The Secret of Happiness
| Psalm 1: | 1: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth
in the seat of the scornful. 2: But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3: And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4: The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5: Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6: For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” |
1. Psalm 1
To be blessed is to enjoy divine grace and favour, which alone
brings true happiness. Happiness is the goal of every soul on
earth. Sad to say, more often than not, people look for happiness in
the wrong places. Not surprisingly therefore, comparatively few find
true happiness.
- Many believe that the more money they can lay their hands on the happier they will be: so they exhaust themselves making money. But rich people are not the happiest folk on earth.
- Others believe that fame will bring happiness; so they put forth giant efforts to become famous. But famous people are by no means the happiest people either.
- Still others believe that beauty will bring happiness; so they spend fortunes on looking beautiful. But beautiful people are not happier than ugly people.
- Others think possessions, position, authority, power or knowledge will bring happiness. But they too fail to obtain true happiness.
We see this all around - in every country - people possessing all
these desirable things and still being unhappy: or rather they are no
happier than those without these things. And so we ask:
‘Where and how can one find happiness?’
What does one have to do or not do to obtain this illusive thing
called happiness?
Psalm 1 gives us the answer to these vital questions.
2. Where Happiness is not Found
To begin with this psalm lists three places where
happiness is not found. The man (or woman) who finds
true happiness willcertainly not do these three things:
Verse 1:
- He will not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. In other words in moral matters he will not follow the advice of those who knowingly and blatantly disobey the Almighty's commandments.
- He will not stand in the way of sinners. In other words, he will not just refuse to walk in the counsel of sinners; but will not make friends with them.
- He will not sit in the seat of the scornful. In other words he will never take part in mocking sacred things.
Note the progression: first walking, then standing, and
finally sitting with evil associates and their ways. True
happiness is never found in such company or behaviour. The Bible says:
| Isaiah 57: | 20: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21: There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” |
3. Where then is Happiness Found?
The psalm then goes on to tell us where true happiness (blessing) is
found. The blessed man will:
Verse 2:
- Delight in the law of the Almighty. This implies that the law of the Almighty is a gateway to true happiness. The happy man will search it out and enter in. He will take delight in studying Jehovah's commandments, and in obeying them as best he can. This is the pathway to true happiness. This is the first spiritual clue to finding true happiness. Remember it!
- The happy (blessed) man or woman will meditate on Yahweh's law
day and night. In other words he/she will ponder and think about
the deep truths hidden in the Almighty's commandments: truths which
can only be understood with spiritual assistance from on high.
The happy person will think about these things and continually request
understanding and wisdom from God Himself. The Apostle
James writes:
James 1: 5:“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
The Apostle Paul writes:
| Philippians 4: | 8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of
good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” |
4. The Results
The results of this simple yet profound spiritual formula - of
meditating on Yahweh's law and putting it into practice - will
produce blessing and happiness on an ever-increasing scale. Note that
these blessings produce true happiness. They are not dependent
on material wealth, possessions, power or fame, but on faithful
obedience to God. The blessed (happy) man or woman, as the
Psalmist goes on to say will:
Verse 3:
- Have an everlasting source of spiritual refreshment. He/she will be like an evergreen, river-side tree; which produces a constant supply of delicious fruit.
- Prosper in everything he/she does. In other words, whatever he attempts will meet with success. It will produce lasting and worthwhile results.
5. The Unhappy Man
By contrast the ungodly cannot be truly happy. They may be rich. They
may be powerful or famous. They may possess an abundance of material
things, but in the hidden arena of the soul, in the currency of
blessing, they are bankrupt! The psalmist describes the wicked as
worthless, weightless chaff.
Verse 4:
The wicked are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
They are without substance, without happiness and spiritually dead. Oh
what a terrible picture is here presented.
6. The Fate of the Wicked
Psalm 1 is not just a Treasure Map pointing the way to eternal
blessing, happiness and life. It also predicts the terrible outcome of
all who choose to ignore its priceless directions. It tells us that
the ungodly face a fearsome future. Consider this awesome verse.
Verse 5:
- “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”
In other words the ungodly will be condemned on the Day of
Judgement and, what is more, they will lose their eternal
inheritance when the righteous enter the Kingdom of God. Oh
what a fearsome day that will be, when millions of souls come to
understand the value of the eternal treasures they have foolishly
rejected.
7. The Almighty Knows Everything
We must never delude ourselves into thinking that the Almighty is
unaware of what we do: and that our good (and bad) deeds somehow
escape His notice. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the Most
High can - if He wants to - become acquainted with every detail of our
lives. Nothing is beyond His investigative powers. If He chose He
could break into every sensitive and private area of your soul and
examine every detail of your life. But He doesn't do this. He respects
our privacy and doesn't barge into our private lives. On the great
Day of Judgement all the
facts will be unveiled. If we do not ask forgiveness now and accept
salvation through His only begotten Son Yeshua now, we will be condemned
on that appointed day.
Verse 6:
- “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.”
This means He knows the course the righteous are following.
He not only knows their course, but He knows their
destination. Did not the Saviour say in John 14: 6,
“...I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
It is absolutely impossible to exaggerate the importance
of this truth: that Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah)
is the way to true happiness and everlasting life.
Sad to say, eternal life will not be given to the ungodly.
In the end, at the judgement they will be sentenced to eternal
death!
The way of the ungodly shall perish
In other words, those living outside God's will shall perish.
As the prophet Malachi wrote:
| Malachi 4: | 1: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as
an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of
hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2: But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3: And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.” |
8. The Perfect Psalm
Psalm 1 has been called the Perfect Psalm, because in many ways
it is the foundation on which all the other psalms rest. It tells of
how faith and obedience is the only path to true and
lasting happiness. Believers should try to memorise this psalm. It has
only six verses! Remember it contains a spiritual formula for
everlasting happiness and true success. No one can afford to ignore
it? Other verses that spell out the way to true happiness in this and
the life to come are:
- Psalm 144:15 "... yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD"
- Proverbs 16:20 "He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he."
- Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
- John 13:17 "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
- Isaiah 51:11 "Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."
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