FRIDAY FIVE- THE BLESSED MAN

Happy New Year and welcome back to the Men’s Power Connect podcast, where today we are inviting you to join me every Friday as we kick off a new installment to Men’s Power Connect, the Friday Five!!

That’s right, I’m asking you to hang out with me for no more than 5 minutes every Friday to walk through a few verses of scripture and be encouraged to grow in your relationship with The Lord and be equipped in His word.  

As we begin this New Year, we all find ourselves in different spaces, some may be looking to build on successes they had in 2024, some may be looking to be a better father, husband, or leader in 2025, and others may be recovering from a financial loss or the loss of a loved one.  Wherever you are in your journey I believe there is a word that we all would love to define our 2025, and that word is “Blessed.”

Psalm 1:1-3 says, “[1] Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor

stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2] but his delight is in the

law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  [3] He is like a tree

planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not

wither.  In all that he does, he prospers. 

The Lord wants your 2025 to be Blessed.  I hope that you believe that.  The Hebrew word for Blessed is Eser, which means happiness or heightened joy.  In these verses, God gives us the formula for experiencing this state of joy.

1. Check your circle – Make sure you surround yourself with men who walk in God’s counsel and not the counsel of the wicked or the world.  If you don’t have the right people in your circle, PRAY!  Ask God to bring godly men into your lives that can encourage you and challenge you to follow Jesus well.  

2. Delight (or take pleasure) in the instruction of the Lord.  Put it on your calendar everyday to spend time in God’s word, as you do, you’ll find yourself desiring it more and more. 

3. And Finally, Meditate on God’s word.  This is more than just thinking about the scriptures you read, but this is mediation is the active application of God’s word to every challenge, decision, and situation in your life.  This meditation is asking ourselves before we take any kind of action, what does God’s word have to say about this??  How would God’s word have me respond?  Does God’s word support me stepping into this opportunity? 

I want to encourage you in 2025, to make a commitment to take these actions: 

• Get around the RIGHT people

• TAKE pleasure in God’s word and;

• THINK ON His word in every action you take.  

God promises when we live our lives this way to PLANT us near streams of water.  Trees planted near streams of water tend to have deeper roots.  These trees are critical to the health of the environment around the stream and provide vegetation to the animals in the area.  Trees planted near streams of water tend to lean in the direction of the water.  Jesus tells us in John 7:37, 38 “If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  Christ is the source of these living waters, so as you grow in His word and allow his word to shape your life, your very life begins to lean in the direction of Christ.  In essence, the more you walk with the Lord and treasure His word, the more your inclinations are to pattern your life after Christ. 

God’s love and grace is so amazing that he wants to see you grow deep in Him and he wants to be enriched by his living waters daily!  This is not just for you but so you can bear fruit that others may experience and be blessed from.  He wants to ensure that your way is prosperous, so you can become the Blessed Man He has called you to be to the people in and around your life.    

Make the decision today to live the Blessed life every day in 2025.  

Scripture references for this week’s Blog

Psalms 1:1-6 

[1] “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  [3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.  

[4] The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.  [5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; [6] for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (ESV)

Psalms 119:1-3

[1] “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!  [2] Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, [3] who also do no wrong,  but walk in his ways!” (ESV)

Psalms 112:1

[1] “Praise the LORD!  Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!” (ESV)

Jeremiah 17:7,8

[7] “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.  [8] He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (ESV)

Genesis 39:3

[3] “His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.” (ESV)

Psalms 128:1-4

[1] “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!  [2] You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.  [3] Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  [4] Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.” (ESV)