Psalm 1 Part 3
As we come to the third week of the new year I want to complete Psalm 1 which I commenced at the end of last year. This psalm is so relevant to the world in which we live because it declares that while God desires to bless this psalm is very clear in portraying the behaviour of people which God does not bless. During the last two years, the world which we know has changed and unfortunately, many Christians have been convinced to follow the way of the world. The god of this world (Satan) has deceived so many through the impact of false news and the promotion of fear. There was a time when I allowed myself to drift away from being close to the Lord and suffered from loneliness and wondered what was going on. This is where I am so thankful that I have chosen to follow Jesus and the God-given opportunity to write about the Lord regularly has inspired me to be continually passionate about my Lord. Part 2 was so inspiring looking at the ways God blesses us and now Part 3 is sad but necessary to be very clear that we cannot please ourselves and do whatever we please and expect God to bless us. This is one of the traps of Satan when he convinces us that we are important and as such can please ourselves. Unfortunately, we live in a church age where sin and its consequences are rarely mentioned and people are not taught what Godly living looks like. Now we come to verse 4 which states: “The ungodly are not so” – this is a very precise and clear statement, while verses 2&3 declare the blessing of the righteous, this verse makes it very clear that there is a vast difference between the righteous and the ungodly. It is time for the church to change and teach the difference between being Godly and ungodly. God makes it very clear the ungodly do not share in the benefits of the godly which are so great. As I talk with people at church I am surprised by how few people are bubbling over with their relationship with the Lord. When I became born again I became a new person and have continued becoming a new person in Christ all my life. This psalm declares three aspects of ungodly living, firstly they are like chaff which the wind blows away, next, they are not part of the congregation of the righteous, and finally, their way of being ungodly shall perish. When you look at these three areas, the ungodly have no spiritual stability, they continually change to suit their current situation and have no part of righteous living but they try to fit into church life without changing. Finally, their end is bleak as they perish, there is no afterlife pleasure for them. The psalm concludes with “The Lord knows the way of the righteous “, the hand of the Lord is upon those who love Him and this has been my experience for almost 68 years of being blessed by God.