Friends usually have something in common so that they attract each other. Whether it is sports, shopping, hobbies, games, hunting, church, etc., there will always be some common interest that draws them together.

The same is true with God. The verse today declares that God pays attention to those who seek to walk in righteousness. This means they put away known sin and seek to live lives that please God.

Unfortunately, many professing believers have little desire to live different than the world today. The believers who have had a tremendous impact on the world and in their churches are those who have put away the old way of life and fully embraced a new one.

In Amos 3:3, the prophet declared: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” God cannot bless those who walk contrary to His will – whether they are His children or not. God’s love for righteousness has never changed, which is why He warns the wicked, in I Corinthians 6:9: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?”

To the believer, He says: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Corinthians 3:17). You cannot serve God and mammon.

Christian, make up your mind who you will serve. Walk with God or stop pretending to be one of God’s children. If you want His favor and blessing, get in His Book and walk accordingly, then He can be happy with you – and you will find it to be a life worth living.

It is good for believers to look back every now and then at what we were before salvation. No matter what age you were when you were saved, the Bible declares that we were all “dead in trespasses and sins” prior to salvation.

You may not have been a big sinner, especially if you were saved as a child, but it must be remembered that it only takes one sin to be a sinner. This brings everyone to need to pay “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Once saved, God immediately quickened us. That means He made us alive – now capable of doing righteousness and pleasing Him. Before we were the sons of darkness and of the Devil, but now we have been made the sons of God (John 1:12).

Along with that new quickening and sonship, we also have the power to resist sin and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. In fact, that old sin nature is to be considered dead, and we can live in the new life He gave us.

If and when we sin, we also have an Advocate with the Father – “Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1). He helps us to get forgiven and cleansed when we ask Him. It enables us to go on and shows that He loves us still.

Are you walking in the quickening power of the Holy Spirit, or according to the works of the flesh?

Remember that serving Jesus alone brings victory over sin, real joy, and blessing.

God has always wanted to bless His people. He loves to see His people happy and enjoying their relationship with Him.

The world will never understand what a blessing it is to have your sins forgiven, your name written down in the Book of Life, and be sure that Heaven will be your Home when you die. You can also enjoy fellowship with Him and have your prayers answered. While on earth, there will be some trouble, but God can help deliver you out of them.

The Lord never makes anyone a robot. He leaves every believer with the power to choose. If you walk according to His Word and by His Spirit, you can have the blessing He wants to give you.

On the other hand, if you choose to stay in your sin (check up on your salvation: God makes true believers “new creatures” who enjoy doing the will of God – not perfect, but growing), and know that God will not bless you. Your blessings will dry up, and God will work against you (the curse).

Someone may say: That is the Old Testament and God does not work that way anymore. The truth is He does not change. Yes, we are under grace and forgiveness can be quickly obtained. Still, there is such a thing as chastisement (see Hebrews 12 – New Testament).

In conclusion, like the verse says: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day.”

Which way will you choose – to obey carefully or not?

There is no better way to praise Him but among the congregation. Other believers would enjoy hearing what God is doing for you at church this morning.

God is not only alive today, but He is actively working in the hearts and lives of His own – as well as among the nations. Will you help declare His goodness, blessing, and His might toward you?

The psalmist opens its most magnificent chapter of the Psalms with the primary precept found in it – that those who seek to obey God are blessed. Most likely, nearly all believers have discovered that God does bless when they begin their walk of living so as to please Him. The concept that obedience brings His blessing is important to remember to keep us going on for Him. It must be remembered because many Bible characters ofteny ran into opposition from the world when they decided to do things God’s way.

This would clearly include people such as Able who would not compromise on the sacrifice God really wanted, and Joseph, who was determined to remain pure. Hebrews 11 mentions other godly people who would not accept deliverance, even from terrible persecutions and death. They did it because they were willing rather to die pleasing God with their lives rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

This verse takes in a lot more than just the present circumstances. It also considers eternity. Though we may not always be blessed in the here and now, there is no doubt, says the Psalmist, that they are blessed, who walk in the law of the Lord – the Bible. God’s blessing does not always result in material blessings, but He does promise sufficient provisions, inner peace, joy, power over sin, fellowship with Him, and much more.

Every believer needs to determine to walk in light of His blessing. It is true even if it should only come in eternity.

Paul first encourages believers to be a “living sacrifice” to God, and then he tells them why. He calls it a “reasonable service.”

Many reasons could be given as to why it is “reasonable.” They certainly would start with the fact that we do not deserve it; and secondly, God did not have to put His Son on a Cross for us.

God could have let all of us simply go to Hell and pay the price we deserve for our sins. After all, we are told that “the wages of sin is death” (Ro. 6:23).

In love, God sent His Son to redeem us by dying on the Cross for us. Then, He made salvation as a gift through faith (Eph. 2:8,9) and did not make us earn it. In fact, He rejects all attempts to make us pay for it – or even part of it. Once faith is put in Christ for salvation, all our sins are forgiven and erased.

We should also consider being a “living sacrifice” because He put us into His family and made us joint-heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ (“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,” Ro. 8:17).

God’s redemption of us also includes eternal life with Him, the removal of sin from our natures when we see Him in glory, and a perfect and sinless world in the future. What more could He have done to make His gift of salvation wonderful?

Considering all these things and more – it certainly is reasonable! He will not make you make that decision, but it should also be mentioned that He adds “abundant life” and blessing to those who make that choice!

As you read the Scriptures, you will occasionally come across verses and statements such as the one above. Although it is not often taught, it still is a valid New Testament principle for today.

The Apostle Paul beseeches (asks) the readers of this letter, because of the mercy that God has shown to you through Christ, to willingly yield yourself to Him to accomplish the will of God through you. Believers are to offer their bodies to His service and not do what they want with their lives.

To present your body to God means that you must tell God that you are ready to do what He wants every day from now on. You must be willing to live for His glory and not your own. Because of our sinful nature which we will continue to have until we die, this dedication to His service needs to be done daily.

The words “living sacrifice” means that there is no going back on your word. An animal to be offered as a sacrifice in Bible times had no future plans or goals – others made those decisions for it.

Although God will never force you to obey Him, you will find your life more pleasant and blessed if you keep on following Him and His Word. To be faithful, you will need to spend considerable time in the Word every day and in prayer. It is how you learn His will and get power for service. Attendance and service in a local church is also expected.

Are you a “living sacrifice” for the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, will you yield to His will today?

God desires that His children think His thoughts. The first three verses of Psalm 1 reveal that He will bless those who meditate on His Word daily. The Bible is God’s thoughts to us.

It is His Word in the minds of believers that makes our thoughts pleasing in His sight. In Romans 12:2, Paul talks about how the believer’s mind must be renewed – which enables it to be transformed to the will of God. Then, in I Corinthians 2:16, he says that we have the “mind of Christ.”

In Noah’s day, the imagination of the hearts of the people were only evil continually. People are no different today. Even though some may have a form of godliness, their hearts are unregenerated. They walk in darkness and are incapable of pleasing God in their thoughts or their actions. Romans 8:7,8 says: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

In this chapter, the only difference between the ungodly and the blessed man is the fact that the blessed man meditates on God’s Word. The Word not only enables him to be blessed, but it also gives him value. He delights in the Word of God.

The wicked have no desire to hear the Word of God. They despise it. Chaff is worthless – it is airy and light and the wind just blows it away. When harvesting crops in Bible days, the chaff would be gathered and burned. This is a picture of what will happen to the unregenerate on judgment day.

The wheat has weight and is the desired product. It will be gathered into God’s “barn” (Heaven).

Are you wheat or chaff?

Yesterday, I talked about how and why meditation is so necessary to receiving God’s blessing. It is also essential to the growth of the Christian. Psalm 1:3 talks about the extent of the blessing and growth to be received through meditation when it is performed daily.

The illustration of that blessing and growth is likened to a tree planted near a river. A tree in this case would have a constant supply of water, which would result in a lot of fruit.

The tree also would not lose its leaves prematurely because of the constant abundance of water. It does not need to fear drying up.

Daily meditation on God’s Word is promised to result in success in whatever you do. This success is conditioned by the doing of those things the Word says – as you learn of them.

It does not mean that God will bless all your plans – as some people suggest. Instead, it means that as you meditate daily on the Word and apply those Biblical principles, your plans will be molded to God’s plans. Only when they conform to His plans will you see success.

Do you want that kind of success? Daily meditation is the key. The joy of living a life following His plans is that there are no regrets.

There are many ideas out there about how to be blessed. Some of the strongest blessings are related to the Word of God. 

The above verse is a clear example of this principle. The Bible repeatedly lets it be known that God’s Book is essential to getting His blessing. Despite this, few people claiming to be Christians actually read it every day.

As the verse says, reading is not enough. The believer must also meditate on its teachings. It means to think about what you read and get out of it all you can – like a cow chewing its cud seeking to get all the sweetness out of it.

You also want to pray about what you read, confess sins when the text reveals them, and asking God to help you fulfill the responsibilities and duties mentioned.

Lastly, notice the word “delight.” When your heart is right toward God and His Book, you will delight in it and meditation on it will not be a chore. There are so many marvelous things in God’s Book that it will delight you if you let it. Your time spent in the Word and prayer will become one of your greatest joys.