(based on Psalm 1)

1. They are blessed by God. ‘Blessed is the man…’ He or she is blessed by God. They will know the prosperity of the Lord. This does not mean they will necessarily have a big bank account or that they will never have to visit the doctors. On the contrary, the spiritual blessings of God mean that if calamity hits, they have the peace of mind that knows that God is always in control, and that He has our ultimate well-being at heart.

2. They keep themselves from wrongful associations. ‘Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; they walk in integrity and pursue holiness. They are set apart from the worlds way of thinking, doing, or behaving.

3. They love the Bible and can’t get enough of it. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.’ They read it, meditate on what they’ve read, and apply it to their lives. It is their guide book on life and their spiritual food. It sustains and nourishes them throughout their lives.

4. Even in their weakness they are strong and healthy.‘He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.’ They recognise that, if they are planted, then their must be a planter, and that it is God who does the planting, and that Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. (Ps. 92: 13)

5. They produce the fruit of the Spirit. That brings forth its fruit in its season. The godly person will display the fruit of the Spirit in every season of their life – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. Their lives will display the good fruit of someone who walks close to God, and the world will know them by their fruit.

6. God’s hand is visibly upon them. Whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The anointing oil of the Holy Spirit is active in their lives and they will prosper. A godly person hears from God, obeys His commands and lives the life God calls them to. They work hard. They do not run dry, for God is with them, equipping, filling, and blessing. Their spirit is healthy, active, and growing, even when all around them is in a spiritual drought, because God’s favour is evident in their life, and they are successful in all that He calls them to do. It is not mere outward prosperity that is the true measure of God’s favour; but a deeper, more significant spiritual prosperity.

7. God watches over them. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous. God has a path and a way for each one of us. When we walk on His path and in His ways, He watches over us. Even when that path leads to death and beyond, He is with us.