As we begin the new year, let's look at the beginning of the great hymn book, The Psalms. Psalm 1 begins with, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." If we are to be effective worshippers in 2012, we must first prepare. There is a negative and a positive here. First, if we are to be effective in our worship, we must be careful who we "run with". We need to be careful of our environment and surround ourselves with worshippers. That is not to say that we aren't to reach out and be used of the Lord to create worshippers, but those relationships we hold closest should be fellow worshippers. The positive preparation involves "delighting in God's Word and meditating on it day and night". We can not be effective worshippers apart from saturating our lives with His Word.
Verse 3 goes on to say, "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers". Prepared, planted, productive, and prosperous in worship. A water pipe doesn't really change as water flows through it, however a tree does. It receives nourishment as a living organism. This wonderful, growing tree is a picture of a righteous worshipper. This tree is planted, productive, and prosperous. God's Word constantly enlightens our worship. If we are planted, we are firmly rooted in our worship. If we are productive, we are effective in glorifying God, edifying the body, and evangelizing the lost, creating worshippers. If we are prosperous, we are showing the world God's blessing and glory. May we enter 2012, prepared, planted, productive, and prosperous for the glory of the Lord! mjm
