Tuesday 2 June 2020

Psalm 1 TWO WAYS OF LIFE (Introduction 2)

“Walk with God, and you cannot mistake the road; you have infallible wisdom to direct you, permanent love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you.” Charles H. Spurgeon.

I love reading Psalms again and again because Psalms is a book for all seasons of my life. I can identify myself so easily in every situation of my life. It is a songbook of the Jews in the Old Testament. It is written in poetry. The language of the Psalms is very illustrative known as the figures of speech that paint pictures in the minds of the readers. Hebrew poetry uses vivid images, similes, metaphors and parallelism to communicate thoughts and feelings.

Psalms 1 is the door to the whole Book of Psalms. This Psalm presents two ways of life. The blessed life of a righteous man in contrast to the wicked, like chaff, a life without stability and ending in God’s judgement.

“Blessed is the man” let us look at this word “blessed”. What makes a man blessed, joyous or happy? This word is used by the Psalmist and Jesus in the Beatitudes. The Psalmist experienced blessedness when God forgave his sins, Psalm 32.1-2, when God kept him safe Psalm 34.8; when God choose him to be in the presence in His holy Temple Psalm 65.4; and when he joyfully worshipped and walked in the light of the presence of God Psalm 89.15. Similarly, we can be blessed or be joyous when our sins are forgiven and we become His children. He gives us access to His presence anywhere and anytime.

The original meaning of blessed means “to be straight” or “to be right.” This word is in plural form. So a blessed man or woman who walks straight and right with God, He or she is supremely happy or fulfilled or contended in life. Jesus talks about when He lives in us, he gives us abundant life. That is blessedness.
In this Psalm, the Psalmist points out there are three things a blessed or righteous person will not do.

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;

The blessed person’s character and attitude are vastly different and separated from the wicked. The blessed person and the wicked are very different in the way they think, behave and the people they associate with. There are three groups of progress words “walks, stands and sits,” “counsel, path, seat,” and “ungodly, sinners, scornful.” The blessed will refuse to be influenced by the ungodly. Watch out for what occupies your thought, what you read, what you see or hear! The negative influence of the ungodly constantly attacks our daily walk with God. May the Holy Spirit grant us wisdom and discernment to see through the scheme of the wicked. May we choose to walk with integrity, humility, dependence upon God, and live a life of self-control. May we carefully set ourselves apart from sin.

How can that be done? The Psalmist reveals the secrets that set us apart from the wicked and their ways. The positive things that a blessed person does. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1.2. Instead of walking standing and sitting around with the wicked, sinners and scoffers, he chooses to spend time with God. He has a heart and love for God’s Word. He immerses himself in the Word, spends time reading it, and thinking about it all day long. Yes, how do we spend our time? Psalm 63, is a wonderful Psalm describes the true longing of David’s heart for God. “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water … when I remember you upon my bed and meditate on you in the watches of the night; … for you have been my help, … My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psa. 63.1,7,8). David was in the wilderness of Judah. But he was in the sweet presence of God worshipping and meditating on the goodness of God. So delight is born from a deep personal intimate experience with God. God becomes our preoccupation. His words continue to linger on throughout the day. The experiences with Him through thick and thin of life’s situation cause us to burst out in praise and thanksgiving. The object of our desire is God and His Word.
The “Day and night” or constantly, consistently, and regular meditation on God and His Word will produce a productive life. His life will be “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.” Psa. 1.3. Like a tree with deep roots in the word of God. It is strong and sturdy. It will grow in wisdom and strength. The leaves will not dry up because it is planted by the stream. It will bear fruits of the Holy Spirit. This strong tree will give shade to many weary people to rest and be refreshed to journey on. To crown it all is “all he does, he prospers.” What a lovely picture of a blessed person! That is a very graphic picture of what Jesus talks about, abundant life in Jesus Christ.

The character and destiny of the wicked are totally different. “The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.” Psa. 1.4. The word wicked occurs 4 times in this Psalm 1. The picture of the wicked is like chaff. The basic idea of the wicked is light and unstable, restless running here and there without direction, no peace and happiness. There is no peace for the wicked. It is like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. He will not be able to stand before his judgement. He has no place among the blessed.
The two contrasting lifestyles lead to two distinctly different destinations. The blessed are stable, fruitful and greatly blessed. The wicked are unstable, unfruitful and will be judged.

Prayer for today

Dear God, we praise and thank you for calling us to be your children. We are truly blessed because your Son Jesus Christ has died for our sins. You have changed our destiny from the wicked way to the way of the Cross. Thank you, Lord, you are great and mighty God, yet you can live in us as we live in you. It is hard to comprehend. Your holy presence in our lives constantly reminds us to walk in your way rather than the way of the wicked. Help us to seek you first daily, give us wisdom and help keep our feet from evil influence. Gives a deep desire to delight in You and your word.

Help us to honour you each day through our lives in all that you lead us to do, in places you lead us to go and in the words you want us to speak. We need you every moment of every day. Help us to stay strong in faith, love others genuinely and lead us Holy Spirit that we will follow obediently. In Jesus’ Precious Name. Amen.

Pastor Isaac Yim

每日灵粮
2/6/20
作者：严以撒牧师
诗篇1

诗篇1 生命两条路（引言二）

“与神同行，就不会走错路；有完全的智慧指导你，永远的爱安慰你，并有永恒的力量护卫你”。 – 查尔斯•司布真（Charles Spurgeon）

诗篇是我很爱重复读的书，因为诗篇适用于我人生的每个季节。我可以轻松地识别自己在生活中的每种情况。这是旧约中犹太人的诗歌书卷。诗篇是以诗歌的方式写成的。诗篇以修辞手法表达信息，使读者心中产生画面。希伯来诗歌使用生动的图像、比喻、隐喻和平行性来传达思想和感情。

诗篇第一篇是整本诗篇的门。这一篇介绍了两条路（两种生活方式），对比了义人蒙福的生命，和恶人像糠秕不稳定并在神的审判将结束的生命。

“这人便为有福”，让我们看一下“有福”这个词。是什么使一个人有福，喜乐或快乐？诗篇和耶稣在八福中使用了这个词。诗人在以下几个情况下使用了“有福”来形容自己的感受：诗篇32：1~2 – 被神赦免，诗篇34：8 – 投靠神、受神的保佑，诗篇65：4 – 当上帝拣选他住在圣殿，诗篇89：15 – 欢心敬拜神、在上帝脸上的光里行走。同样，当我们的罪孽得到赦免并成为神的儿女时，我们也会蒙福、喜乐。上帝许可我们随时随地与祂亲近。

蒙福/有福的本意是“在正道上”或“在对的道上”。这个词是复词。因此，当人走在上帝正确的道上时，他们在生活中将得到至高的喜乐和满足。耶稣说当祂住在我们里面时，我们就得到丰富的生命。这就是蒙福/有福。

诗篇第一篇指出三件有福的人不会做的事。

有福的人
不从恶人的计谋，
不站罪人的道路，
不坐亵慢人的座位；

有福之人的性格和态度与恶人有很大的差别。有福的人和恶人在思维、行为和交往的人方面都很大的不同。这里有三组词：“从、站、坐”、“计谋、道路、座位”和“恶人、罪人、亵慢人”。有福的人一定拒绝被恶人影响。注意你头脑思想的事情、阅读的内容、观看和聆听的内容！恶人的负面影响不断攻击我们每天与上帝的同行。愿圣灵赐给我们智慧分辨并看穿恶人的计谋。愿我们选择正直、谦卑、依靠上帝的生活，过个节制生活。愿我们小心，远离罪恶、分别为圣。

我们如何行出以上的教导？诗人揭示了可以使我们与恶人生活方式分别的秘诀，就是一个有福的人所做的事情。诗篇1：2“惟喜爱耶和华的律法，昼夜思想”。有福的人选择与上帝花时间，过于与恶人、罪人、亵慢人一同行事。他喜爱上帝的话语，他投入于圣经，花时间阅读，并整日思考。是的，我们如何度过时间呢？诗篇63篇是一首美妙的诗歌，它描述了大卫心中对神的真实渴望。“神啊，祢是我的神，我要切切地寻求祢，在干旱疲乏无水之地，我渴想祢；我的心切慕祢”；“我在床上纪念祢，在夜更的时候思想祢，因为祢曾帮助我，我心紧紧地跟随祢；祢的右手扶持我”（诗篇63：1、5~8）。大卫在犹大旷野，但他仍有上帝甜美的同在，敬拜并默想上帝的恩典、美善。因此，喜乐来自与上帝的亲密经历。上帝成了我们的重点。上帝的话昼夜留在我们的生活中。与神同行，一起经历人生的风风雨雨，使我们向神发出赞美和感恩。我们渴望的对象是上帝和祂的话语。

“昼夜”代表了持续，不断地和定期的。昼夜思想神的话将带来丰满的生活。“他要像一棵树栽在溪水旁，按时候结果子，叶子也不枯干。凡他所做的尽都顺利”（诗篇1：3）。就像一棵树，扎根在神的话语上，坚固又结实，智慧和力量一同成长。树栽在溪水旁，因此叶子不会枯干，并结出圣灵的果子。这棵强壮的树将给许多疲倦的人隐蔽，让他们安歇并得力。经文的高潮是“凡他所做的尽都顺利”。这是一个有福的人何等美丽的图画！这是耶稣所描述的图画，在耶稣基督里丰盛的生活。

恶人的性格和命运是完全不同的。 “恶人并不是这样，乃像糠秕被风吹散”（诗篇1：4）。在诗篇第一篇中，“恶人”出现了4次。恶人的画面如糠秕，主要表达不稳重、不稳定、无目标前进、无平安和喜乐。恶人没有平安。就像汹涌的大海，无法平静。他在审判台前无法站立得稳。他在有福的人当中没有份。

这两种截然不同的生活方式领至两个不同的结局。有福的人是稳定的、能结出果子并有受大祝福。恶人是不稳定的、结不出果子、将受到审判。

今天的祷告

亲爱的上帝，我们赞美并感谢祢称我们为祢的儿女。我们真正的蒙福因祢的儿子耶稣基督为我们的罪而死。祢已将我们的命运从恶人的道路改变成十字架的道路。感谢主，祢是伟大和全能的上帝，但当我们住在祢里面时，祢就住在我们里面，这并不容易理解。祢在我们生活中不断提醒我们要行在祢的道上，远离恶人的道路。帮助我们每天先寻求祢，给我们智慧，帮助我们的脚免受邪恶的影响。让我们在祢里面喜乐、渴望祢的话语。

帮助我们在祢带领我们去的地方、祢要我们说的每一句话上尊荣祢。我们每天每时每刻都需要祢。求主帮助坚定我们的信心，真诚地爱别人。圣灵求祢引导我们，我们愿意顺从。奉耶稣宝贵的名。阿们。

杨仕涵译