Devotional Time with God

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; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 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. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 1

Blessed is me who will not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.  But my delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His word I will meditate each day and night.  I 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 I do shall prosper.

I shall not be like the ungodly, which are nothing but like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. The ungodly shall perish.

Lord Jesus, I pray right now to ask for your forgiveness if I’ve neglected to read your word and obey what it says. I thank you for your grace and mercy. I thank you for the constantly speaking to me, reminding me to follow you, so I may not stumble, nor perish.  Bring on the river, the fresh water for my soul and spirit.  I want to grow in your great beauty and majesty.  I want to be where you are – that is my reward in heaven. I shall hang on to your words, God, as you said in the scripture John 8:31-32, your truths will set me free, indeed.  Amen.

In Psalm 1, I have God’s commands that I need to obey:

God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God.

Psalm 1:1

I must refuse using God’s name in vain. This is common in today’s world, where it seems ok to mock Jesus. It is NOT OK to me. I must not join those evil chorus.

The LORD protects everyone who follows him

Psalm 1:6a

I must also follow God so He may protect me from this evil world.  My faith, in Christ, will be my saving grace. I will follow Him, by doing what He told me to do, as stated in the Bible.

In Psalm 1:1-6, there’s a picture of those who follow God’s word, and those who don’t.  I can imagine a tree by the river, where it’s constantly have access to unlimited water and nourishment.  The tree, in turn, bears many fruit and productive.

Then, the other picture is a piece of straw lying on the ground.  When the wind comes, it gets blown away – carried away to some unknown place and gets lost.

The same picture is for me when I don’t read the word.  The same fate will happen if I don’t obey the word and laws of God. His word is a guide. His word is light for my life. It’s limitless for my daily life. It’s like a river that nourishes, so I may become fruitful and multiply. How can I not delight in that? I want that every day!

My declaration today to God will be:

I enjoy pleasing you.    Your Law is in my heart.

Psalm 40:8

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

I never try to walk in the dark. I certainly don’t want to do that in my life.  I need light. I need to know where I’m going. I need to see the path.

I thank God for His word, for it is guiding me in my darkest hour.

The LORD protects everyone who follows him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin.

Psalm 1:6

What stands out in this verse is that God will protect EVERYONE who follows Him. That’s reassuring because He makes no exception – anyone who listens to God will be protected. I’ll be on the right path, as long as I follow His advice, laws, and word.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

God’s word is like a weapon. A weapon against evil.  A weapon against temptation. a weapon against all things that do not agree with God’s purpose for my life.  I have to keep God’s word in my heart, so I may use it, at moments notice, to protect myself against the devil’s attacks. I need to have God’s word to help me guide my way through this treacherous world.

James 1:2-4 said I must have perseverance during the trials of my faith, and the best way to do it is using God’s word.  His words also helps me grow spiritually and lets me fulfill God’s purposes in my life.

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Psalm 119:18

When I hear the word “law”, I recall other words like, strict, constrained, abuse, captivity – basically, the opposite of freedom.  It’s refreshing to see how the Bible calls God’s law as wonderful. God’s law is here to protect me. It gives me comfort in knowing that I’ll be doing the right thing. It gives me guidance that I’m heading in the right direction.

So how do I follow God’s law? Just open my eyes. Open my eyes so I can see God’s miracles. Open my eyes so I can see God’s here to help us.  Open my eyes so I can see God’s purpose for my life.

Like Jesus’ parable of the leper, Mark 1:40-45, I probably would not be able to contain my joy and happiness when Jesus heal my sickness.  I would shout it out to the world. Tell everyone. God’s miracle has to be shared. God needs to be known.

When my eyes are open, my heart is open. When I receive God in my heart, I’ll have no trouble sharing Him to the world.

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.

Psalm 119:9

This world is full of temptation. This world is full of deception. This world is full of false hope and temporary riches.

It’s easy for me to be drawn to what this world has to offer. Sinful ways are always attractive and pleasurable. But they are not from God. Thus, I’m getting away from God’s provision.

Getting back to God’s way is easy: just follow His word!  Open the Bible and read the instruction manual. I need to talk to God to provide for my daily provision, according to heavenly riches, as promised in Philippians 4:19.  I need to stay pure, in God’s glory, according to His words.

The law of the LORD is perfect,   refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,   making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,   giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,   giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,   enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,   and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,   than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,   than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;   in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:7-11

God knows I’m not perfect. God knows I’m not always right. God knows I’m vulnerable. God knows I need direction. God knows I need provision. God just knows.

To put it simply, all I have to know in life – to enjoy life, is to know God’s word and laws.  He gave me the instructions manual, the Bible, for my protection.  It’s the blueprint to be a good man. It’s the way to know how to be like Jesus.

I will follow His words.  I will be a do’er of His word. For He promised me a great reward. He’s waiting to give me the strength to go through this life – which in itself, is a reward worth having.

Life is good, eternal life is better. God’s perfection is what I’m looking for.

My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 68:3

Often I depend on my own strength and smarts to get by in this world. The truth is I’m scared to make a mistake and falls flat on my face.

Bit, I’m comforted to be God’s friend for He always catches me when I fall. He will be there to hold me.

I thank you, Lord, for your protection and hands in my life! Amen.

At my church, Saddleback, we’re kicking off the “Decade of Destiny” today.  Pastor Rick has a vision for the church in the next 10 years.  He wants the church to grow spiritually in the next decade, by leaps and bounds.  We ought to dream big because we have a big God.

In a spiritual growth, there needs to be certain things that I have to focus on doing.

1. Meet with God daily. (Proverbs 8:34)
2. Study and do His word. (Psalm 1:1-3)
3. Tithe my income. (Malachi 3:10)
4. Help others in need. (Psalm 41:1-2)
5. Share the good news. (Philemon 1:6)
6. Participate in fellowship. (Romans 1:12)

Getting to where I want to be also takes a few steps:

1. Determine my present position.
2. Describe exactly what I want.
3. Find a promise from God.
4. Ask God for help.
5. Identify difficulties.
6. Create a step-by-step plan.
7. Be patient and persistent.
8. Enlist a team for support.
9. Pay the price.

So where do I want to be?  I first need to know where I am.  I’m financially stable, physically alright, and in a healthy relationship with my family.  What an awesome blessing to be in this situation.  Can I ask for more?  Of course I can.  God wants to add more!  I love to have another child. I love to be able to help others and honor God, at the same time.  I love to have the peace of mind that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ.  I love to have Jesus’ character. I love to have God use my family to be God’s ambassadors in this dark and treacherous world.

This world is only a temporary assignment.  Slowly, but surely, I will reach my destiny to be with God in heaven and worship Him, forever.