The Steps to the Pursuit of Happiness
Daily Old Testament Reading: 1 Chronicles 15-16; Psalm 1
Daily Focus Passage: Psalm 1
The pursuit of happiness dominates life. People desire joy and happiness and avoid pain, suffering, and struggle. In Psalm 1, David instructs believers to pursue genuine happiness, which comes only from the Lord. He challenges followers to overcome temptation and grow in their relationship with the Lord. As we seek to pursue a life of happiness in the Lord, may we strive to implement these steps into our pursuit.
AVOID SINFUL INFLUENCE
The Psalmist begins with caution. It warns believers not to allow the influence of sin to form a reality in their life. Thus, the Psalmist challenges us to avoid the advice of the wicked—the advice of the wicked flows from the flesh and the world. The ways of the wicked may seem right in the eyes of the world, but the ways of the wicked will lead down a path of destruction. The wicked's advice rejects extending from the basis of truth and instead attempts to influence the world's mentality.
Likewise, the Psalmist warns of engaging in the life of the sinner. The Psalmist understands that the world's influence rubs off on believers when believers stand in the path of sinners. The concept calls believers to watch out for their surroundings and take seriously the company they keep. This warning serves as a statement about the influence of sin on people's lives and how sin can lead people to fall prey to sin.
ESTABLISH THE SELF IN THE WORD
The Psalmist warns believers of the influence of sin and challenges them to establish their life in the Word of God. Believers must yearn to delight in the instruction of the Lord. This yearning means we must long to delight in the Word and spend time engaging the truth. We must long for the Word as it alone provides the needed substance to quench the soul's thirst. The yeaning leads to a constant engagement of the Word. The Psalmist calls believers to meditate constantly on the Word. The meditation on the Word reveals the need to engage the Word and allow the Word to guide and lead our lives.
When we meditate on the Word of God and spend ample time in the Word, we become planted in the truth. We become like a tree planted next to streams. We gain the needed spiritual nutrients to produce good fruit. We develop the roots needed to withstand the coming wind of temptation and the storms faced. Thus, we must seek to establish our lives in the truth and seek to dive into the Word and let it control our lives.
TRUST IN THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD
Believers must avoid the influence of sin and establish themselves in the Word as the first two steps of pursuing happiness. The third step is the reliance upon the faithfulness of the Lord. We must learn to live in a manner that trusts the righteousness of the Lord and holds firm to his act of watching over us. We must remember that he cares for us and protects us from our various struggles. When we trust in the righteousness of the Lord, we hold that his justice is righteous and true and that he deals justly with each according to their relationship with him.
As we consider our lives, we must come to the place to set up guardrails to protect us from falling prey to the influence of sin. To help establish these guardrails, we must hold firm to the truth of God’s Word and allow his Word to form within us. As these two steps become a reality in our lives, we must live trusting that the Lord is faithful to his promises in the believer's life.
