February 2, 2023

THE PROMISE OF PROSPERITY

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Psalms 1:1-3 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Would you like to prosper in all you do? David opens the book of Psalms with a promise of prosperity to those who are willing to choose certain things. Let’s unpack his formula. First, choose your friends wisely. David tells us not to follow the advice of the wicked, not to make sinners our closest friends, and not to hang out with mockers. A mocker is someone who is disagreeable and unpleasant. They are always making fun of others and on the attack. They seem to always pick out the negative in everyone. Don’t hang out with these kinds of people. Choose to have friends who have a heart for God. This does not mean we can’t be friends with sinners and people who are far from God. It does mean we must have our closest friends as people who are following Christ. Second, David says we should put God’s Word in minds and mouths. We meditate on the Word “day and night.” That means we do more than listen to a sermon once a week. We daily read God’s Word and think about what it says. Sometimes it is easy to read a scripture a day and not really think about it. In our western culture we don’t meditate much. We are often too busy to think long and hard about things. If we want God’s Word to impact our lives, we have to think about it and speak it. The Hebrew word for meditate also includes muttering. The Jews would recite scripture to themselves. I believe it is a powerful act when we quote God’s Word to ourselves. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. When we speak God’s Word over our lives, we are releasing faith into our mind and heart. Choose our friends wisely and keep God’s Word as priority in our thoughts and words. Then we can expect to prosper.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit help me to choose good friends and meditate on Your Word daily. Help me to allow Your Word to shape my life.

“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”