The Blessed Ones

"Blessed is the man
    who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
    or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
    Whatever he does prospers."
Psalm 1:1-3 

My intention today, was to write about the changing seasons of life. I sense the change of seasons in the air, and I also sense a new spiritual season is upon us. Change is imminent. But as I read the passage above, I discovered that the blessing of the Lord is for all seasons. In our lives, there are productive seasons and seasons of struggle. But we must understand that God is blessing us in all of them. So the word today is for the blessed, the righteous ones. 
    I suppose it's obvious how the blessed ones act, but it's important for us to think about. All of us fall prey to the predatory ways of the world from time to time. God assures us that we are blessed by him, but it seems to be contingent on our choices. If we want to be fully blessed, we are not to receive counsel from the wicked. This means that a lot of the advice we receive that comes from the world system is counterproductive to our Christian lives and our relationship with God. The ways of his Kingdom are opposed to the world, yet we often find ourselves following the familiar ways and methods of the world. We sometimes fall victim to sin. It is inevitable since we are still sinful beings, but the key here is; don't follow the way of sinners. The application is obvious, we are not to take the sinful road modeled by the world. Notice that the blessing doesn't prohibit us from being with 'sinners,' but we are not to allow ourselves to be drug into sin by them. So we are not to be wicked, sinners, or mockers.
    The blessings of God are reserved for the righteous. We have this righteousness through Christ, but living a life of holiness is our own choice. We must choose to uphold the "do nots" so we can receive the full blessing. But enough about the negatives. The blessed ones are those who delight themselves in the Lord and in his word. The blessed ones have a different focus. We don't have to worry so much about the "do nots" because we are so focused on being delighted in God. If we fall occasionally, we are picked up through the grace of God and set on the path of blessing again. 
    The blessed ones are not those who said 'yes' to Jesus one time and then returned to live the same old life. The blessed ones are those who are so delighted with God that they forsake the old things and live in the new. They are solid, they are fruitful, they don't fall away, and they are prosperous. I choose to be one of the blessed ones. Do you? It is really a matter of choice and we must make the correct ones in every area of our lives. We may be blessed in one area because we delight in God, but we may be struggling in another because we are taking counsel from the wicked. It is a growth process. The key is recognizing it and chossing God's path in every area. It is so good, so refreshing, so productive, to be one of the blessed.