Psalm 1
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The Two Ways

1 Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
   or stand in the way that sinners take
   or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of
    the LORD, and who meditates on his law day
    and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams
    of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
    and whose leaf does not wither –
    whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the
   judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the
    righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the
   righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to
    destruction.

(NIV)

Psalm 1 This is thought to be an introduction to the entire book of Psalms. The psalms have wisdom and functions in their theme. The message tells of people, paths, and ultimate destinations. The psalmist paints the picture of the pull of evil. If we keep to God’s way, will find a deep-seated joy and contentment; in following the teaching of God.

‘To meditate’ is to think strongly on the matter. We find that we are not only to read the Bible, but to think strongly about what it is saying to us. We are forever to keep the teachings of the Bible before us. In Matt. 5:3-12 The Beatitudes give us the strong emotion “happy” or “inward joy is theirs”, when we follow God’s commands, and it list the blessings it results from deep reflection on a subject.

When we think upon God's Word, the Holy Spirit will teach us of the hidden things of the Word. The more we meditate, the more we know. We will never be able to learn it all, but each time we study and think on God's Word we can learn more. Our waking thoughts are all guided by God's Word even in business transactions, we should make our decisions based on God's Word.

Most of the terrain of Israel, has a lush tree served as a fitting symbol of blessing in the Old Testament. Being “Planted”: or literally “transplanted”. Trees do not transplant themselves; neither do sinful people transport themselves into God’s kingdom.
       The image here is of a “tree” nourished by the constant supply of water from the river. The Hebrew word suggests the attributes of strength, stability, and endurance. Supplies of grace drawn from the Word of God are what sustain godly people. They put down their roots in scripture and draw strength from it, for their lives (Jer. 17:8). Those who are deeply “planted” in God’s Word may not be wealthy, but they will be fruitful in God’s work, which is true prosperity (92:12-14 they will flourish in God’s courts, they will still bear fruits in their old age).
      ‘Not so the wicked they are like chaff that blows away in the wind’ We know that the chaff, the husks of the wheat, are destroyed, and the wheat is carried into the barn. The ungodly live with the godly in this world, but at harvest time there is a separation. The ungodly, like the chaff, will be destroyed at harvest time. Just as the chaff is of no use, so the ungodly are of no use, and is thrown away at harvest.
      ‘Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the righteous’.
At harvest time, we shall all appear at the judgement seat of Christ. The ungodly shall be cast into the lake of fire.

In Revelations 20:15 we find

     Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire..

But how wonderful will it be to stand before Jesus and hear Him say:

                    “Well done my good and faithful servant”,

and how terrible for those who will hear Him say,

                    ‘Get away from me, I never knew you’.

We stand or fall by the judgement of Jesus. Heaven is for the believers in Christ. There will be no ungodly in heaven. People think this seems harsh, but for people who cannot live the Godly life, the thought of living in heaven will seem like hell to them.

Charles Spurgeon wrote:- The righteous carves his name upon the rock, but the wicked writes his remembrance in the wind. The righteous man ploughs furrows of earth and sows, and has a harvest here, which shall never be fully reaped until he enters the enjoyments of eternity. But as for the wicked, he ploughs the sea, and though there may seem to be a shining trail behind his keel, yet the waves shall pass over it, and the place that knew him shall know him no more forever”.

There is the broad way which leads to destruction, but there is also the narrow way of righteousness which leads to eternal life in Christ. The righteous have their names written in the Lamb's book of life. We, by our own free will, will have our choice of eternal life or death. The way we choose to follow on this earth determines the outcome.
Isaiah 64:6 says.
          All of us have become like one who is unclean,
          and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
          we all shrivel up like a leaf,
          and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
The righteous made righteous in the sight of God when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. God knows even the thoughts of our heart from the foundation of the earth. He did not, predestine our outcome, but anticipated. By reading the bible we will be putting ourselves in the presence of God and allow His ways to become your ways.

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