Prosper
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. Psalms 1:3
It is hard to believe that we have gone through the entire New Testament in the Daily Dose blog. I have to say, for me at least, it has been truly enlightening. I can honestly say I have a deeper understanding now. For the rest of the year, I will be writing the Daily Dose through the book of Psalms. I will continue to look at the journaling series on the weekends to mix it up a little.
In Psalms 1 we are given a powerful secret of prospering in life. Actually, it isn’t a secret, it is right out there plainly written for all who will look at it. It is amazing to me that this passage isn’t followed by more people since it is safe to say that the majority of people in the world want to prosper and have success in all things, myself included. Let me list out the simple instructions written here so that we can get a better understanding of how to live a prosperous life.
- Do not take counsel from ungodly people
- Do not walk on the same path with sinners
- Do not be a scornful or mocking person
- Make God’s Word your greatest joy
- Run to it and meditate on it day and night.
This really doesn’t seem like a hard list to live by, yet how many people actually are? As a Christian and as God’s people, it can actually go without saying that we do not take counsel from ungodly, unsaved people. How can they accurately advise when they do not have an understanding of Faith in the Lord Jesus and the power of God’s word in prayer to change circumstances.
Certainly, our best friends should not be people who are not walking after the things of God. Those influences will pull you further from you relationship with Him and cause you to walk in a different direction than what He has planned for you.
A scornful and complaining person is not the person who is delighting in the Lord and therefore cannot expect to be in tune and walking out the plans of God.
Lastly is to delight yourself in the Word of God and meditate it day and night. This is where we miss it the most. It seems like when we have time to run to something, it is to social media, news, television or some other extra activity that we enjoy doing. However, you will not find success in those things. It is time to start running to God and meditating His Word. Not just memorizing it, meditating on it. Spend time thinking about it and letting the Holy Spirit minister it to you until you gain a more enriched understanding of how to follow God’s word and God’s plan for your life. Yes, prayer in important, but immersing yourself in God’s word is the most effective way to make His ways your ways.
So today I want to encourage you to start following the direction of God’s word given in Psalms one. Take an assessment of your closest friends and confidants. Who do you go to when you need advise or encouragement. Are they Christian friends that talk about the way of the Lord with you or are they people who make all the life decisions based on the circumstances surrounding them. Next, make a plan and follow it on how to spend time meditating a portion of God’s word each day. Even if it is just for 5 or 10 minutes, it will make a big difference and transform your life. You may be thinking I do not have 5 or 10 minutes of free time each day, I am way too busy. If that is the case, then look for pockets of time where you scroll through the news or check your social media posts. Set those things aside for a time until you make God’s Word your first stop and build a desire to know His ways more. He created this world so it is safe to say that He knows how to be successful in it. Start digging into God’s Word today and I promise you will never regret it!
Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 1
1 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;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
The Daily Dose 