Blessed is the Man, Psalm 1:1, Part 2

Psalm 1
1 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.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And 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.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

In the last entry we looked at the beginning of this psalm. We explored the beginning of verse 1.1; specifically, what is meant by being blessed. We discovered that being blessed covers a whole range of things including: consecration/sanctification, happiness, prosperity, protection, benedictions, and divine favor to name but a few and that was just what was gleaned from the English (we didn’t even look at the original languages: Hebrew or Aramaic). Now we will look at the rest of that verse and explore some of the reasons why the “Blessed man” is blessed.

We saw from the previous entry that the first verse had four parts:

1. Blessed is the man…
2. that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…
3. nor standeth in the way of sinners…
4. nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful

This verse specifically identified the object for the entire psalm as the “Blessed Man.” The rest of the of verse one of Psalm 1 identifies and describes by contrast – the “Blessed Man” vs. the unblessed. It identifies specific behaviors to be eschewed (avoided) and it compares the respective fates of the blessed to the unblessed.

1 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.

Well we can see that the rest of verse one identifies three persons who are included among those who are not and will not be blessed:

• The Ungodly
• The Sinners
• The Scornful
  

Along with these people, verse 1:1 explicitly tells us of the behaviors of these folks, which we should avoid. The bible does not tell us to completely avoid the unsaved, but it does instruct and admonish us on how to behave toward them and how to interact with them. From this single verse we can reap an abundance of wisdom…. The blessed man is blessed because he does not do the following:

• …that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
• …nor standeth in the way of sinners
• … nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful
  

According to some online resources: The American Heritage Dictionary online(1), the WordNet (2), and YourDictionary.com (3), the folks are defined thusly:

1. Ungodly: impious. irreverent (to God)1, sinful, wicked 2, outrageous3
2. Sinners: one who sins, a wrongdoer
3. Scornful: lack of disrespect coupled with dislike1; open disrespect or disdain 2; to reject with scorn3

All of these terms are synonyms for each other to one degree or another. The second, the sinners could be viewed as the large category [Romans 3:23], while the other two could be classified as subcategories of sinners. Never the less, they are all associated with actions and attitudes which should not be named among believers.

The definitions above tell us that the ungodly are irreverent, sinful, and outrageous. We can further extrapolate that they do not value the things of God, the people of God, the Word of God, nor the principles and precepts of godly living. They may even have a distinct dislike for any or all of these. They will often with outrageous/blatant sinfulness oppose God. They have no shame. [Jude 1:18]

Furthermore, the Word tells us this regarding the ungodly:

• They do not love God. [2 Chronicles 19:2]
• Some ungodly do prosper in this life, but their ultimate fate is not to be envied [Psalm 73:12]
• They dig up evil (i.e., they go looking for evil &/or dirt) [Proverbs 16:27]
• They scorn /despise judgment (the law, authority) [Proverbs 19:28]
• The law of God was made for the ungodly [1 Timothy 1:9]
• They follow their own lusts [Jude 1:18]
• Many of them have been condemned/predestined to judgment and perdition [2 Peter 2:5-6, Jude 1:4]
  

Sinners, are those who do wrong. The bible tells us that anyone who is not a believer, who has not accepted Jesus as his or her personal savior is still a sinner. This is because the word tells us that all have sinned an come short of the glory of God. [Romans 3:23] Now, I said still because the word of God tells us that once we have made the decision to make Jesus the head, the Lord of our lives, our slate is wiped clean. We become new creatures (creations/ a new sinless species).[ 2 Corinthians 5:17] God no longer sees or counts (accounts) us as sinners. [Romans 3:23, Psalm 103:12]

Along with these people, verse 1:1 explicitly tells us about aspects of their behavior which we should avoid. The Bible does not tell us to completely avoid the unsaved or the sinner (after all, were that the case multitudes of folks would not get saved and Jesus, our perfect example, didn’t avoid them but rather compassionately dealt with them) [Matthew 11:19], But it does instructs and admonishes us on how to interact with and/or how to behave toward them. From this single verse we can reap an abundance of wisdom…. The blessed man is blessed because he does not do the following:

• …that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
• …nor standeth in the way of sinners
• … nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful

A cursory examination of this bit of scripture could lead us to jump to some very obvious conclusions and to snatch some low hanging fruit:

1. …that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
   a. We as saints should not be walking (fellowshipping) with ungodly folk on a regular basis [2 Corinthians 6:14]
   i. In some circumstances, it is fellowshipping with the ungodly is unavoidable: may be married or related to them, or may work with or for them. [1 Corinthians 10:23, 27, & 31-32, James 2:11-13]
   ii. But as a general rule, they should not be our first choice of folk to hang out with [Proverbs 23:20, Proverbs 22:24-25, Proverbs 29:22, Proverbs 29:3, Proverbs 29:3, Ephesians 5:11, 1 John 1:6-8]
   b. We as saints should not primarily be taking their counsel or advice [Deuteronomy 32:28, Psalm 33:10]
   


2. …nor standeth in the way of sinners
   a. We as saints should not be standing with (in agreement) them [Amos 3:3, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Matthew 18:19]
   
3. ... nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful
   a. We as saints should not be sitting with them (be associated with them)

However, a deeper look reveals so even more! Follow along with me as we delve little deeper:

The second thing is that each of these actions (walking, standing, sitting) identify an increasing degree of ease &/or comfort with the world and the worldly (the unsaved or the carnal). The progression or transition as identified is from walking, to standing, to sitting.

It begins with; walking brings to mind “walking with the world.” “Walking with the world” can be defined as going along with them; agreeing with them; approving of or participating in their actions and attitudes. This could be just holding on to worldly pursuits, behaviors, and/or actions, i.e., fearfulness, unbelief, unforgiveness, anger, gossip, jealousy, back-biting, addictions: drinking, smoking, partying, sexual sin, etc., etc., etc. [Leviticus 26:12, Leviticus 26:21] Next, a walk is a manner of life, i.e. even the world is familiar with the phrase: “talk the talk but walk the walk”, meaning it is not enough to speak of a thing, but rather the thing of greater valuable is to live the reality of it. However, in Christian circles, these phrases are often spoken: “walking it out” or “This Christian walk”, both implying a process. The first phrase is a specific path of growth and development, while the second implies the whole of a Christian’s life (from the point of salvation to the final call home).

The second action is standing. Specifically, we’ll look at what is it to be standing with the sinners. When anyone is standing with sinners, they are actively/deliberately thinking like them or in agreement with them. For example, they are actively, deliberately, side (agree or condone) with sinful behavior(s) – be it their own or that of others. This can also include making excuses for sinful behavior or to be (actively or tacitly) agreeing with bad decisions, judgments, or policies. For example, saying something like: “I need a drink to unwind” or supporting candidates, governments, or regimes known to support policies which are against the Word of God – gay rights; abortion; or inhumane treatment, unjust, or genocidal diplomatic processes, actions, policies, etc., etc., etc. [Deuteronomy 27:19, 1 Corinthians 10:6-14, Ephesians 5:3]

Finally, is sitting. This is indicative of a level of familiarity with and to the world that causes a saint to be virtually indistinguishable from the aints. Sitting with or being associated with them (the non-believer) to this degree, implies that such folks (saints & aints) have become so comfortable together, so homogeneous, that it is hard to tell one from the other. [Matthew 13:24-31] It is at this level of comfort, that the worldly no longer experience conviction while within our presence, there is no perceived need or desire to change… there is so little reality of the Word lived out in the lives of the marginal saints, that there is no credibility of their witness… remember Lot. This is not to say that we need to verbally preach to everyone we encounter every moment of the day, but rather our lives should be doing the bulk of our preaching for us… the testimony of a virtuous life in Christ with all of it’s attendant blessings should be causing those who know us to desire what we have &/or convicting them to the point that they are uncomfortable within our presence. [Romans 11:14, John 8:9]

The final set of spiritually nutritious morsels that this scripture presents to us are regarding the objects that those actions (walk, stand, sit). These objects are: the “counsel of the ungodly”; the “way of sinners”; and the “seat of the scornful.”

The “counsel of the ungodly” has multiple interpretations. First, “counsel” can mean advice, opinions, or decisions. Within that light it is easy to see that we should never primarily be actively seeking, pursuing, or totally relying on the advice or the opinions of those who are not saved. [Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 1:28, Proverbs 8:17, Isaiah 26:9, James 1:5] That is not to say that the unsaved have nothing of value to impart to the saints [Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 15:22], but rather that whatever they do say and/or advise needs to be diligently prayed over and laid before God. Everything, every action, and or decision should be vetted by the Holy Ghost and the Word of God. [Proverbs 8:13-18, 1 Corinthians 2:16, James 1:5, Psalm 37:23] Ultimately, we should be always be seeking for and submitting to God’s direction and insight in all things. [Judges 18:5, Job 12:13]

Next “counsel” can be defined as someone who represents us, i.e. an attorney or an advocate. Again, it should be obvious that as saints, we should not be so like the world or the worldly that we can be represented (associated or identified) with them. But it should be noted that Jesus is our advocate. [1 John 2:1] He is our perfect sacrifice and is now our defender before the Father and all spiritual principalities and powers. [Hebrews 10:12] When Satan accuses us to God of missing it (and he does, it is his job [Revelation 12:10]); when he and his minions fight us with fear, doubt, and unbelief or unworthiness … it is Jesus who is sitting next to God, the Father, saying: “Father, they’ve repented. They’ve been washed in MY BLOOD… They are one of mine! I have not lost any that You, Oh Father have given me. Neither have they drawn back, therefore, they are righteous and holy.” [1 John 2:1, 1 John 1:7, John 6:37, Jude 1:1, 2 Timothy 2:21, Hebrews 10:38] To which The Father can only reply to Satan: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no recollection of that sin.” [Psalm 25:7, Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12]

The “way of sinners” like the “counsel of the ungodly” also offer us a multiple insights if we look a just a bit closer… First what is the “way”? Well, according to YourDictionary.com, there are over seventeen definitions for the word “way.” We won’t expound on them all, but “way” can mean any of the following:

1. A road, a path, or a highway or
2. To progress or travel along a certain route
   a. We shouldn’t be on or even be considering the same paths as the unsaved [Proverbs 14:12, Matthew 7:13-14]
3. Space to proceed or
4. A Course (i.e.: make way)
   a. According to the Word of God, the way of a righteous person will be made plain (readily apparent, clear) while, those who are unrighteous have just the opposite result – their ways are full of thorns (painful, often destructive hindrances). [Proverbs 15:19]
   b. Likewise, the child of God should expect the way/path before them to be prepared in advanced. They should expect divine grace, they should expect favor. [Genesis 24:40, , Exodus 23:20, Psalm 37:23, Hebrews 1:13-14]
5. A course of conduct or action (i.e.: how something is accomplished)
6. A usual or habitual manner of behavior (i.e.: being curmudgeonly is just his way)
   An individual’s action or manner (i.e.: pleasing or nasty ways)
7. Freedom to do as one pleases (i.e.: had my own way)
   a. Definitions 5 – 8 all have to do with behavior. Our behavior as saints should be decidedly different than that of the unsaved. [Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:15, John 17:14] We should not act or react the way the do. [Ephesians 4:26, Romans 13:10, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:12, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8] When they are panicked, we should be at peace. [Psalm 119:165] When they have no faith, or are angry, unbelieving, or confused, we should never be numbered among them. [Ephesians 4:26, Revelation 21:8, Psalm 37:23, James 1:5, Psalm 2:1-5, Proverbs 21:2, 1 John 4:4]
8. Distance (i.e.: came a long way)
9. A direction (i.e.: glanced her way)
10. Vicinity (i.e.: on your way)
    a. 9 – 11 all have to do with location, a space or place. We know that although our physical bodies are located here in the earth, however, our influence and authority transcend beyond this earthly/physical realm. As members of the body of Christ, we are seated together (in and with) Jesus in heaven. [Ephesians 2:6] Therefore, like Jesus, we have the ability to transcend the earthly, gain insight from an eternal perspective [Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16]; to access the resources of heaven; petition the Father directly [John 3:35]; As such, we have the ability to deploy angels, curse or bless, bind or loose, receive insight directly from God. [1 John 4:17, John 14:13, Ephesians 2:6, Hebrews 1:14, Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18]
11. A participant (i.e.: three way conversation)
    a. 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, and Romans 3:23 tell us that at some point we were all participants in sin. But for the believer, this should no longer be the case. First. God has forgiven our sins and removed them from us and from His remembrance. [Psalm 103:12, Micah 7:19, Jeremiah 31:34] This is not to say that we do not slip and miss it from time to time, or that we are perfect, but rather we are continually growing in grace. [2 Peter 3:18, Psalm 138:8] Furthermore, this does mean that when we do miss God, we don’t become discouraged or keep sinning, nor do we (unlike the aints) practice sin (deliberately continue to sin). [1 John 3:9] Rather, we confess it and repent (immediately) and God makes us right (righteous; restored to right-standing with God). [1 John 1:9]
12. A condition (i.e.: in a bad or good way)
    a. By contrast, lets look at the condition of the ungodly vs. that of the righteous:
    i. Ultimate outcome or state:
    1. Revelation 20:15 tells us that who ever is not written in the book of life are destined for the lake of fire. [Job 27:7-23]
    2. While the righteous are ultimately destined for Heaven. We’ve been included in the Body of Christ – when God sees us; He sees Jesus. We are seated in Heavenly places; [John 14:2-4 , Ephesians 1:18-23]
    ii. Blessed vs. cursed:
    1. For the righteous, there are Godly provisions for everything. [Deuteronomy 28:1-14, Psalm 37:4, Isaiah 58:14, Leviticus 26:1-15]
    2. For the unrighteous, there are (eventual) curses for their every endeavor [Deuteronomy 28:14-61, Proverbs 14:12, Psalm 1:5, Psalm 1:6, Psalm 3:7, 1 Peter 4:18, Jude 1:4, Leviticus 26:16-39, Psalm 73:12,17-20 ]

Teach us, Oh LORD, to see all things (ourselves and our circumstances) as you do. Help us Father to deliberately eschew: fear, doubt, despair, apathy and unbelief. Help us, Father to wield skillfully all the resources of heaven, which you have freely put at our disposal; to bring you glory and to gather with us, all those, whom you have called, into your kingdom.

Deliver us from pride Father. Don’t let us be mocking or scornful of those as yet unsaved. Fill us with the compassion of Jesus for this lost, hurting, and dying world. Make us the truly bold lions, which you have said that we are – that we will resist the corruption of the ungodly, scornful, sinners we will encounter daily as we run this race. Let us be embedded in the chief cornerstone, that the world is worn down by your Glory, your Word, and your Anointing manifested through us and not the other way round! Let us be a conduit for you so that even the demons cry out as we walk by!

These things, we earnestly pray, in Jesus’ Name
AMEN!

Blessed is the Man: Psalm 1:1, Part 1

Psalm 1 (King James Version)

1 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.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 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.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

This scripture, Psalm 1, should be very familiar. Most saints can quote it in full or at the very least in part (with the exception of the newest believers among us). Almost all of us can recall verse three, the part which goes: “...and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.” Even though this is a very little/short psalm, it is full of spiritual nutrition. Because it is so rich, we will deal with this psalm in sections, in most cases a verse at a time.

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Verse one is the linchpin or the foundation, of the entire psalm. By giving us reciprocal information, we learn some of what it takes to be blessed. This verse of the psalm contrasts those who are blessed against those who are not. It specifically identifies three persons with their associated behaviors, which are to be avoided if we wish to be blessed. As we can see Psalm 1:1 has four parts:

1. Blessed is the man ...
2. that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...
3. nor standeth in the way of sinners...
4. nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful

In the first part of verse one, the “Blessed” man is identified. Now that seems simple enough that it doesn’t often garner a second thought. But it should… Do we really, really know what it means to be blessed? Well according to a couple of online sources, Yourdictionary.com (i) and American Heritage dictionary (ii), to be blessed can mean any of the following:

1. To declare (something or someone) holy, consecrated, hallowed, (sanctified); render holy by means of religious rites (ii)
2. To ask for or to receive or to be endowed with a divine favor
3. To make happy or prosperous (i); confer prosperity or happiness
4. To think (oneself) happy; congratulate (oneself)
5. To praise or glorify, to bless the Lord
6. To make the sign of the cross over or upon (i); make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate (ii)
7. To keep or protect from harm (i)
8. To give a benediction to (i)

Just based on these definitions alone and without any corroborating scriptures we could just stop and shout right there, but everything that these dictionaries stated, the Bible, the Living, unadulterated Word of God confirms:

• (1) Ephesians 5:26 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 say that with the Word, God has completely sanctified us. Through His Word, he has consecrated, hallowed, and declared as us Holy.
  * The whole of creation came into being by the declarations of God. From Genisis 1, we can see that what God declares - IS! God does not change... The way that he operated in the beginning is the way that He continues to operate, and the way that he expects us to operate. [Malachi 3:6] The things which God says are always true and cannot but help but come to past or into existence. [Isaiah 55:11] Therefore because God has already declared us holy, it is a accomplished fact, however it is up to us to walk in this reality of this truth. [Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Peter 2:9]



• (2 & 3) God has empowered us to prosper and therefore to be happy (blessed).
  * [1 Kings 10:8, Job 5:17, Psalm 146:5, Proverbs 3:13, Proverbs 16:20]
  
• In some instances it is by His own will, in others it is because we ask it.
  * Being blessed is an interesting dichotomy: To a certain degree our blessedness is dependant on behaviors or actions; i.e.: we ask for salvation; those who are saved may intercede in our behalf; or we explicitly asked to be blessed. Contrariwise, we do not do those things which will defer, derail or or cause us to be defrauded of our blessings…But it is also by the divine grace of God... It is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom [Luke 12:32]; it is through Grace that we are saved.
  * 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 – as with Jabez, we too must ask God to bless us. Then we must expectantly receive God’s blessing. It should not be within our spiritual repertoire to even consider that God has not heard us, nor that He has not or will not granted our request. [John 14:13, John 16:23]
  * God tells us to ask for all that we need or desire and to come boldly before his throne to receive [Luke 11:9, Matthew 7:7-11], in fact, God wants to bless us more than we can imagine [Psalm 5:12, 2 Chronicles 25:9, Ephesians 3:20, Luke 12:32, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Deuteronomy 8:18]
  * God calls us His children. As children of God, as with the children of any parent, we should expect our parents to do all that they can for - us as long as it is to our benefit. Naturally speaking we could say "daddy, I need "XXX" and expect our loving natural parent to supply that need. Well the natural order is a pale comparison to the spiritual. Our heavenly Father is anxious to bless us, He has no less compassion or love for us than any natural parent. [Matthew 7:8-10, Malachi 3:10]



• (4) Happy = blessed, therefore we should think of ourselves as blessed.
  * Because God has changed who we are, we must begin to see ourselves and to think of ourselves, as He does. We must have an internalized sense of ourselves as being what the Word of God defines us as. This spiritually based sense of self-esteem is not built on vanity or in pride, it is not based in works, or self-righteousness, but rather, it is firmly built on the Word of God. [Romans 12:3]
  * If we conform [transform, reshape/remodel] (our minds) according to Romans 12:2 we will no longer see ourselves as failures or as inadequate to any task or call. We will not see anything beyond our ability to accomplish in Christ if God has called us to do it. [Romans 8:37]
  * Likewise, we when we see ourselves according to the Word, and as God does, then we will have a constant expectancy of success and prosperity… we will assume that the resources of heaven (including the heavenly hosts) are at our disposal to accomplish everything that we are called to do. [Malachi 3:10, Hebrews 1:14]
  *Proverbs 10:22, Proverbs 23:7, 1 John 3:2, In him, in whom, in Christ , 1 Peter 2:9



• (5) Repeatedly we are admonished to magnify, praise, give thanks unto, glorify, or bless the Lord. Psalm 34:1 puts it most aptly: "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
  *Psalm 63:4, Psalm 145:2, Psalm 34:1
  *Furthermore, the Word goes on to tell us in Romans 1:20-22 that when we are ungrateful and do not glorify God, we are subject to a penalty – the grace, the insight of God can be stripped away.



• (6 & 7) Throughout the Word, God has been identified as our protection. He has been described as a rock, a shield, a shelter, and a tower, to name but a few. We are told that even His wings and his shadow are protection for His children.
  *1 Samuel 2:2, Genesis 15:1, Deuteronomy 33:29, 2 Samuel 22:3, 2 Samuel 22:36, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 5:12, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 28:7, Exodus 15:3, 2 Samuel 22:2, Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 91:1, Psalm 91:4
  



• The freedictionary.com defines a benediction as a “An invocation of divine blessing, usually at the end of a church service.”… In the Bible, we see folks giving a blessing/benediction to others. Most notably, Melchizedek – when he blessed Abraham as well as the Patriarchs – when they gave a benediction to their children at the end of their lives (or the end of their earthly service).
  *Genesis 14:18-19, Genesis 27, Hebrews 11:20 , Genesis 47:7, Hebrews 11:21

As I've said at the beginning just based on these definitions alone, and without any corroborating scriptures we could shout right there. But everything that these dictionaries stated, the bible, the Living, unadulterated Word of God confirms, so we would be remiss not to praise God for blessing us!

Father, We thank you that you Love us. Father we thank you that you’ve blessed us. That you’ve said we are blessed in Abraham, that we are blessed in Chris! Father we know that nothing we ever did or ever will do could deserve your abundant grace and mercy, yet you’ve given it to us anyway. Thank you Father; we praise you Father; We shall continually extol your mighty name among the nation until you call us home by way of a hole in the ground or a hole in the sky! Father we ask this day a blessing of you … we ask in complete faith and confidence that you would rapidly, thoroughly, and completely renew our minds Lord. Renew them so that we see You as you truly are. And so we see ourselves as you’ve made us in Christ Jesus: Blessed, Sanctified, Holy, Empowered to Prosper, Happy and Divinely Protected. We ask father, that you search us, and should you find within us anything which will derail or defer the blessing, or if there circumstances orchestrated by Satan to defraud us of THE BLESSING, that you show us Lord and we will repent and do all that you direct so that we may walk in the fullness of your blessing! We thank you Father that because your Word is true… that everything that we do is blessed, every where that we go is blessed, every thing that we touched is blessed because we are blessed (it is our permanent state of being) and we bring the blessing you’ve bestowed on us and in us with us!

In Jesus’ Name, to the Glory of God the Father, we count this done!
And it is so! Amen & Amen!

Count it All Joy: James 1:2-4

James 1:2-4 (King James Version)

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:2-4 (Amplified Bible)

2 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring but endurance and steadfastness and patience.

4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.

Right off the bat, we can see that this scripture tells us a few basic things:

1. Temptations will come...but, regardless, be joyful!


2. Why should we be joyful? … Because as our faith is being exercised (tried, tested, or proven) by the temptations and additionally, we should be joyful because as we are exercised, we develop patience through the experience.


3. The development of patience is a process, and this process is one which we shhould not attempt to cut short. To do so, is to remain incomplete, imperfect, and to continue to have insufficient resources &/or skills available for spiritual deployment.

Now just so we are on the same page:

Temptation, according to yourdictionary.com, is something that entices. Synonyms include: lure, attraction, fascination, appeal, inducement, bait, fancy, hankering, provocation, or yen.
Patience, according to the same source, is the willingness to endure or wait without complaint
Temptation seems to be the order of the day. Every ad (whether on TV, in print, or on the internet) entices us to gratify ourselves. These ads either implicitly or explicitly encourage us to pamper ourselves… “After all (imply the ads), we deserve it!”… Forget the fact that we may not be able to currently afford that advertised delight (let alone have the faith or the spiritual maturity to handle it); forget the hardship we might bring on ourselves (or our loved ones) by succumbing to this enticement; forget that the momentary gratification may well delay &/or derail some greater, future benefit…After all, “you deserve it all – right now!” …or so the carnally minded, Madison Avenue ad-men would have us believe. Is it me? ... Or do you too hear remnants of the snake saying to Eve, “Thou shalt not surely die…” [Genesis 3:4]

Unfortunately, patience (unlike temptation) is not in great supply. In fact, too many of us have become members of what my mom calls the “Microwave Society”. These are folks who want immediate gratification; often a delusional population, which thinks constant satisfaction, is an inalienable right. Even the world has recognized this behavioral trend as can be attested to by the rise articles and commentary on “Generation Y” and the phenomenon of “Helicopter Parenting”. We’ve raised a generation of seemingly pampered, over-indulged young folks who don’t think they should wait for anything, nor do they generally see the reason to ever do so. But for the children of God (regardless of age), this is not how it should be; our primary motivation should not be self gratification. We should not be stressed or distressed by temptations. Nor should we be surprised when temptations arise, for the Word tells us that there will be tribulation (and with it temptation) as long as we are in the world. [John 16:33] The Bible does not equivocate on the subject of temptations; rather, we should not only expect to encounter temptations, for even common sense dictates that if Jesus had to endure being tempted [Luke 4:12-14], so should we. It is unrealistic to expect to be any different than Jesus [John 15:18]; remember, that the servant is not greater than the master. [John 13:16] Believe it or not, a temptation free life is not what God has planned for us. Let’s be clear, please, do not misunderstand me: God does not want us to suffer needlessly. He is not evil or sadistic; neither is He nonchalant or without compassion [Lamentations 3:22]; rather, He is a loving Father, who only wants our very best. [Galatians 4:6] However, all too often, our concept of what is best does not align with His. He can be compared to a medical professional [Mark 2:17], who recognizes that there is pain and discomfort in some treatments, but there is also a long-termed, often life saving or enhancing benefit to follow.

Even in nature there is a use for stress. Consider this scenario: when physical muscles are used, stress is placed on them, which in turn leads to the metabolizing of fat, and building those muscles. Temptations place stress on us which can be: financial, sexual, mental, physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual. It gives us the opportunity to choose something we desire. Temptation offers us an opportunity to prove to ourselves and the world what we will stand or fall for. The trick however, is not to choose things of limited satisfaction over things which have greater or lasting benefits. In the above scenario, the temptation is to not exercise; to eat that second piece of cake; to have kids run errands we could and should easily do for ourselves, as well as to forgo the long-termed benefits of greater, or sustained physical fitness. Ultimately (on a spiritual level), those things that line-up with the Word of God, are the things to be desired; they are the things which should allure, fascinate, and attract us.

This same natural principle has a spiritual corollary: our faith, our patience; our self control, our temperance and/or endurance, as well as our ability to walk in the Love of God are all spiritual muscles. Muscles which must be stressed (exercised, tested, or proven) in order to be built up and to demonstrate (if only to our self) where the weakness (if any exist) lie. For example when you encounter or interact with that treacherous, worldly, ungodly co-worker(s), one obvious temptation is to snap off on them and/or to respond to them in kind. However, the proof of our salvation, the evidence of our spiritual maturity, is if we respond to them in love; continuing to do our jobs to the best of our abilities (without an attitude, rancor, wrath, or malice); to faithfully deal with that person(s) without a change in our demeanor toward them and faithfully casting the care of that person and/or situation at the feet of Jesus for His resolution and to patiently await (without complaint) deliverance in His time. [1 Corinthians 13:1-8]

Too often though, we miss it. We do respond in kind. We work, but not as unto the Lord, but grudgingly. [Colossians 3:23-25] We curse rather than bless those who have despitefully used us and don’t even think about praying for them unless it is vengefully. [Luke 6:28] We whine and complain; playing the martyr to any and everyone who will listen, including God; but we get no relief because our methods and motives are wrong. [James 4:1-3] It never even occurs to us to be joyful; to see the situation as an opportunity for us to grow and for God to move, and for the Lord to be exalted in the earth and through our personal walk. We don’t see that the temptation is a.) Either the Devil looking for a chink in our armor, or b.) a hurting, desperate person, who is lashing/reaching out in pain or frustration or who is just interacting with the world around them the only way they know how. Sad to say not everyone knows better, so that they can do better. Anyway, LORD, help us!

Father, in the Name of Jesus, help us! We repent for our failings and this moment, Oh Lord we turn from our ways to that of your Word.[ Ezekiel 33:9] Help us, Lord, to exercise these spiritual muscles; to continually, consistently move beyond every temptation to triumph in Jesus Name! Today Oh Lord, we choose to be anxious for nothing [Philippians 4:6]; we choose to count it all joy. [James 1:2] We choose to bless and not curse [Romans 12:14], for our hearts’ desire is to be like your Dear Son, Jesus, and to grow up into the perfect men and women of God that you desire us to be.

Your Word, Father, says that we are more than conquerors. [Romans 8:37] We’ve mouthed that without any real understanding, but right now Lord we receive it; by an act of our will, we accept it as one of the realities of who we are in Jesus. [a, b] According to your Word, we believe that we are maturing to the point that being a conqueror is not an intermittent experience, but an ever present reality of all things in our lives. With unerring consistency we choose daily whom we will serve – the God who is GOD! [Joshua 24:15] We believe you to mature us to the place where our patience is perfected [James 1:4], and we have full access to every spiritual gifts [Ephesians 1:3], which we exercise diligently, decisively, skillfully, and consistently under your leading and anointing. We expect you to make us fully, wholly, like Jesus; so much so, that the Devil will leave us too for season upon seasons on end [Luke 4:13], because we’ve passed every temptation and spiritual test, because you Oh Lord have proven us and we have not been found lacking! [Daniel 5:27]
In Jesus’ Name Amen!

a. In him
b. in whom

Fear Not!: Joel 2:21

Joel 2:21 (King James Version)
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

This scripture came to me as the scripture for the day. As I thought about it, it occurred to me that the scripture admonishes us to do three things:

1. Fear not
2. Be glad
3. And rejoice

Finally, it finishes with a promise that”the LORD will do great things.” Now when I looked this scripture up in other translations, almost all of them change the tense of that clause from “will do” to “has done”. Now, I’m not going to debate how this scripture was translated and what is the official version of the tense should be, but what I know is this… Fear is deadly and unprofitable. Lets not beat around the bush, it is sinful and it separates us from God.[Revelation 21:8] God does not want us to fear: 62 times in scripture we are told to “fear not”; 26 more times, we are told to “be not afraid”. Too often we short circuit our lives, our relationships, or our personal potential because of fear. Fear will cause many to not even try something new, others are tormented greatly (in one form or another) because of fear. [1 John 4:18]

I think that some of the fear we experience is our own faults… now don’t get me wrong, the devil and the world does it’s share to inflict terror, but because we don’t spend enough time in the Word of God edifying ourselves we make room for fear. See faith comes by the Word. [Romans 10:17] What many do not understand is that faith and fear are the same thing… they are reciprocal forces. Fear is just faith operating in the wrong direction, just as north is the reciprocal of south. Therefore, spending time in the Word grows our faith and expands our capacity to express the love of God, which will cast out fear. [1 John 4:18] See when something is full, nothing else can get in. Therefore, when we are full of the Word, there is not room for fear.
I think the next area that we miss it is by not being glad and rejoicing. This is linked to remembering all that God has already done for us and anticipating what He will do to us, for us, in us, and in our behalf for His Glory.

Father, we repent for giving place to fear and for not placing our undivided focus on you and your Word, which are one and the same. The Word is just another expression of your person…all of which are immutable and true! Father, we thank you that you are growing us up! We thank you for the progress already made in us and that we are better than when we first believed, and will be better still, growing from grace to grace, glory to glory. We rejoice and exalt you Oh Lord for all that you done for us to date and for all that you have yet to do in our lives, the lives of our loved ones, on our jobs, in our families, our relationships, our communities, our churches and even Lord, in our bodies, in our souls and spirits. We believe you to do great and mighty things and anxiously anticipate the manifestation!
In Jesus’ Name
Amen!