How to be Happy in 2021 - Part 2

 

TEXT:  Psalm 1:1-6  – “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

 

The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

 

We can be happy by associating with the right people. We can be happy by choosing to delight ourselves in God’s Word. (v. 2)...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law, he meditates day and night.

When we delight in the Word of God, it will do two things to us: It will claim our full attention and it captures our full attention. Today we will consider the first, and the latter will be looked at tomorrow.

Meditation - This passage tells us that the blessed Believer meditates on the Word!

What this passage calls us to is a conversation WITH the Scripture! The Hebrew word for 'meditate' includes the ideas of muttering, of talking through a concept, and of using the mind to imagine. What is asked of us here is the depth of understanding that we reach only as we let the Word fill up our thoughts to the extent that all of our life is an extended conversation with the wisdom of God! 

Winston Churchill said, "A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." In that same sense we should all be fanatics about the word of God: absolutely committed to learning, and knowing, and applying the principles of God’s Word to our lives.

People that are blessed and happy in the Lord are people who have a one-track mind when it comes to the Word of God. They know the difference between right and wrong because they are single-mindedly committed to the Word of God. Those who are single-mindedly committed to living according to God's Word can expect to enjoy the peace and contentment of Biblical success. No one can defy God's Word and be truly blessed.

Here is what God told His people thousands of years ago and it remains true...

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful." (Joshua1:8)

So, to happy in 2024 we need to associate with the right people and delight in God’s Word.