sown nor grows by itself but is planted by the hand of God to receive the greatest portion of the blessing (James 1:18). And it takes time and effort to be ripe in season.
Application: We used to be rebels who did not know God but then “transplanted” into blessed people because we have consistently sought God's Word and always get nourishment from God's Spirit. As a result, our spirit stands strong, not easily swayed by false teachings or collapsed from life's problems. On the other hand, the wicked are like useless chaff that are easily blown away and ready to be thrown away. This describes the plight of the Christian spirit, not having a stand that it is easy to fly and not to be seen anymore. Notice that God judges man in terms of his morals and spirituality.
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Walking productively (Psalm 1:3).
Being planted by the water streams, the tree gets the nutrition and freshness straight from the source that never fails and it is sure to bear fruit in its season. He is not like an unfruitful fig tree waiting to be cut down because it is not planted beside the streams. The fruit refers to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Application: Even though the dry season (tribulation) hits, believers who always get a supply of spiritual nutrition from (the water of) the Spirit of God will not either dry up, wither or fall but still become a blessing for others. Whatever he does will be successful because he is attached to the Source of life (cf. Genesis 3:9). Even if he fails, he will rise because he is a righteous person who knows God's will. He gets strength from the almighty God who never fails. For him, failure is just a delayed success.
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Walking in peace (Psalm 1:6) because God knows us and chooses us to walk on the path of happiness. God guides and directs every step of the righteous, so He deserves glory for their welfare.
Happiness is not obtained from wicked or sinful actions. If we want happiness, we must stay away from all sins that lead to destruction. In other words, happiness is obtained if we walk according to God's Word. In so doing, we are blessed with success and happiness. Most importantly, our lives are fully guaranteed by the Source of life so that our future is full of certainty, joy, and happiness. God has provided a path to true happiness; now the choice is ours—which path do we choose? Amen.