HERE'S TO A GREAT 2023
PSALM 1:1-3
PSALM 1:1-3 NKJV
1 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;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 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.
OBSERVATION:
Happy New Year! I hope you are looking forward to good things in this upcoming year.
Our Psalm for today gives us some great wisdom for how to have a great year. It tells us what not to do, what to do, and the end results. All in three verses.
Blessed is the person who does not do the following three things.
Does not listen and follow ungodly counsel. And there is a lot available today. Sift through the counsel you are taking in. Input determines output. Social media, YouTube, and internet news are not going to put life and strength into you. Take with extreme caution.
Does not stand in the path of sinners or sit with the scornful. We cannot avoid sinners and those who scorn God. We are to be salt and light in the earth. But we do not have to follow them and live as they do. As followers of Jesus, we live differently, but we will also have a different and better outcome.
Okay, so we don't do those things. Here's what the blessed do. We delight in God's word and direct our thoughts to align with what His word says. We think strength and peace and love. We think in line with the Holy Spirit, the Greater One living in us. We think these thoughts, and they produce life, light, and peace.
The scriptures tell us if we follow this path, we will be like a strong tree. A tree planted by water, so we are not merely surviving; we are thriving. A fruitful tree that does not wither.
And whatever we do will prosper. This sounds like a good year. And this sounds like a year where we influence the outcome.
We can be stronger in 2023 than we were last year. We can be healthier in our minds, bodies, and emotions in the upcoming year. We can live differently. We can live better.
This year we can delight ourselves with God's word and ways. What do we have to lose?
So, here's to making a great 2023!
PRAYER:
Dear Father, teach me how to delight in You and Your word and ways. I want to be more fruitful in 2023 and glorify You in my life.