How many of you remember The Hobbit?  The first one?  Good movie?  There is a great line in that movie which fits to where we are this morning.  There’s a line where Gandalf says to Bilbo Baggins - “Home is now behind you.  The world is ahead.”  What’s familiar and comfortable is in the past.  What lies ahead of you is the great adventure of life waiting out there in the world.

Which in many ways is kind of where we are today.  Lot’s of graduations behind us.  Summer vacation is in front of us.  Admittedly the summer solstice is June 21st, - 6:51 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.  But the rest of us know that summer is here.

Seeing as today is kinda on the brink of the great adventure that God has out there for us someplace.  As someone said, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”  Which is really trite.  But, true.  Trite because we all know it is true.

Coming to Psalm 1 - which is a familiar Psalm - our goal this morning is to pause and think together for a bit about the choices that we’re going to be make in the near future - even today - as we follow God into that great adventure out there.

To get us thinking about making choices.  A quick audience participation quiz.  Show of hands:

How many of you - given the choice would rather watch the Raiders play - or the 49ers - with their well paid quarterback?

Given a choice - how many of you would rather go to an A’s Game or a Giants Game?

What about Angels or A’s?

Given a choice - how many would rather go to Chipolte or In-N-Out?

Point being - with our quiz - we have a whole future ahead of us and choices as to how to live in that future.  What we want to pause and think through together is God’s instruction on what we need to keep in mind as we make choices - moving forward into the future He has for us. 

Of you would like you can swipe or turn with us - or in your bulletin you’ll find the words to Psalm 1.  We’re going to read it out loud together to get it refreshed in our minds.  Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers.

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

that yields its fruit in its season,

    and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,

    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment,

    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Notice that this Psalm is a contrast - a description - a choice of two radically different ways to live life.  The first description comes in verses 1 to 3 - which describe the life of the Godly - the benefits of living with life centered in God - what that life looks like.  The second description comes in verses 4 to 6.  Which describes the life of the ungodly - those who have little or no time for God in their lives.

Walk with me through this contrast.  First - The Godly.

Psalm 1 begins, “Blessed is the man…”  The Hebrew has the idea of being truly happy.  We could read this like “O the happiness of the man…”  

How many people do you know who are legitimately happy?  Not just happy on the outside - like they’re living in denial.  But legitimately - at the core of who they are - deep seated - continual - happy?

According to the people who research these things - only about 20% of Americans are actually happy. (1)  Which seems a tad high.  More important that the percentage points - all of us from time to time - maybe more times than we’d like to admit - all of us if we were asked, “Are you happy?”  There are times when we’d have to answer, “No.  Something deep down is missing.” 

From time to time our kids ask me what it was like when they invented fire. 

Years ago an apple was a fruit that you gave your teacher.  Remember that?  Now it’s a billion dollar tech company.  Not too long ago an application was something we filled out - using a pen and paper - and handed to a real physical person.  Now a application is something on our desktop or phone screen.  Which is also a change.  Remember when a desktop was actually physically part of an actual desk?  Memory was something we never wanted to loose.  And now its something we never want our computer to loose.

There’s a mood - a feeling - that we share.  That as we become more advanced - technologically - socially - economically - as we advance we’re falling farther behind from what really matters in life.  Ever feel that?

A few years ago there was a USA Today survey that reported what  people said gave them a feeling of happiness in life.  83% of the people said that satisfaction with their lives was important.  78% said happiness came from having a good marriage.  66% said being able to afford things that are important to them.  63% said having successful children is important.  (2)

If we think about it, those are really good answers.  But how are we suppose to achieve these things?  Doesn’t it seems like while we’re running after happiness - we’re so busy trying to get to this elusive state that we’re not really happy? 

Blessed - in English - translates a Hebrew word “asher” that has the idea of true happiness.  Blessing means a whole lot more than some passing surface emotion - or having things seemingly go right for us.

Being blessed by God has the idea of a profound sense of essential well being - of being rightly aligned at the core of who we are.  Being centered on what’s important in life and experiencing a peace - a settledness in our hearts - as a result.  That blessing is what God brings to us in the reality of where we live our lives.

No matter how wacked out life gets - in the midst of what this world tries to abuse us with - conform us to - beat us down with - in the midst of the survival mentality of this world - God offers each of us something tremendously different.  His blessing - His approval - His provision for our lives - His healing - His purpose for us - life in His kingdom - knowing God and being known by Him.

Wouldn’t it be great to go through life that way?

Psalm 1 begins, “Blessed is the man…”  Psalm 1 is a practical description of what it means to blessed by God - of true happiness - and how to get there.

Going on in verse 1 - first - the Godly man - the man or women whom God blesses - “walks not in the counsel of the wicked”

Walking is about where we choose to put our feet as we walk step-by-step through life.  The choices we make every day about all kinds of things.  The type of speech we use.  How we do business.  The way we spend our money.  In-N-Out verses Chipotle.  What we allow to penetrate our minds - what we watch or read or expose ourselves to.  How we raise our children.  On what basis to do we make those decisions?

The society we live in makes those choices by saying, “Me first!  I want it now!  Everything is relative!  If its truth for me then its truth.  Its all good.”  With that philosophy the wicked - the unGodly live their lives.  But, the one who’s found the secret to happiness rejects that - is not counseled by it - in choosing how to live.

Second - verse 1 - the Godly man does not “stand in the way of sinners”

Have you ever stood at the ocean - just about waist deep in the waves - being pushed and pulled by the water?  It takes determination to stand there - to remain standing firmly in place.  That’s the kind of dogged determination that’s being described here.

The sinners - here in verse 1 - are people who are determined to pursue their own way of life - their own self-made - self-centered - godless as it may be - life - regardless of what they may learn about God and God’s love which compels them - pleads with them - to change.  They choose - doggedly - to remain - to stand in their sin.  “Its my life and this is the way I choose to live it.”

The Godly man - the person who’s really happy - doesn’t go there - doesn’t associate with those who choose sin - who prefer to live lives apart from God.

Third, the Godly man does not “sit in the seat of scoffers.”

What’s a scoffer?  Scoffers are those who laugh at God - who mock God and the things of God - who profane what is holy.  Who not only refuse to listen to Godly knowledge and wisdom - but they choose to reject anything that has any association with even the idea of God.  

A few years back in a number of cities there was a campaign led by atheists that included buses and subways signs like this:  “There’s probably no God.  Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”  We have to get this whole God thing off our backs so we can go out and live life the way we want to live life.  Hugely Freeing.

Let’s be careful.  The issue isn’t atheists.  Maybe atheists are an easy target.  But let’s be honest.  There are people who believe in the existence of God who mock God.  The issue isn’t that a person is a skeptic - atheist - or evolutionist.  The issue is the heart level attitude - the scoffing - the mocking of God - the things of God - and even the people who believe in God.

And let’s be careful of this:  What’s being said here in Psalm 1 is not that we should avoid people in a ungodly display of self-righteousness and go live in Manitoba in some type of religious commune strumming guitars and singing Kumbaya.

The Godly person - the man or woman - who’s going to experience authentic God supplied happiness - who are going to experience God’s blessing - are going to choose to reject the God mocking philosophy and ideas that these people are choosing to live by.

What’s being pointed out to us here is a huge contrast.  Grab this:  The way of life of the Godly is totally different from the life of the ungodly.  Point being:  The Godly choose not to go there.

Notice the progression - walk - stand - sit.   Those are all choices.  The Godly don’t take steps in that direction.  They don’t stand for the same things as the ungodly.  They certainly don’t find themselves sitting and mocking the things of God.

Which makes sense.  Doesn’t it?  Can you hear God? “You’re walking away from My counsel.  You’re standing in sin.  You’re mocking Me.  So, I’m going to bless you.”   Why would God do that?

And yet… Let’s be honest.  How easy is it for us to want to live life our way and to expect God to bless us.  Point being:  If we want God’s blessing the Godly choose not to go there.  Don’t even start walking down that path by allow ungodly council to guide your life. 

Verse 2 - in contrast - the godly man - those who have learned the secret of happiness - put positively - this is how the Godly live - his - “delight is in the law of the Lord and on His - God’s - law he meditates day and night.”

A long time ago in a church far far away I knew a man - named Setrak - Setrak lived to the ripe old age of 104.  What was impressive wasn’t just that Setrak lived to 104 - squeaking across the finish line.  But at the age of 100 he was still taking the bus to work.  Setrak lived blessed.  Not that he didn’t have a lot of hard stuff in life.  In 104 years you have to have gone through hard stuff.  Right?  But Setrak lived with an inner joy - a happiness.

Where Setrak challenged me - when I met him he’d read through the Bible about 60 times.  When he died he was working on his 68th time through.  How many people do we know who could claim that?  It wasn’t just that he was reading.  But he was meditating - internalizing - trying live and encourage others to live by what he was reading.  That really challenged me because I wasn’t reading and meditating and processing God’s word.

So I chose to start reading regularly - systematically.  I read through the New American Standard version.  Finished it.  Read through it again.  Then I thought I’d try something different.  So read through the Good News version.  Then I read through The Message.  Then the NIV, the NLT, the ESV, the KJV, the NKJV, the HCSB, the RSV - currently I’m reading through the Amplified version. 

I’m not sharing that to lay a guilt trip on people or to say that I’m all that holy or something.  Because I’m just not.  But I’m sharing that for this reason:  The more I’ve gotten into God’s word - the more I’ve chosen to allow God’s word to get into me - His word is changing me from the inside out.  In a really good - blessed - way.

I don’t fully understand that.  Ultimately it’s a God thing.  But somehow as I choose to regularly and consistently and systematically without distraction spend time reading the Bible for myself and mediating on it - God uses His word through that process to change me.

It is very concerning how many Christians have never read through the Bible even once.  It almost seems like they’re basing what they believe on what people like me get up and say on a Sunday or what someone’s blogged or written in a book.  Or commonly held “christian” ideas about the Bible and what it says about God and life with God.

Not that devotional material doesn’t have its place.  So do works of theology and doctrine.  But so many Christians are missing out on the huge immeasurable blessing of God - the core foundational truths of life with Him - simply because they’re not doing what verse 2 tells us the blessed man chooses to do.  That is to delight in and meditate on God’s word.

In the midst of all the confusion and delusion and woundedness and brokenness of where we live our lives the Bible teaches us life.  Those who know true happiness in life have come to realize that the Bible is the book that tells us the truth - that shows us ourselves - shows us what it means to be the men and women that God has created us to be - shows us how to live as God intends - how to experience God’s blessing in the midst of the stuff of life.

The Godly meditate on God’s word day and night.  The Hebrew here for “mediate” has the idea of that which echo’s around inside of a person and then resonates out.

In other words, if you could imagine yourself as being empty headed - hollow upstairs - nothing between the ears.  Look in one side and you can see light on the other side.  Or, if that’s a stretch, maybe you could imagine someone else as being empty headed.  Look in the ear of the person next to you and see if you can see light on the other side.

The word of God goes in and sort of bounces around - echo’s back and forth - until your head begins to vibrate - resonate - taking on the movement - the sound - of God’s word - and pretty soon - your head vibrates - then your whole body starts to vibrate.  What comes out - what comes out of our mouths - are words that glorify God.  What comes out - physically - are actions that glorify God.

That’s the idea in meditation.  The word of God goes in and, as we dwell on it - ponder it - think about it - memorize it - allow it to confront and change our lives - from deep within God’s word takes over our lives.  So, how we live looks like - is like - what God’s word says.  We begin to live in the happiness - the blessing - that God intends for our lives.

The result is in verse 3.  The Godly man - or woman - who turns away from that which is ungodly - and instead chooses to allow God’s word to permeate his heart and actions - becomes centered on God - becomes like a tree - firmly planted - unmoved by the changing philosophies and distractions and economic and cultural craziness of this world.  He becomes deeply rooted - by streams of water.  His roots run deep into the rich moist soil of God’s graciousness - drawing upon God’s strength - upon God’s truth.

Consider that image:  “A tree planted by streams of water.”  In a drought.  How crucial is water?  There are orchards being taken out around here because there’s no water to keep them alive.  How crucial is that - for a tree - in a desert - think Palestine - rolling hills like here - weeds and rocks...  How important is it to be planted by a stream?

John 4 - familiar scene - John 4 records Jesus traveling through Samaria and He stopped in a little town called Sychar.  There - by the well of that town - Jesus had a conversation with a woman about her life.  Remember this?

It was very personal conversation with Jesus very gently talking with her about the deeper issues in her life.  This woman was a like a tree desperately in need of watering.  Her soul was dry - longing to be satisfied.

We all face times like that.  Yes? 

Jesus uses the well as an illustration.  He says to the woman, “Everyone who drinks of this - well - water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13,14)

Drink the best water on earth - Perrier - Sunny Select - whatever - and we get thirsty again.  Life is like that - a restlessness - a longing deep within that never quite gets satisfied.

But, the water that Jesus gives is always available - the stream never stops flowing.  Always refreshes.  It brings life.  Satisfying life - with peace and purpose.  Life that that begins now and goes on forever.

As our roots get into that Jesus water - think delight and meditation on God’s word - verse 3 says that the Godly man’s “leaf does not wither.”  Meaning that he or she will have what it takes - vitality - strength - resources.  He, or she, becomes a person of usefulness and value - that “prospers” - that is able to use God given resources of time, talent, treasure - to use God’s blessings to produce godly fruit - a godly character - godly children - godly business - a life which glorifies God and leads others to God.

He thrives throughout the seasons of life - however the circumstances of life may change for better or for worse - the godly thrive.  And, whatever He, or she, does God brings to prosperity and God is glorified.

That’s the godly life.  That’s the secret to true happiness - being in the place where God pours out His blessing on us.  Sounds great.  Doesn’t it?

Verse 4 brings us to The UnGodly.

In contrast to all that God blesses the Godly with - it takes two words to describe the ungodly:  “not so.”  Say those with me, “Not so.”  All that’s offered to the Godly for the ungodly is “not so.”

Verse 4:  The wicked - the ungodly - are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 

Harvesting wheat - the bundles of wheat are thrown into threshing machines - straw is blown out and stacked - grains of wheat come out and are taken to granaries.  Floating in the air is chaff - an immense - useless  - empty - dirty nuisance.  Its a cleansing experience when the wind blows the chaff away.

Here today - gone…  tomorrow.  Whoosh.  Nothing of permanence or value.  Just emptiness.  Kansas:  “All we are is does in the wind.”

Sometimes we’re tempted think that maybe God’s justice is out of balance just a tad.  Why is it that the wicked seem to prosper?  A lot.  Usually at the expense of the Godly.  Ever think that?

I’m choosing to turn my life around and I’m getting hammered.  I’m doing the Godly thing - trying to live righteous - and they’re getting all the breaks - all the toys - the nice home - the nice car - all the perks of life.  We get jealous.  We compare.  We complain.  We get bitter.

Sometimes we loose sight of the chaff.  As good as it seems its “not so.”  Ultimately their lives are like giant empty clouds of chaff waiting to be blown wherever the wind - or the philosophies and ideas of this world blow them.

Give ourselves over to the temporary stuff of this world - let all that lead us around - and we’re like pigs feeding at the trough.  Congratulating ourselves for the wonderful slop we’re eating.  While the whole time we’re being fattened up for the slaughter.

The ungodly are living by a world system that’s designed by our adversary to deceive - to suck people in and chew them up - and spit them out.  In that system there’s no happiness.  Pseudo happiness - yes.  Real happiness - no.

So many people come to end of their lives - realize that what they’ve lived for is empty - then they try vainly to find some purpose for their being here - some legacy to leave behind.   But, only God can bless us with real meaning - real value - real purpose for our lives.

Verse 5:  Therefore the wicked will 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 wicked will perish.

Remember Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount?  A sermon He preached on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Look around.  Picture it.

A sermon Jesus began by teaching about the true happiness of the godly - God’s blessing of the Godly.  Jesus in that sermon also speaks of judgment.  Speaking of that future day when each of us will be judged by God - when we come to the moment of entering eternity with God or without God.

Jesus said, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22,23)

There’s an eternal perspective to all this that goes way beyond what we see here and now.  Whatever we may - in our self-righteous little worlds - whatever we may focus on - how the ungodly prosper and how we’re so righteous - God sees the big picture.  God sees our hearts.  God is not distracted by chaff.

God knows those who know Him - those whose hearts are surrendered to Him through Jesus Christ.  Who’s great desire is to totally sold out to God.  To live Godly.

God knows those who may even be in the church - producing works of service - honored and respected by man - doing all the religious stuff of Christianity.  Those who by appearance and self-delusion claim to be Godly.  But at the heart level they live excluding God from control of their lives.

When God evaluates our lives the ungodly will not stand with the Godly.  Without Jesus as our Savior - without God at the center - the present and eternal future of the ungodly is hopeless.

There are only two choices in life.  Choose self or choose God.  Psalm 1 is God showing us the contrast between the two.  God helping us - encouraging us as we’re taking steps forward - walking forward in life - to think about the choices we’re making.  True happiness - real blessing - only comes as we give our lives to God through Jesus Christ.

Processing all that - some take home questions.

When the Psalmist describes the ungodly, it would be so easy for us to think about murderers - rapists - drug addicts - criminals - wicked people - people who have ruled God out of their lives - other people.  It would be very easy for us in vanity and pride to think that the verses describing the Godly are speaking of our lives.  The contrast - the ungodly is about someone else.

It’s a familiar Psalm.  We’ve got this nailed.  Right?

But how often do we walk in the ways of this world?  How often we stand in sin?  How often in our actions and words do we profane what is holy?  Maybe even mock God.  How many things do we allow into our lives that distract us from delighting in and meditating on God’s word?  How open are we to God’s transforming our lives?  Is the prosperity and reputation we experience ours or because of God’s work in us and through us?  Who are we serving with our lives?  Who gets the glory?  Let’s be honest.

So here’s the bottom line.  Because all this isn’t about guilting us into doing more righteous stuff and then expecting God to bless us.  The bottom line is that God has already blessed us.  God desires to pour out that blessing into our lives.  We just need to choose to live in that blessing.  To receive what He’s already provided for us.

The bottom line question is - as we’re living out our lives - will we choose to put ourselves in the place of God’s blessing?

What would it be like for you to walk in God’s council?  To stand with the righteous?  To sit with those who affirm God.  What would it be like for you to delight in and meditate on God’s word?  What would it be like for you to be planted and draw life from Jesus - the living water.  To prosper because God prospers you.

What choices do you need to make to be in the place of God’s blessing.

_________________________

1. RBC 10.11.94

2. USA Today 01.19.98

3. Leadership, Summer 2001

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.