Psalms 1 – 2
Psalm 1:1 opens with an important message to everyone:
God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn:
when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes,
When you avoid sin’s highway,
when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse.
Unfortunately in today’s world we define “blessing” different than what God may have in mind. Today we define “blessing” as prosperity and maybe health, but mostly a fat payday. We have gotten sucked into the Prosperity Gospel where if we “give it all” we will be “rewarded” beyond our imagination. Matthew 21:22 says we will get whatever we ask in Jesus’ name and that gets taken out of context often.
Sure the story in Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18 tells the story of a rich man not “letting go” of his riches. Is this a story about money being evil or that we should give everything? One sermon I heard suggested the “unwritten story” story of this was how much God would have blessed him if the rich man would have let everything go. We need to accept the “blessing” if it comes to us as a massive windfall or a layoff that will allow one to get caught up. The key understand what a blessing may be, is understanding that initially the blessing may seem like a crisis.
Psalm 2:1 made me think of the USA today:
You are wondering: What has provoked the nations to embrace anger and chaos?
Why are the people making plans to pursue their own vacant and empty greatness?
Have we embraced anger and chaos in this nation today? People today are definitely pursuing their vacant and empty greatness in riches and “blessings”. More and more we are pursuing selfish desires and not God. Maybe these two Psalms are telling us something that we should change our direction quickly? I know I get caught up in the more and the “blessings” that God will provide while not be content with what is happening now. I know I lose focus on God when I get in this mode. I am in my third “blessed” layoff and am trying to determine if I understand why this is happening. Maybe I need to remain focused on God AND focus on my job. I need to stay away from distractions and keep focus on everything in my life and ensure the focus remains Godly.
Finally, is Psalm 2:12 talking about Jesus or some other “son” of God:
Bow down before God’s son.
If you don’t, you will face His anger and retribution,
And you won’t stand a chance.
For it doesn’t take long to kindle royal wrath,But blessings await all who trust in Him.
They will find God a gentle refuge.
God is asking us to bow before Jesus BEFORE Jesus walked the earth. Jesus’ existed before with God, since he is God and therefore we always should honor him. The “trinity” is difficult to understand in the “physical” world we live in, but when you study the QUANTUM world it becomes inherently obvious. If we understand God as “energy” and not an old guy in the clouds, this all becomes easy to understand. To really delve into this it would require a book, so stay tuned;-)