April 1 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

According to the songbook of God's people, righteous people are blessed. The tune of worldly people goes "Blessed are those who are smart, and three cheers for those who have made it!" Some modern Christians sing "Blessed are those who are saved" or "Happy are those who go to heaven." But Psalm 1 is more profound: Blessed are those who are upright before God.

Enduring happiness is for people who live according to the will and the Word of the Lord. They do not "walk in step with the wicked" or "stand in the way that sinners take," and they do not sit in "the company of mockers" of religion. On the contrary, they practice their godliness constantly. Day and night their hearts are turned to God, just as the needle of a compass insistently turns to the north. They do right not merely because they have to but because they want to: their "delight" is in the law of the lord.

In order to live the righteous life, a person must be born of the Spirit and washed by the blood. We know that even better than the ancient singer.

We, who sing the songs of the temple as we sit in the church of Christ, have much to learn from the fathers who lived under the old covenant. What a clear and concrete view of life and death! They did not say that believers would begin to live when they went to heaven, and that unbe­lievers would be punished in the hereafter. For them, the issues are decided here and now. The righteous person lives; the wicked person is dead. Either you are a tree or you are chaff.

"Blessed are those who do not walk in step with the wicked." Such persons are truly alive! They look like a tree on the riverside, loaded with fruit. As for the wicked, they are nothing but chaff. God's wind will blow them away.

REFLECTIONS

In what ways do you feel "blessed" by God?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.