answer was simply, "When he has a little bit more!" How many peo ple do you know who are really contented with life? This word "blessed" means "satisfied." Do you realize how priceless that com modity really is? So many are con stantly striving and yet are never quite able to meet the goal of a relaxed and peaceful attitude of life. The word "blessed" in the orig inal actually is given to us in the plural. It speaks not just simply of being blessed, although that is cer tainly a part of it. It fully refers to "blessedness" of the individual who has truly yielded all that he is and all that he has to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1660 a man by the name of John Trapp wrote about this passage, "The Psalmist saith more about true happiness in this short psalm than any one of the philosophers, or all of them put together. They did but 'beat the bush.' God has here put the bird into our hands!" Frequently we can best define something by explaining what it is not rather than by suggesting what it is. This is the picture with the first verse. Actually, in Hebrew, the words "the man" come out in a positive, emphatic aspect of speech. It is not a case of just any man; it is that man; that one among thousands. How many of those with whom you have fellowship are really completely satisfied and con tented with life? Even more basic than that, however, would you be able to answer in the affirmative that you are this person the Psalm ist describes who is the fortunate one among thousands. One of the definite signs of conversion is the outward walk of faith. Page 45
By AL SANDERS
One of the most cherished por tions of the Bible is found in the first Psalm. Next to the 23rd chap ter of this wonderful book, perhaps this is the best known and most often quoted chapter. It is cer tainly a good one to commit to memory. It has been called "The Preface Psalm," for we find in these six pungent verses preceding the 149 chapters to follow, a brief out line of the entire book. No wonder it is also known as "The Psalm of Psalms." Martin Luther even de scribed it as "The Little Bible." He rightly felt it gives us all of the doctrinal truths, these cardinal is sues of eternal principles, which are to be found throughout the broad expanse of Scripture. The first Psalm is the only book in the Bible which begins with the word "blessed." It is true that there are many portions of Scripture which speak of the Lord's blessing upon people, such as in the Ser mon on the Mount. In addition, there are many of the epistles which include a special word of blessing, generally in the opening salutation. The background of this word simply means to be contented and satisfied. John D. Rockefeller was once asked by an interviewer, "When is it that a man has enough money?" His wise and perceptive
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