You're Blessed if You Don't
Some News You Can Use from Shelby Center
What makes a song great in the mind of the fool? To what does it appeal? Knowing the power of words put to song, wise King Solomon warned of the song of fools when he said, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.”
What are your criteria for the songs you hear?
Just before Solomon spoke of the song of fools he said, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”
To the fool, that doesn’t sound right. But wisdom teaches that truly good things, the blessed things are often counter-intuitive and must be carefully critiqued.
It should not surprise us that the first Psalm to worship in spirit and truth is a song of warning. The heavenly hymnal starts with a negative: You’re blessed if you don’t!
It contrasts two courses of life: One is blessed; the other is barren. Which are you on? Wisdom plots but the fool plods on. (from Psa. 1:1-6).
The New Testament reminds us of the purpose of the songs we sing (Col. 3:16). It should be no surprise that the book of Psalms begins with teaching and admonishing about the blessed man and the wisdom he seeks and sings about.
1. The Blessedness of Mindfulness (1). It’s been said, “if you go looking for trouble, you’ll find it”. God agrees (Pro. 11:27).
Those seeking God’s blessing 1) Consider the way of life and worldview of their experts and expectations; 2) Evade what sinners esteem; 3) Evaluate examples and emotions to emulate.
2. The Blessedness of Meditation (2). The book of James mentions two kinds of wisdom. The first is earthly, sensual, devilish.
The other is heavenly, and pure, then peaceable, gentle, ...without partiality, or hypocrisy. We resemble our rumination (Pro. 23:7a)! Meditate on God’s wisdom (Psa. 119:97-104).
Friend, where do the things you think about lead? What you “chew on” should feed your desire to know God deeply, please Him, and bring forth a fruitful, faithful life. The wise ponder what God says.
3. The Blessedness Manifested (3). The godly have abundant spiritual resources to find true success in life: Know what God desires for your life and do it (Josh. 1:7-9).
The fool follows his heart (Pro. 28:26).
Faithful, fruitful, and firmly planted no matter the conditions reveal God’s grace and goodness on the life that draws deeply and continuously from the stream of living water we’re blessed to hold in hand.
4. The Blessedness Missed! (4-6). How sad the soul that allows sin to lead down the wrong path and perish (Pro. 22:3).
Friend, if you stay on your present course, where does God say it will end (Pro. 14:11-12)?
The first song for worship in spirit and truth wisely warns the lover of the pleasures of sin for a season, Your day in court will come and bring unimaginable loss.
Hell is lonely, miserable, eternal, avoidable.
The first song of worship contrasts two courses of life: One is blessed; the other barren. Which one are you on? Wisdom meditates, plots a careful profitable life; but the fool plods on and perishes.
While he seeks to be happy in the house of mirth, he misses the blessed life that is faithful, fruitful, and firmly planted.
Is following the way, wisdom, and worldview of the ungodly really the good life? You be the judge. But you’re blessed if you don’t! It’s a matter of life and death.
My friend, don’t wither, fall, and perish. Join the blessed man who reads the blessed book and enjoys the blessed life – now and forever more.
Our heavenly song book begins by bidding us to seek the wisdom of God in His word and trade barrenness for blessedness at the rivers of life.
You have but a short time to choose. Friend, when God judges your way of life will you be able to stand? You can. The blessed life bids you come (Rev. 22:17-20).
What are your criteria for the songs you hear?
Just before Solomon spoke of the song of fools he said, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”
To the fool, that doesn’t sound right. But wisdom teaches that truly good things, the blessed things are often counter-intuitive and must be carefully critiqued.
It should not surprise us that the first Psalm to worship in spirit and truth is a song of warning. The heavenly hymnal starts with a negative: You’re blessed if you don’t!
It contrasts two courses of life: One is blessed; the other is barren. Which are you on? Wisdom plots but the fool plods on. (from Psa. 1:1-6).
The New Testament reminds us of the purpose of the songs we sing (Col. 3:16). It should be no surprise that the book of Psalms begins with teaching and admonishing about the blessed man and the wisdom he seeks and sings about.
1. The Blessedness of Mindfulness (1). It’s been said, “if you go looking for trouble, you’ll find it”. God agrees (Pro. 11:27).
Those seeking God’s blessing 1) Consider the way of life and worldview of their experts and expectations; 2) Evade what sinners esteem; 3) Evaluate examples and emotions to emulate.
2. The Blessedness of Meditation (2). The book of James mentions two kinds of wisdom. The first is earthly, sensual, devilish.
The other is heavenly, and pure, then peaceable, gentle, ...without partiality, or hypocrisy. We resemble our rumination (Pro. 23:7a)! Meditate on God’s wisdom (Psa. 119:97-104).
Friend, where do the things you think about lead? What you “chew on” should feed your desire to know God deeply, please Him, and bring forth a fruitful, faithful life. The wise ponder what God says.
3. The Blessedness Manifested (3). The godly have abundant spiritual resources to find true success in life: Know what God desires for your life and do it (Josh. 1:7-9).
The fool follows his heart (Pro. 28:26).
Faithful, fruitful, and firmly planted no matter the conditions reveal God’s grace and goodness on the life that draws deeply and continuously from the stream of living water we’re blessed to hold in hand.
4. The Blessedness Missed! (4-6). How sad the soul that allows sin to lead down the wrong path and perish (Pro. 22:3).
Friend, if you stay on your present course, where does God say it will end (Pro. 14:11-12)?
The first song for worship in spirit and truth wisely warns the lover of the pleasures of sin for a season, Your day in court will come and bring unimaginable loss.
Hell is lonely, miserable, eternal, avoidable.
The first song of worship contrasts two courses of life: One is blessed; the other barren. Which one are you on? Wisdom meditates, plots a careful profitable life; but the fool plods on and perishes.
While he seeks to be happy in the house of mirth, he misses the blessed life that is faithful, fruitful, and firmly planted.
Is following the way, wisdom, and worldview of the ungodly really the good life? You be the judge. But you’re blessed if you don’t! It’s a matter of life and death.
My friend, don’t wither, fall, and perish. Join the blessed man who reads the blessed book and enjoys the blessed life – now and forever more.
Our heavenly song book begins by bidding us to seek the wisdom of God in His word and trade barrenness for blessedness at the rivers of life.
You have but a short time to choose. Friend, when God judges your way of life will you be able to stand? You can. The blessed life bids you come (Rev. 22:17-20).