Reflections
"Blessed are they who trust in the Lord."
The Psalm sets before us a life choice -- God or nothing, righteous or sinfulness, self reliance or trust in God, good or evil, wickedness or love. Those who deaden their conscience for their own ends have no other future but ruin.
The righteous are blessed,
for they are separated from sin. The righteous are able to stand fast and enhance their spiritual life.
The wicked are completely
powerless spiritually for they are
like chaff that is borne away even by
the slightest breeze.
How do the righteous obtain their strength
in the midst of evil? They meditate on God's
law day and night, they delight in the law of the
Lord. What does this mean for us? We are to
keep God’s word in front of us, use scripture
as a guide to how we should live our lives.
Scripture is an instrument of God, and when
we pray to God he will answer us in the pages
of the Bible.
In Sunday’s first reading Jeremiah says,
“Cursed is the one who puts his trust in
human beings, whose heart turns away
from the Lord. Blessed is the one who
trusts in the Lord.” However we seek the
fellowship of other men, we should
not put our trust in them.
When we trust in the Lord we become
well planted and able to weather the storms of life.
By contrast the wicked have nothing to anchor
them; they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
They are on their own, whereas the Lord watches over
the way of the just. But the way of the wicked vanishes.
And in Sunday’s Gospel Jesus himself proclaims
the beatitudes and assures us that He is on the
side of those who are at present poor, hungry,
or mourning, or persecuted. Their only hope is
in God. Whereas those who are filled now and
for whom it is all too easy to forget God are in
danger of losing all and becoming hungry.
Jesus provides the food which does not run out, the
drink that does not run dry. Nothing can disturb us
if we put our faith in God; nothing can make us happy
if we turn away from God.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. How do you go about anchoring yourself in God's word in order
to stand fast in the face of the wicked forces that abound?
2. Speak of how you have trusted in the Lord and how He has
provided you with strength and happiness.
Blessed are they who trust in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteOur Psalmist tells us that we should know God’s word in the scriptures, and then meditate on them night and day. By meditating on them, we should spend time reading and thinking about what they mean. And we should try to apply them to our daily life.
God’s word gives us insight and discernment to make wise choices in life.
In other words His Wisdom leads us to a righteous way of living. Like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season, we will be blessed.
On the contrary the lives of the wicked and those who have no faith in God,
and choose the way of rebellion, are like chaff that the wind blows away. Their path is the way of destruction which leads them to eternal hell. They will perish.
The Lord watches over us. That’s why our psalmist says that according to which path we choose, between the righteous way or the wicked way, our lives will be determined by whether we will get a reward or punishment.
Those who have no faith in God and who do not have God’s law within their heart, and turn away from God, go against God’s will. Gradually they will give in to evil forces.
Jesus says that Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, and nothing can disturb us if we put our faith in God. But Cursed is the one who puts his trust in human beings, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is on his own. There are two contrasting lives among which we can choose by our own will.
That’s why our psalmist warns us in advance to choose well, to live by meditating on
God’s word, which will lead us onto the right path.
I will choose the road leading to life, eternal life, over a life that perishes because of condemnation. I thank God. He shows us the way of right living.
He provides me with strength so I can resist the wicked forces with His word as the armor of God.
How do I anchor myself in God’s Word in order to stand fast in the face of the wicked forces that abound ?
ReplyDeleteI know that I must USE the Word of God.
- Scripture states that the Word of God is a sharp, two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12). One side defeats the enemy while the other "slices open the blessings of heaven." (Joyce Meyer)
- Ephesians 6:17 refers to the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, one of the key pieces of spiritual armor.
- In many of the Psalms, we see the writer, often David, declare blessings of the Lord in his writings, and we imagine him saying them out loud. In Psalm 3 for example, "O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me... but you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.." (v. 1-3)
- When tempted in the desert after fasting 40 days and nights, Jesus Himself quotes Holy Scripture when facing off with the devil. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus responds with "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God...' " (from Deuteronomy 8:3).
Last week, my comment's focus was that God's Word is LIVING, DYNAMIC, and ACTIVE. This week, I see God's Word as a most powerful WEAPON against wicked forces in our lives. We must USE what God has breathed for us, whether it's written, spoken, or embedded in our thoughts and hearts.
Psalm 1 describes the righteous man: "...his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is 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." (V.2-3) Such imagery is reflected also in the first reading from Jeremiah.
God's Word fits together divinely and when a message is repeated, we must take notice!