Do you desire to be blessed? Of course, you do! But what does it truly mean to be blessed? The answer lies in the first Psalm. Let’s delve into its explanation and discover the true meaning of being blessed.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (KJV)
In just societies, honesty and truth-telling are rewarded. The person who follows the guidance of Psalm 1 is rewarded immediately and in tangible ways. But not all societies are just. What about those who live in unjust societies? We live in an age where faith in God has dimmed, and truth is suppressed. There is constant pressure to conform to the world. Jordan Peterson1 and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn2 confirm that following the advice of Psalm 1 may lead to confrontation and persecution. Is that being blessed? As believers desiring to follow Jesus, what should our response be?
Blessed in Hebrew and Greek is defined as being characterized by happiness and being highly favored (as by divine grace).3 The happiness spoken of, the blessing, goes far deeper than anything in this world. To be blessed by God and experience God’s divine favor is our ultimate goal.
“Our situation is not unique. Since the time we left Eden, God’s people have faced evil. The question is not whether we will encounter trouble but how we will confront it. The psalmist was right: despite any difficulties inflicted by the ungodly, those who do not follow their counsel, stand in their way or sit in their company will be blessed by God. That is the blessing we should seek.”
1Jordan Peterson, “Dominating Motivation,” posted August 11, 2023, accessed February 23, 2024, https://www.tiktok.com/@dominatingmotivation2/video/7266065262145785131.)
2Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Live Not By Lies, February 12, 1974, in The Solzhenitsyn Reader, trans. Yermolai Solzhenitsyn, accessed February 23, 2024, https://www.solzhenitsyncenter.org/live-not-by-lies.
3Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible, Lexham Research Lexicons (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).
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