Thank you, Ivan. Please keep all of them in your prayers. Lord says, call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. And he is still a prayer answering God. He's he is still a healer.

And we we will keep you in our prayers. And whether you're here or not, you're on our prayer list and you're in our prayers. And and we will continue to pray and to praise the Lord for what he does. And he he is amazing. We're gonna take time if we need now to turn to Psalm one.

Psalm one and Anna Mary's waiting for an appointment she has on Wednesday to hear about her test results. They brought a friend with them, Gabriela, who's waiting as well next week to hear about results from her test as well. And I know Connie, I think, is headed back up up north as well soon. So they're all down here taking treatments from the same place, and we have others. And praise the Lord.

Randy got a good report this past week, and so he has another appointment this week to just hear how good it is. So but it sounds really good. And so we thank the Lord for that and just wait to see what wonderful thing the Lord is going to do next. Psalm one. Let's read Psalm one together.

Alright? Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seed of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth fruit, his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Lord, thank you for your word today.

Thank you for reminder of your your healing power and your grace and has been shown in the days that you walked upon this earth and continues to be shown today. And we pray for healing. We pray for miracles in the lives of the people whom we love, particularly for for Anna Mary, for Gabriella's with us tonight, for Connie, for Noel, for Kevin Bennett, for others, Lord. Show yourself mighty and Lord, we will give you all the praise and glory for what you will do. Lord, give them grace now as they wait and as they wait through this trial, Lord, that you have placed before them.

We know that you've said you'll never leave us nor forsake us. And, Lord, we thank you that you are always with us even when sometimes it may feel that you are not. We thank you, Lord, for your word that reminds us of all these precious promises. I pray that you would strengthen us in it not only today but all this week as we look to you and look into your word for the wisdom and strength that it gives to each and every one of us. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. The word blessed, particularly the the Hebrew word that's translated blessed, generally means, you know, happy. Fulfilled. Fulfilled is is it good for the word blessed. And as it's used in scripture, usually the blessedness, the the happiness, the fulfillment of which it speaks comes from God.

The blessings of the world and the happiness that the world gives, it's temporary, it's fleeting, Doesn't last. But the joy and the blessing, the love and the grace and the mercy and the provision of almighty God, it's not temporary and it's not shallow. Jesus said in Matthew six thirty three, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be, what? Shall be added unto you. In Philippians four nineteen, Paul reminded the Philippians that my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

The Lord has something so much better for his creation than the world has to give. Satan doesn't give, Satan takes away. The Lord restores. The Lord gives. He is a gracious God to all who come to him.

One of the things he has so graciously given to us is his word, and that is the focal point of this psalm today. We We see in the first verse, it says, blessed is the man. And that is followed by three things that do not bring joy and fulfillment and peace and happiness. But yet they are things that sadly many people are caught up in and they're empty. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seed of the scornful.

And and that is contrasted with the next verse, but his delight is what? In the law of the Lord. So let's look at first, let's look at the things that do not bring true happiness and blessing. Blessed is the man who does not follow, listen to, or heed the counsel of the ungodly. Blessed is the one who does not follow, listen, or heed to the counsel of the ungodly.

Proverbs one ten says, my son of sinners, entice thee, consent thou not. You want to be miserable, lost, empty, and confused in life? Then listen to what the pop culture out there has to tell you. Watch their TV shows and listen to their pop songs and follow their wicked ways. Now, not every song is terrible and not every thing that comes on the TV set is wicked.

Okay? But there is a lot of wickedness. And there is a lot of wickedness contrived to draw us away from who? Away from God. To tell us that joy and happiness is not found in listening to God, but happiness and joy is found in following other sinners down the rabbit hole.

And it's not. It's not. In Psalm 34, Psalm 37, the psalmist said, don't be do be not envious of the what? The wicked. Because they're they may revel for a night in their joy and in their happiness, but when the liquor wears off, so does the joy.

And then they have to live with what they did while they didn't even know what they were doing. The devil's way doesn't work. Don't listen. Don't do not follow. Walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

If you want to be happy, if you want to be blessed, don't listen to what they have to say. Don't walk in their counsel. Don't don't linger or tarry or stand in the path of sinners. The word sinner there can be translated criminal or the guilty. The Bible says in first Corinthians fifteen thirty three, be not deceived.

Evil communications corrupt good manners. If you hang out with the wicked, if you hang out with the lawless, if you hang out with the partier who has no regard for no no regard for what is right or no fear of God before their eyes or nor thought for what is going to come tomorrow, only the pleasures of today. If you linger with them, then it's going to rub off on it's going to rub off on you. Blessed is the man who does not listen to the counsel of sinners. Blessed is the man who does not stand, does not linger and tarry in their path, does not hang out with them and take part in their corruption.

Blessed is the man who does not sit or join up with the scorners. There are a lot of scorners and more than any other day, you can get on your Internet, on your phone or your computer, and that is just full of people who lie and deceive and mock and make fun of all that is good and virtuous and right, and there is no fear of God before their eyes. And how many young people and older people alike sit there glued to their phone, sitting there taking all of that all of that in, or hanging out with them. Eventually, if you hang out with them long enough, you're going to start to what? You're going start to be more like them.

It was true in David's day and it's true today. That's why Paul tells us in second Corinthians I'm gonna turn there. You can if you want. Second Corinthians chapter six. He warns the believers in Corinth.

He tells them very firmly. He says, be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? What con concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

The word infidel simply means an unbeliever. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among them.

Be ye separate, saith the Lord. Touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. Paul writes to the Corinthians and he tells them, he says, you need to watch who you hang out with. You need not join in their revelry. You need not join in their worship.

You need to be set apart unto Christ. You need to be careful not to yoke yourself. The word yoke means to tie yourself to someone that is not a believer and particularly one who is a scorner. And thus, the psalmist says, blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of those who scorn and mock the God of heaven. Those things will only bring God's wrath and not God's what?

Blessing. And you say tonight, well, I'm a child of God. I have escaped God's wrath. No. The Bible tells us in Hebrews that God chastens those whom he what?

Whom he loves. So if you're a child of God, you have every reason not to be this way because you know better. But be careful. God is not a permissive God. He is a loving God.

And the God who loves his children, if they want to do this, rather than blessing, we'll receive what? Chastening. Chastening. Blessed is the man who does not walk, listen to the counsel of the ungodly nor tarry in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornful. But contrary to that, his delight is in the what?

It's in the law of the Lord. Rather than delighting, rather than pursuing, rather than receiving the counsel of sin and the world, the blessed man seeks the counsel of who? God. The blessed man seeks the counsel of God. And while the world is currently changing and cultures changing and and all of that is changing, God's word doesn't what?

Doesn't change. And God doesn't change. What is right is still right. What is wrong is still wrong. The way of salvation is the same today as it was two thousand years ago when Christ died on the cross.

The God who saved them is the God who saves us. The God who heard their prayers is the God that hears ours and we are so blessed if we will just choose to listen to God and his word to pursue and align ourself in the Lord and not in the ways of the what? Not in the ways of the world. Oh, they're shiny and they're pretty and they're enticing, but they're like a trap. They ensnare you.

God doesn't want to ensnare you. God wants to set you what? Free. Delight in the Lord. But his delight, the blessed man, his delight is in the law of the Lord.

He desires, he finds pleasure in God's word and God's instruction and knowledge. He longs to know God and his will. He listens to and heeds godly advice based upon the word of God. He meditates, it says, day and night. Look, if you would again in verse two, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law law doth he meditate, what?

Day and night. He meditates. He ponders it. He dwells upon it. Every day, the word of God is in our hearts and in our minds of those who know Christ as savior.

And we need to fill it more and more and more. We need to dwell on it more and more. God should never be far from the mind of his child. Paul says, pray without ceasing. Now, I think he mainly says means to keep praying for things.

Don't give up. Don't pray for it once and then just let it go. No. Keep praying. But I think we also should be in a mindset of prayer.

In other words, talking with God is something you don't just do at a certain set times of the day, at certain set places, at a certain set posture. That that's Islam. That's not that's not Christianity. You don't have to be at a certain place at a certain time in a certain posture for God to hear your prayers. Praise the Lord.

One of my favorite prayers was Nehemiah's. No, not the prayer that you find Nehemiah one but the very brief one. When he stands before the king of Persia and just momentarily basically says, God help me. And then he opens his mouth. Because he knows without God's help, this isn't gonna happen and he's probably gonna lose his head over the deal.

We should always be talking with and listening to to the Lord. He should be just on our minds. Sometimes I'm afraid and at times I've been guilty of this that we just fill our head with so much noise that we're not listening to the Lord and we're not talking to the Lord. And sometimes we need to be still and know that he is God. And as we go through our day, if we spend time in his word and we've spent time in prayer, then it'll be easy for us to go back to him throughout our day and him to just be part of our thought process.

Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He studies it daily. He uses it to guide his path, to give him discernment between that which is right and wrong, that which is true and false. Second Timothy two fifteen, why did Paul say to Timothy study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, the word of God. You don't have to be a preacher to do that.

We should all be doing that. We should all be spending time in God's word and seeking to understand it better every day. The blessed man does this. He studies it. He ponders it throughout the day.

I jumped ahead a little bit there. In Psalm one nineteen ninety seven, he says, oh, how I love thy law. It is my meditation all the day. In Psalm one nineteen nine to 11, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart, I have I sought thee, oh, let me not wander from thy commandments.

Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God. You wanna be blessed? Hide God's word where? On your shelf. You know, just stick it up there, you know.

Because you have a Bible sitting on the shelf in your room, you're protected from all evil. Does it work that way? No. It doesn't work that way. It pagans think it worked that way.

You know, let's put a horseshoe up on the wall and you'll be in good shape. You know, let's put a rabbit's foot in my pocket and I'll be okay. That's paganism. That's not Christianity. You can wear three crosses around your neck every day of your life.

Those crosses, they don't ward off evil spirits. God does. God words off the the wicked thoughts and overcomes the temptations of the evil one and the philosophies of the world when we hide God's word where? In our heart. When we take the sign some time to read it and to put it in our heart, God uses it and then he blesses us.

He blesses us out of his love. He blesses us because he wants to bless us. And he blesses us just by the fact that by following his word, we will be blessed. We will be blessed because he will not his word will not lead us into what? Temptation, but it will deliver us from what?

From evil. That is what he will do for us. If we'll spend just a little more time pondering and meditating and heeding the word of God. Be ye doers of the word and not just hearers only deceiving yourselves. Hiding God's word in our heart also means heeding God's word in our life.

We need to delight in it. We need to meditate on it. We need to to listen to it. We need to heed his word. And indeed, when we do, he will he will bless us.

He will bless us by changing us. He will bless us by leading us. He will bless us by giving us opportunities to use the word. He will bless us in filling us with gratitude and love and joy if we will not ignore the word that he has given us. As a man of God acquaints himself more with the word of God, the spirit of God reveals to him the person of God and empowers him to be like the son of God.

I don't know where I got that from or if I just made that up out of my head. But anyway, it does seem to apply as the man of God equates himself more and more with the word of God. The spirit of God reveals to him the person of God. The Bible does call the God's word the sword of the what? The spirit.

And empowers him or her to be like who? To be like the son of God. As we look into this mirror, God reveals to us who we are and who he is, what he can do for us, and what we need to change for him. That we might bring glory to the one who has given us life, who has saved our soul, and so that we might be blessed in a world that is greatly lacking in hope and joy and peace and fulfillment because they're looking in all the wrong what? They're looking in all the wrong places.

They're listening to the counsel of the ungodly. They're lingering in the path of sinners. They're sitting in the seat of the scornful, and then they wonder why they're so unhappy. Because the God who made them, they're not they're not giving reverence to. The God who made them, they're not listening to him.

The God who made them, they're not submitting themselves to him. We were created for a purpose by God. We are his creation. He indeed does know what is best and what is right and what is good. So blessed is the man who does not listen to the ways of the wicked.

Instead, they hide God's word in their heart. They meditate. They ruminate on it. What are the results? First, next verse.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf all shall shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. This person who chooses not to listen to the counsel of the wicked world but chooses instead to delight and to heed the word of God, to seek and pursue the will of God, this person will be like a tree, and he uses this metaphor. A tree that is planted by the rivers of water. A tree is something that is solid and enduring, and one here which is firmly rooted and established.

It is planted by the rivers of water. It's not, what's the difference between a a perennial and a annual? So a perennial, it it just keeps coming up every year. In the annual, it's just well, you buy it, you plant it, it's there for a year. Boom.

It's gone. It's done. You gotta go now another one. Right? Okay.

So, the tree isn't an annual. A tree is a what? A perennial. Okay? It's not here for a moment and gone.

It endures for a long time. It grows. It's solid. It's enduring. It doesn't go anywhere.

The winds will blow and the floods will come and a tree that's well planted and and well rooted. It's it's it's got staying power. Okay? If we will will plant God's word in our heart, he will plant us firmly and establish us that we might be steadfast against all that other stuff that is out there in the world. He has plan.

He'll be like a tree planted. The tree doesn't do the planting. The farmer does. In this scenario, who is the farmer? God is.

And he takes and he plants his children who come to him in faith through his word. He plants them up by rivers of water. He firmly establishes them. John three three, Jesus said to Nicodemus, except a man be born again, he shall not see the kingdom of God. And when we come to God through faith in his word and we trust in him to save our souls, he plants us in his family.

And he plants us by rivers of what? Living water. Who is the living water? Living water is Jesus Christ. He is the water of life.

Living water speaks in our illustration here of irrigation channels, the farmer plants the trees, and he he makes irrigation channels so that the water flows so they get continual nourishment so they might grow strong and healthy and produce much fruit. Says in John four, Jesus said, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give in him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. For those who heed the word of God and receive the savior continue to fill their hearts and minds with the word of God, God not only has saved us and planted us into his family and made his children, but he continually provides the sustenance emotionally, spiritually that we need to be successful, to be happy, To produce much what? To produce much fruit. You see, it says here again, he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his what?

Fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he do, it shall prosper. I have talked to so many people who profess to know the Lord, and no doubt some of them do, but they're very confused and they're very frustrated because nothing seems to go right. Now, God doesn't promise that everything is going to go right. Okay?

But often times, the reason that nothing's going right in their life is because despite their profession, they're not spending time with who? They're not spending time with God. The water is coming by and they're just, you know, go along. Go along. And I don't I don't need you.

I'm fine. I'm fine. I'll take some water next week. You know? And then they don't produce any what?

And they don't produce any fruit in their life. There's an absence of fruit and there's an absence of joy. There's an absence of life because we're not taking in the water. He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water. He bringeth forth his fruit.

In Matthew 13 in the parable of the sower, some some bring forth a hundredfold, some 60, some thirtyfold. No, we don't all bring forth the same amount of fruit, but every believer should be bringing forth what? Fruit. And the amount of fruit is going to be somewhat dependent upon how much time we spend where? In the word of God.

And if we're spending very little time with God and his word, then guess what? We're not going to bring bringing forth much what? Fruit. There's a problem. The problem is not, you know, you know, I'm just gonna build up my determination and my excitement here, and I'm just I'm I'm gonna do that.

I'm just gonna be more determined than ever. I'm gonna settle down. I'm gonna speak to a 100 people this week about Jesus. Now you do need to put some effort into it and you do need to have goals. But if you're not spending time with God and his word, not going to what?

Not going to happen. You're not going to produce fruit because you're not taking advantage of the sustenance that you have in Jesus Christ. And even as a child of God, you might feel a bit empty and frustrated and confused. You want to fix it? Spend time in what?

In God's word. And God will make you like a tree planted by the rivers of water that giveth forth his fruit and his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall, what, Shall prosper. Now prosper means you're going to have a ton of money. Now that's called the prosperity gospel.

Ever heard the prosperity gospel? That's the people on TV that say, if you give to God this, he will give you back a hundredfold in dollars and cents in your bank account. So therefore, if you therefore, give to me. That's their message, you know. Yep.

So God will give you back money if you give, so give to me. And guess what? People do. They give to them thinking that if they give to to Joel Osteen or they give to Paula White or they give to whoever these myriad of people on our TV set, that God is going to make them like a tree planted by the rivers of water and their bank account is just gonna be running over. Does it work that way?

Well, it does for Paula White and Joel Osteen because their bank account's running over. Yeah. Their earthly bank account, not their heavenly one. You see, the Bible says lay up treasure where? In heaven.

And the treasure that counts is not the treasure you have in the bank down here. It's not the size of your house. It's not the make or model of your car. It's not the fancier clothes that you wear. It's not the pat on the back that the world has to give.

It's the blessings of the Lord. It's peace and it's joy and it's eternal treasure in heaven where sin will be no more. It's the knowledge that when I lay my head down on the pillow at night, that if I don't wake up here, I'll wake up there, and that God's got me. That's the treasure. That is success.

Success in knowing the Lord, success in feeling the joy, in producing fruit, and being a testimony to others for the glory of God. We measure success. God measures success a little different than some of those preachers on TV do and certainly a lot different than the world in general does. Don't be deceived. Don't get caught up.

The blessing of God doesn't give and come in giving your money to them. It comes in giving your heart to who? God into filling up your mind, renewing your mind with the word with the word of God. And you shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. What did what did God say to Joshua?

Let not this book of the law depart from thy thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night. Thou shall observe to do all that is written therein, and then thou shalt make thy way, what, prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. And what was success for David? David had to leave 2,000,000 people into the promised land and conquer an enemy that was far greater than them. That was success for David.

God's calling on our lives is a bit different than God's calling in Joshua I mean, Joshua in Joshua's life. Okay? But God does have a calling, and what is his calling? Go into all the world and what? Preach the gospel.

Make disciples of all what? Of all nations. Be a testimony, a witness in Jerusalem and Judea and in what? All Samaria. You wonder why we don't feel worthy?

Why we don't feel prepared? Why we don't feel that we are able? Because we we're not spending enough time in the word of God. Because if we did, we would be less afraid. If we did, we would feel more prepared.

So the key is one. Don't listen to the world. Listen to God's word. Spend time in his word. Spend time with the Lord.

He will he will fill you up. He will fulfill your longings. He he will make you confident in who? In him. He will sustain you.

He will bless you and fill you with joy. This is the way of happiness. It's a little different than the message you get from the world. I mean, you know, starting all the way back with the Garden of Eden. Eve, you know, if just God just doesn't want you to have any what?

Any fun. You know, you eat of that tree and and it's gonna be wow. It's gonna be amazing. God just doesn't want you to be like him. He he doesn't want you to have any fun.

Well, she listened to the wrong voice and it got Adam and Eve kicked out of the kicked out of the Garden Of Eden. It got them separated from God. It resulted in their physical death. And apart from Jesus Christ and the way that he made for us to be saved, it resulted in their eternal death. Don't listen to the world.

Listen to the Lord. In the next verse, says, but the ungodly are not so. Who are the ungodly? The ungodly are those who don't listen to who? Who don't listen to God.

The ungodly are those who do not listen to God. Though who do not come to God for salvation from sin. It isn't because we're perfect and they're not. It's not because they're sinners and we're not. Because we were just as lost as they were and we're just as imperfect.

But we have a perfect savior who died for us. And he's given us his perfect word to give us joy and knowledge and peace even in the midst of hardship. And to make us to be successful and prosperous in him. But the ungodly are not so. Those who have no time for God, those who reject the righteousness that only comes from God.

Therefore, the ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drieth away. Now, it's contrast to the tree. So over here, you have the child of God who's listening who's listened and heeded his word, who's like a tree planted by the what? By the rivers. It's going to stay there.

It's beautiful. It leafs out, and it produces a lot of fruit. And in contrast to the one who is heeds the word of God is the one who just rejects and has no time for God's word, and they're like the chaff. What is the chaff? Well, when you harvest wheat or or most any kind of grain, the actual grain is covered with a little husk.

Okay? That little husk is not not edible, the outside husk. And in in days gone by, what they did is they they harvested the wheat and they took it to the threshing floor. And they had something that they beat the wheat with. And as they beat it, they broke up those husks and the grain, it fell to the ground and it was heavy and it stayed on the ground.

And they did it, tried to do it where it was windy because what would happen? Well, the wind would blow away the worthless what? The worthless husks, the chaff. And it would go away and it would just be what? It would just be gone.

The one who delights in the law of the Lord is like a tree. The one who rejects the word of God and does not heed it or have time for it, they're like the what? The chaff. Here today and gone what? And gone tomorrow.

No staying power, no joy, and no, most importantly, eternal life. The godly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. No life, no fruit, no stability, no purpose, no success. That's why we're told this in first John two fifteen, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world and he and the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth what? Forever. You see the difference that abideth forever? That's the what? That's the tree.

Okay? But the chaff, the world, it passes what? It passes away. He that believeth on him is not what? Condemned.

But he that believeth is believeth not is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. You want to abide forever? Well, start by heeding the gospel and trusting the savior. And then if you want to be a a a strong, beautiful fruit producing tree, then you need to keep doing what? You keep need need heating this and you need to not be listening to that.

Okay? It says here in verse five, therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the seat of the nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. The ungodly shall not stand at the judgment, that is they shall fail the test, they shall be found guilty. The Bible says it's appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgment. It says in Revelation 20, the books will be opened, the dead will be judged out of the books, out of the deeds they have done, and they will be cast into the what?

The lake of fire. In contrast, the godly, meaning those who have put their faith in Christ, those who have heeded the gospel message, those who have put on the righteousness of who? The righteousness of Christ. That he has reserved a place in heaven for us. That fadeth not what?

That fadeth not away. That fadeth not away. But for those that heed not the gospel, they will not stand before the judgment. They will not be in the congregation of the righteous. They will be separated from the righteous, from the reward, from heaven, and from God for all eternity.

The conclusion we find in verse six, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall what? Shall perish. The way of the ungodly shall be forgotten, but the way of the righteous will endure. For God knows the way. He guides them.

He blesses them. He rewards them. So which will it be? Do we heed the gospel, the word of God, and hide it in our heart, or do we reject it and perish? And secondly, do we, as the children of God who've been planted by the rivers of water, are we growing like we should?

Are we growing strong? Are we healthy spiritually? Are we producing much fruit? It doesn't depend upon your social class or your status. It doesn't depend upon your ethnicity.

It doesn't depend upon your IQ. The amount of fruit that we produce and the blessings of God that we enjoy are connected to what we do with the word of God. And whether we hide it in our hearts, whether we meditate upon it at all, whether we heed it and allow God to guide us, or whether we listen to all those other voices that are gonna keep us from being that that fruit producing, blessed, healthy tree that we can be, that we should be in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for your word that you've given us.

Lord, forgive us Forgive us for shirking responsibility that we have to to spend more time in it. Lord, forgive us for not heeding it. Forgive us, Lord, for not spending as much time with you, allowing the the voices of the world to push you out to keep you quiet in our hearts. Lord, we need you to speak to us. We need your guiding hand.

We need the courage and confidence that you give through your word and by your spirit. Lord, help us to find more time this week to spend in your word. And, Lord, may we spend more time each day meditating upon and pondering it, allowing it to sink into our mind and heart that you might bless us through it and cause us to be a blessing to others also. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.