I recently posed a question about happiness in a sermon at Redeemer Presbyterian in Holland MI. Subsequently, I tweeted this from the sermon and received a number of positive comments: “If you want to know if you are flourishing in God’s will, ask yourself if you’re happy among all the ungodliness (Psalm 1).” Let’s look at the answer to this question since there seems to be some interest in it: Are you truly happy in the midst of all the ungodliness?
All of us want to be happy, right? When I speak of happy, I mean truly happy. Not some subjective thing that comes and goes, but remaining truly happy, internally joyful.
In our attempts for happiness, however, we often struggle because the sinful world can tear us down. With all the sin, temptation to sin, and unrighteous philosophies on life that surrounds us, we can sometimes wain in our happiness.
Just with technology alone, we’ve seen an incredible opportunity for ungodliness. With the inventions of the radio, then TV, then the Internet, we can be influenced by sin at levels never encountered before. Certainly there are some good things that have been brought about by these technological marvels, but like anything the wicked and perverse generation can and does use it for the spread of ungodliness.
So what does the Word of God tell us concerning this issue? What does God’s Word tell us will sustain our true happiness in the midst of all the ungodliness?
To answer this question, we need to unpack Psalm 1 just a bit. It begins with a truly happy believer being encouraged not to live according to the world’s will (1:1).
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.
“Blessed” is used in the Old Testament two different ways. Victor Hamilton claims ashera (used here in Psalm 1) is never used on God’s lips as that is reserved for barak. Rather “to be blessed (ashera), man has to do something.” Like that of chapter 2, “blessed are all those who take refuge in him” (2:12b), Psalm 1:1 describes the believer doing something or in this case avoiding something, “Blessed is the believer who does not walk…” according to the will of the world.
The world’s will centers on one thing: selfishness as the sole purpose in life. It’s a world that promotes my own interests, for my own well-being, for my own happiness, for my own fulfillment, for my own security, and for my own needs. The believer is to avoid the world’s will and come under the authority of God’s revelation, God’s commandments, God’s testimony — God’s will.
Psalm 1:2 tells us that those that desire true happiness delight in living out the will of God.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Living according to the will of the world is not the way to remain truly happy for the believer. Rather the believer’s delight is to live according to God’s will which brings about true happiness.
The “law of the Lord” here can be translated as the Ten Commandments, the book of Deuteronomy is known as the law, a passage, or any Bible reference (God’s will). Those that desire true happiness delight in living in accordance with the will of God as they encounter a world of ungodliness.
Our “delight” is not to be passive. We have a responsibility, and the text is clear — it must be “meditated on day and night” if we plan to live according to God’s will and remain truly happy in the midst of all the ungodliness. Our heart is drawn to God’s will with delight because God first loved us. With delight, we desire to meditate on God’s will in Scripture so we can live out His will and maintain true happiness in the midst of an evil world seeking to devour and destroy us.
So then, what can we do to remain truly happy in the midst of such ungodliness?
*We will remain truly happy in the midst of all the ungodliness if we flourish in God’s will.
Our remaining truly happy in all the ungodliness by flourishing in God’s is then described like a tree prospering next to the river (1:3).
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.
We are described like a beautifully prospering tree that is planted by the river when we flourish in God’s will. That is, when we delight in seeking the will of God, we will prosper like the tree planted next to the nutrient heavy water. It’s our spiritual growth being described here. A happy Christian is one that is being spiritually grown in God’s will. One that yields spiritual fruit (cf. Gal. 5:16-24).
The “season of fruit” is coupled with “his leaf also shall not wither.” When we flourish in God’s will from sacred Scripture, the believer’s happiness will remain or be sustained because we are spiritually prospering in the midst of all the ungodliness. The psalmist says our spiritual life will prosper and “will not wither” under the pressures of this ungodly world if we seek with delight the will of God each day and night.
Here are four action points.
- To remain truly happy in the midst of the all the ungodliness, we must reflect regularly on our true happiness as a sign that we are or are not flourishing in God’s will. If you want to know if you are flourishing in God’s will, ask yourself if you’re happy among the ungodly. If you are truly happy, then you are flourishing in God’s will. If you are not, then it is time to flourish in God’s will day and night. It is no small task to flourish in God’s will. It takes a lot of work to study Scripture so that you understand God’s will for life’s zillions of scenarios. Reflect regularly on your happiness or lack thereof in the midst of the ungodliness. Psalm 1 says it’s the indicator as to whether you’re flourishing in God’s will. Are you regularly reflecting on your true happiness in the midst of all the ungodliness?
- To remain truly happy in the midst of the all the ungodliness, we have to ask ourselves if we actually delight in seeking God’s will in Scripture. Our daily experiences in a world that is trying to tear us away from God must be met with our seeking His will in Scripture. That means we must actually delight in seeking it. We must want to flourish in it. We so often go our merry way without flourishing in God’s will. Psalm 1 is saying for us to be happy among all the sinful chaos, we have to flourish in God’s will day and night. Do you actually delight in seeking God’s will in Scripture? Are you flourishing in God’s will from sacred Scripture?
- To remain truly happy in the midst of the all the ungodliness, we cannot seek ungodly counsel but God’s will in sacred Scripture. If you have an issue, question, situation that needs an answer — we are not to be seeking counsel from non-Christians. Our happiness is contingent upon the will of God, not the will of the world. If you want a new job, where to go to school, whether you should be paying taxes on a particular amount of money you earned this year, how to deal with your health problem, what to do about an issue at home, etc. Psalm 1 tells us that we are not to be seeking the counsel of non-Christians — but the will of God. That is, if you want to remain truly happy, you seek the will of God for every single answer in life. Are you seeking your counsel from non-Christians or from God’s will in Scripture?
- To remain truly happy in the midst of the all the ungodliness, we must practice habits of being in God’s Word day and night so as to flourish in His will. If God’s will is going to prosper in us — we need to flourish in it. As I said before, it takes time and effort to understand the Word of God. Are you habitually reading and studying God’s Word day and night?
Conclusion
We all want to be happy, but it takes work according to Psalm 1. It’s not something we can just sit back and expect to happen. The good part is that God has given us all we need to obtain it. *We will remain truly happy in the midst of all the ungodliness if we flourish in God’s will.
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