The Way To Happiness

Commentators often prefer “happy” to “blessed” (1). We often think of blessings as good things that come to us from others and from God, but this psalm describes the way to inner happiness. We can become overly familiar with the great truths of the Gospel, singing joyfully and nodding in agreement; yet sometimes we need to meditate afresh, by ourselves, on the wonder of God’s grace. What does it mean to be fully forgiven? On our part it means an honest acknowledgement of all our sins, both of commission and omission, hiding nothing, nor being silent or evasive about anything. We come before the Lord, who knows us in the depths of our being. It can be easy to touch on quickly remembered faults and failings at the end of one day, but not so easy to search our hearts for the attitudes and character flaws that lead us into temptation.

Verse 6 moves us out of the quiet of our own inner sanctum into the fellowship of the forgiven, surrounding us with songs of deliverance. And there, with those who know us and love us, the second stage of forgiveness may need to take place: seeking the forgiveness of those we have hurt and forgiving those who have hurt us. 

Then, cleansed and forgiven, we are once more ready to live the life God has prepared for us. He promises (8) to teach us our ethics, to help us make the right choices and to remember his laws, not dragged into being good but willingly embracing his way of righteousness in every area of our lives. Then we will know happiness, the happiness that Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount. It’s happiness that comes to the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers and the pure in heart (Matt. 5:3-11).

Read Psalm 51 and pray that the Lord will create in you a pure heart (Psa. 51:10). Then seek out any who need your forgiveness, or need to forgive you.