Introduction

Is your life as joyous & happy as you would like it to be? Does your life find real meaning & purpose to it? If not, it may be because, your not following the Biblical standard for the blessed life. To live the blessed life, you must be willing to love God more than the pleasures, riches, and fame this world can offer – Hebrews 11:24-26. If the Christian lifestyle is too boring & restrictive for you, you will miss out on living the blessed life.
To live the blessed life you must get rid of self, and submit yourselves totally to God – Matthew 16:24-26. Instead of laying up treasures for yourself, your must lay up treasures in heaven - Matthew 6:19-21.
The Bible is the pattern to live the blessed life. These are blessings that can only come by obeying God. In Psalm 1:1-6, God gives us instructions how to live the blessed life. Let us consider them.

WE MUST AVOID CERTAIN THINGS TO HAVE THE BLESSED LIFE (1:1)

The Word of God teaches you must avoid & abstain yourself from things & people in order to live the blessed life. People that have impure thoughts, those that don’t respect authority, those that dress & behave themselves in a shameful manner must be avoided & any that will give you bad advise - Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 4:14-15.
To live the blessed life, the Christian must shun & keep away from the bombardment of the devils destructive messages through magazines, music lyrics, radio, television, and internet. Don’t be deceived these mediums are teaching many the way of destruction - I Corinthians 15:33.
The blessed life requires one to avoid the lifestyles of the worldly & ungodly persons (abortion, co-habitation, homosexuality, bi-sexual). You cannot have the blessed life, if you engage & love worldly activities because they’re the contrary to Gods – James 4:4; I John 2:15-17.

To enjoy the blessed life, it is required that you love the Word of God. We should take the attitude of Job concerning the words that proceed from God – Job 23:12; Psalm 119:72; Psalm 119:127: Proverbs 23:23.
Studying the Word of God, and meditating on it day & night is necessary to enjoy the blessed life just as eating daily meals are necessary to sustain our physical life – Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:11. It involves applying the principals, precepts, & commandments of God to your life which requires study & application of the Word in your life - II Timothy 2:15; II Timothy 3:16-17.
Are you living the blessed life? If not, why not? God has made the way for you to get back home through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son

-- Harry D. Anderson, Jr., Preached at Gahanna-Jefferson Church of Christ, August, 2008 --