Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

The word blessing means, in part, to have happiness or be content. The blessed person does not do certain things. He will not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. Instead, he delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.

The result is that he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. A tree by the water has a continual water source, will bring forth fruit in a timely manner, and will never wither. He will prosper in all he does.

The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace through faith. The evidence of our faith is obedience. There is a strong connection in the Scripture between obedience and blessings. In Deuteronomy 28 the Scripture recounts the purpose of God to reveal Himself to the world through Israel. He told them “if” they obeyed the voice of the Lord, certain things would follow. The “if” is significant. The blessings to come in the purpose of God in their lives were connected to obedience. Now, we are not Israel, and that was a message directed specifically for them. However, the principle remains. Jesus said if you love Me, keep my commandments. Obedience is evidence of love.

God told Israel if they obeyed Him, blessings would come and overtake them. They would not be able to escape the blessings of God. God said He would bless them in the city and in the country. He would bless the fruit of their bodies and produce of their ground. They would be blessed when they came in and blessed when they went out. He warned them not to turn aside from any of what He commanded. God is the God of blessing, and everything we receive by faith is ultimately because of what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.

When we understand that God is the source of all blessings and that our obedience matters, how should we respond? We should respond by abiding in Him, seeking to do what He says, being grateful in our hearts for who He is and what He has done, and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus!