Are You Happy?
Today's Verse:
Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. ~Psalm 119:1
I like to be around happy and joyful people. One of my dear pastor friends is always happy. He frequently will ask his church, “Are you happy today?” Happy people know that happiness is a medicine to the soul. Solomon said, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Psalm 119 is affectionately called the "Word of God" psalm. Every verse contains something powerfully relevant about God’s Word. This morning, we are looking at the “happy man.” The happy man is a man who is saturated with the Word of God.
We see a promise.
The first two verses start off with “Blessed are....” They emphasize the promise of happiness to us when we obey the Word of God. Obeying God’s Word is walking in its precepts and commandments. It is keeping oneself so immersed in the Word of God that he stays away from sin. Someone has said, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” The happy man seeks God with all of his heart and keeps His Word. When our focus is on God’s Word and obeying it, God promises happiness.
We see a prayer.
The psalmist was aware of his sinful tendencies and weaknesses. He prayed, “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!... O forsake me not utterly.” Prayer and the Word of God are inseparable companions. The more we read God’s Word, the more we realize our need for dependence upon God. He prayed that he would not stray from keeping God’s commandments. He prayed that God would keep him from temptation. He prayed that God would guide and lead him.
We see a priority.
First, that we would avoid sin. “They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” Second, that we will not stand ashamed from slipping into sin. “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.” Third, that we would praise the Lord for the wisdom and prevention that His Word gives us. “I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.” Fourth, that we will keep his commandments. “I will keep thy statutes.”
We see the process.
“Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” Obeying God dictates that we must be diligent and fervent. We cannot afford to slack off. This means we must be diligent to maintain a time of daily devotion. We must be diligent to be under the preaching of God’s Word. We must be diligent in putting into practice what we read and hear. It also means we must be diligent in memorizing Scripture and meditating upon it daily.
Happiness involves effort and good practices on our part. It involves making God’s Word a priority in our life. The happiest Christians are obedient Christians who are feeding on God’s Word, obeying it, and letting it dictate their decisions and habits. Happiness is not in the temporal things of this world. Real lasting happiness is centered in the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever.
Are you happy? Are you happy obeying God’s Word? "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD."
Have a happy God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 103-105