Being Happy - Psalm 119:1-3

Psalm 119:1-3 Aleph. “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!”

If you speak to most people and ask them what it is they want most out of life, their answer will - most likely - have something to do with being happy. And, it is common for the Christian to think in his or her mind, that life is not about being happy, or that God is far more concerned with our holiness, or joy, rather than our happiness. This is true, however, God is also very interested in our happiness as Christians.

Godly people are happy people! Godly people experience intense happiness, jubilation, exhilaration, felicity, and so on. This is an objective truth. And I can say this with full confidence because David writes, “blessed (happy) are those whose way is blameless…” This is not deceit or a play on words, no, this is a biblical truth! Godly people are happy people. David does not say wherein this happiness consists, but he tells us what we must be and what we must do to possess it!

Happiness is at the fingertips of all men because God is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27) but few take the right way, and instead seek for treasure where moth and rust destroy (Matthew 6:19-20), rather than seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven. And what is more, the way of happiness is particular, it is straight, it is narrow, it is one, and not many. And this proves problematic to most who believe that in their freedom is happiness, when it is actually true that in obedience and discipline happiness springs up.

There are three things David tells us that make men happy. 1) “those who keep his testimonies” are those who make God’s will the rule of their life, and govern themselves by it day and night. They are those whose manner of life, and all daily activity are done in the law of the Lord (V1). These are people who look to Gods law and love it. They do not pick and choose which commands they wish to obey depending on the moment or how they are feeling. No, they see what God has said and make their life to be in conformity to it. 2) Those “who seek him with their whole heart” are those who keep themselves from the stain of the world (Ephesians 5:27, James 1:27). They seek the Lord in sincerity by prayer and supplication, and earnestly desire to know the Lord more and more as each day passes, and seek communion and fellowship with their gracious and sweet Savior. 3) Those “who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways” are those who diligently avoid sin and seek to kill it more and more with each passing day. These do not make a practice of sin as those who hate God. They refuse to allow it to be a pattern of their lives; they are sensitive to sin and are conscience of it when it rises up within them.

Happiness is a result of a life in Christ that, loves his law and desires to be obedient because of a sincere and intensifying love for him. All other ways that happiness is sought after will end in despair because they will simply not deliver what is promised. The world can never give you what God promises to give to his children. What David speaks of here is also independent of circumstance, and this is good news!

So, be happy child of God! Be happy God’s way!