THE KEY TO HAPPINESS
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Opening Prayer
This Sunday, Jesus, I come thanking you for making me a part of your church and for the ministry you have for me in it.
Read PSALM 1
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How much does your happiness depend on the cultivation of holiness in your life?
The patriarch Jacob’s eighth son was born to Zilpah, his wife Leah’s handmaid. Leah was so delighted she called the baby ‘Asher,’ meaning ‘happy’ in Hebrew.1 In Psalm 127:5, the same word is translated ‘blessed’ in many English Bibles, in reference to the happiness of the man who has many children! Well, God takes great delight in his children and desires for them blessing and happiness too. So he tells us how to acquire it—by living according to his Word! This is what Psalm 1 is all about.
The psalm opens with a word that shares the same Hebrew root as the name ‘Asher.’ It teaches that true happiness comes through faithful obedience to God’s ‘law’ (v. 2). That law is not seen as a heavy burden weighing people down, nor as a set of kill-joy rules and regulations meant to make life miserable. On the contrary, it fills the righteous with such delight that they think on it constantly (v. 2). They pay heed to its warnings and avoid going along with the unrighteous crowd that willfully disregards it (v. 1). That’s why their lives resemble a strong, well- watered fruit tree (v. 3), whereas the wicked are blown away like the dry, scaly casing of cereal grains after threshing (v. 4). Real contentment is found in God alone. Rejecting him only leads to disaster.
Many times throughout Deuteronomy, God urges Israel to obey his laws ‘so that it may go well with you.’2 Obedience and well-being are inextricably linked. This is what Psalm 1 makes abundantly clear. Knowing and loving God’s Word is the key to happiness. So, let’s read it, enjoy it, and not make a chore out of it!
Apply
Today, even though your heart may be hurting badly, try counting your blessings to see what God has done!
Closing prayer
Lord, please help me to understand how much my happiness depends on the cultivation of holiness in my life!
1 Gen 30:12,13 2 e.g., Deut 4:40; 12:25; 19:13; 22:7
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