Psalm 1
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers. But his delight is in the teaching of the Lord, and on his teaching, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither. Everything he does prospers. Not so the wicked! No, they are like the chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. Yes, the Lord approves of the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is so easy to get wrapped up in the world’s advice and to go with the world’s flow. Father, we pray that you will keep us in your word, so we will walk in your truth and remain unswayed by the world’s lies. The world seeks self-fulfillment. It wants to make the most out of this life as if this life is the best it gets. It wants to tell us we should take advantage of what is in front of us, and as long as what we do doesn’t hurt anyone else, it’s okay. Even if that contradicts what you tell us. For the world, it is all about self-gratification and living for today. Lord, someone with faith in anything other than Jesus will be blown about. When their life comes to an end, they will suffer eternal death because of their unbelief.
Please give us the comfort that only comes to us through your word. Your truth tells us this life is not the best it gets, with all its sadness, guilt, and troubles. Our best life will be with you in heaven when this temporal life ends. Our fulfillment and identity come from Jesus. Let us turn to your word to hear the comfort of Jesus’ forgiveness and how he paid the total price for all our sins. Not one sin was left unpaid. This life is our time of grace when we come to know you and trust in Jesus as our Savior. Jesus innocently went to the cross and took all our sins into himself. Paul said, Jesus became sin for us to deliver us over from death to eternal life and that life is ours through faith in Jesus, and there, we are made right and restored to you. So please send us your Spirit to keep our trust in you. Through faith, please give us the courage to share the good news of salvation with those who do not believe so they, too, will sink their roots in your word and have eternal life. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Root yourself in God’s word; through faith in Jesus, we are saved, leading you to eternal life.