Scripture Reading : Psalm 1
Theme : Two Ways of Living
The book of psalms is a collection of poems that were sung with instruments. Its final arrangement was done during the post-exilic time, around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. They are like a hymnbook for the OT believers. But this book is primarily a book of prayers. It teaches believers how to pray as they try to obey God in light of the promised Messianic Kingdom on earth. Psalms 1 (which focuses on obedience) and Psalm 2 (which focuses on the Messianic kingdom) serve as the framework for the whole book. As believers live with hope in a fallen world, they will experience many emotions: sadness, joy, bewilderment, and praise. This book delineates a full range of human emotions and teaches us how to deal with our emotions through our relationship with God. The book is divided into five sections, with each section ending in praising God’s greatness.
- The Way of Happiness (1-3). Blessed means happy. A truly happy person is one who worships God and obeys His laws/instructions. He will prosper and enjoy abundant life. This is not referring to material possession (Luke 12:15), but to a fulfilling life with our great God and His community (congregation, v. 5) of believers. Even though the righteous may suffer in this fallen world, he is blessed both temporally and eternally, especially in light of the giving of the Holy Spirit to NT believers through Jesus (John 7:38-39, 10:10).
- The Way of Destruction (4-5). The wicked may be happy in the short term from doing evil, but his everlasting end is not happiness, but sadness because he will be judged by God. He is like chaff, driven away from the presence of God, who is the source of greatness and happiness.
- God is Ultimate Judge (6). The righteous will surely be blessed and the wicked will surely be judged because God is the ultimate righteous judge. No one is beyond His authority.
Praying the Scripture
- Pray that you will not be deceived by sin. Its end is destruction sadness, and judgment. Open the eyes of your heart to see that true happiness, abundant life is in obeying God’s laws. His moral laws regulate how we should live, any deviation from them will only result in your own injury. Believe it and ask God to help you to see it.
- The life of a believer is a life of hope. Hope is your faith about the future. Hope is so important that the Bible says one cannot be a believer without having hope in God’s promises (1 Thes. 1:3-4). A key ingredient for obeying God is hope. Are you living life in light of your hope in God’s final kingdom? Or are you living life for this world?
经文：诗篇1
主题：两种生活方式
诗篇是一本诗集，能与乐器伴奏歌唱。它于以色列被掳归回后完成最后的改编，约是以斯拉与尼希米的时代。诗篇类似于旧约圣徒的赞美诗集，但这本书主要记载的是祷告。神曾应许要在地上建立祂的弥赛亚国度，因此当信徒试着遵行神的诫命生活时，诗篇便教导他们当如何祷告。诗篇1（其焦点是顺服）和诗篇2（其焦点是弥赛亚国度）是整本诗篇的框架。当信徒在这堕落的世界里带着盼望生活时，他们会经历多种感触：忧伤、喜乐、困惑和赞美。这本书勾画了人类的各种情感，并教导我们如何藉着与神的关系处理这些情感。这本书分为五部，而每一部都以赞美神之伟大总结。
- 幸福的途径（1-3）。“有福”指的就是快乐。一个真正快乐的人便是敬拜神并遵行祂的律法或指示的人。他将凡事顺利，并享有丰盛的人生。这指的不是物质享受（路12:15），乃是与我们伟大之神及祂众信徒（第5节“义人的会”）共度的富足生命。虽然义人在这堕落的世界里难免受苦，但不论是在今时或永恒中，他都是有福的；这对新约信徒而言更是如此，因为耶稣已将圣灵赐予我们了（约7:38-39, 10:10）。
- 毁灭的道路（4-5）。恶人或许因行恶得到短暂的快乐，但他永恒的结局不会如此，乃是忧伤，因为他将受到神的审判。他像糠秕一样，被吹得远远的，永离强大和幸福之源头的神。
- 神是最终的裁判（6）。义人必要得福，而恶人必要受到审判，因为神是最终公义的裁判。万人都在祂的权柄之下，绝无例外。
用经文祷告
- 祈求我们不会被罪迷惑。罪的结局是灭亡、忧愁和审判。要开启你心灵之眼，看到遵行神的诫命才是真正得享幸福与丰盛生命的道路。神的道德律法管理我们的生活方式；若有偏离只会受伤。要相信这一点，并求神帮助你看清事实。
- 信徒的生命是个有盼望的生命。盼望是你对未来的信心。盼望极为重要，以致圣经说若有人对神的应许毫无盼望，他不可能是一名信徒（帖前1:3-4）。顺服神的一大关键是盼望。你是否因着盼望神最终的国度而生活，还是为着这个世界生活呢？
