Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV) says, '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 'blessed' here in Hebrew is 'esher', literally meaning 'happiness'. It comes from the word 'ashar', and in the context of the Scripture here, it can mean 'to be happy, to be right, to go forward, to be guided (by the Lord), to be led (by the Lord)'. That is to say 'Happy, right, going forward, guided by the Lord, led by the Lord' is the man who chooses not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, but rather, his delight is in the Word of God!
Notice the words 'walks', 'stands', and 'sits' in Psalm 1:1? These are verbs, i.e. 'words used to describe an action'. You see? The above verbs speak of the choices you need to make, for example, to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly.
People of God, choose not the way of the ungodly, but choose to delight in the Word of God instead! And that's how you shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither, and whatever you do shall prosper!
The Lord spoke these words recently:
"Do not look at the 'parched and dry lands', but look to Me and trust in Me, for I am the Source of the rivers of water in your lives."
What does 'parched and dry lands' mean here? The Scripture says in 2 Peter 3:6-7 (New Life Version), 'Long ago the earth was covered with water and it was destroyed. But the heaven we see now and the earth we live on now have been kept by His word. They will be kept until they are to be destroyed by fire. They will be kept until the day men stand before God and sinners will be destroyed'. Going by the verses here, the world we live in isn't going to get any better, and we all know it. But in spite of this, there is hope, and this hope only comes when we look to God and trust in God!
Indeed, this is an even more crucial time to keep looking to the Lord and keep trusting in His Word, no matter what happens to this earth, and no matter how 'parched and dry' this world has become, both spiritually and physically. Those who keep looking to Him and keep trusting in His Word are blessed ('esher') people!
There is another Hebrew word for 'blessed', and this word is 'barak'. You can find this word in Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV) that says, 'Blessed ('barak') is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious (worried) in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit'.
The word 'blessed' (or 'barak' in Hebrew) here can mean 'benefit, abundance, honor'. The word 'honor' here is very interesting, and you can say that 'to be blessed is to see God honoring you and God honoring whatever you put your hands to do'! So, not only do you have the 'benefits' and 'abundance' of every good thing that He wants to give you, the Lord also knows how to honor you, and that is, when you put your trust and hope in Him!
The expression 'will not fear when heat comes' (or 'will not see when heat comes' in KJV) means you who put your trust and hope in the Lord will not be affected by the heat ('parched and dry times' on earth), and you will still be yielding fruit (and your leaf will still be green), no matter what happens around you. That, my friend, is the state of being blessed of the Lord!
I end this article with Psalm 34:8-10 (NKJV) that says, 'Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want (lack) to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing'.
