Happy and Blessed - Pt. 1

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! (Psalm 119:1-3 ESV).

 

Thanks for all the “happy” wishes on my birthday yesterday. As I began to think through the concept of being “happy” I went to Psalm 119. With 176 verses, this psalm is the longest psalm as well as the longest chapter in the Bible. It is an acrostic poem, in which each set of eight verses begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The theme of the verses is the prayer of one who delights in and lives by the Torah, the sacred law. It is about being happy. It seemed a series through this wonderful song was in order. All of who are living through this world filled with frustrations and disappointments long for a ray of sunshine. Further, isn’t that a legitimate longing? Jesus declared that a part of His work was to come so that we might “have life, and that abundantly” (John 10:10). The founders of our nation considered being happy important enough to put it in the Declaration of Independence, saying that we all have the inalienable right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” So, let’s begin looking at this pslam with the goal of achieving happiness.

 

The first section of Psalm 119 points us to the Lord and the great blessing he gives, filling our lives with happiness. God blesses us through his Word, and that calls for a wholehearted response on our part. Simply knowing what’s in the Bible is not enough. We can read it from cover to cover and still feel miserable. That’s because unhappiness is caused by our self-will and our sinful disobedience. When we live according to our own ideas and values, we will always run into trouble. The Apostle Paul uses an agricultural principle to illustrate this truth (cf. Galatians 6:7). He says simply, “… we reap what we sow.” I find great encouragement from that. Not only is it true that when we sow bad seed we get a bad harvest, but when we sow good seed we will get a good harvest.

 

Of course I am not suggesting a quid pro quo agreement with God. He is not a vending machine where we can put something in to get something out. His gifts of grace are unmerited and free. However, it is also true that when we willingly conform our lives to what the Lord Jesus wants us to be, we will find the blessing he promises (cf. Mathew 5:3-12). Is this easy? Of course not! Again and again we have to resolve to seek God’s will and not our own. The author of this psalm cries out, “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying.” And with God’s help we can be steadfast. That’s our beginning point. Join with me there! As we find more principles through our look at this psalm, the beginning will remain our unwavering commitment to Jesus!