TEXT: Psalm 1:1-6
DEFINITION
Happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfilment.
Happiness is something that people seek to find, yet what defines happiness can vary from one person to the next.
Typically, happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfilment. While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.
True happiness can only come when we are at peace with God (Roman 5:1), peace with our neighbours (Heb. 12:14), and peace with ourselves (John 14:27).
The three (3) grand essentials to happiness in this life are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
INTRODUCTION
Psalm 1 is called the preamble to the book of Psalms. That is, it serves as an introduction to the entire book. Psalm 119:105
What is said in Psalm 1 is relevant to all the rest of the book of Psalms.
Psalm 1 compares the blessed, fruitful life of those who love God's Word and the empty, scattered life of the wicked.
The psalms begin with these words: "Blessed is the man." In Psalm 1, God addresses man's most basic question: How can I be happy (blessed) in this life?
Is this true? Does God really want us to be happy? Absolutely! And this happiness is not temporary, but perpetual. Jer. 29:11; Eph. 5:19
The word translated blessed is plural in the original Hebrew means perpetual blessings. It can be read blessednesses or happinesses.
So how can I be happy, truly happy? Psalm 1 is called a wisdom psalm because we learn that happiness results from our choice to follow God's direction of life.
In this Psalm the writer sets forth two ways or two directions in life. One is the right way that leads to happiness, and the other is the wrong way that leads to misery.
Nothing destroys you faster than your own mind. Don't stress over things that are out of your control.
THE RIGHT WAY - PSALM 1:1-3
In the Old Testament God teaches His people that one's choice will determine both the direction and the outcome of your life. (Deut. 30:19)
In the New Testament, Jesus' message to the crowds is to choose the right way in life. (Matt. 7:13-14)
First, in Psalm 1:1 we learn that happiness comes by choosing to walk on a righteous path.
This determination is directly connected to other people. Each line in this verse tells us to avoid the wrong kinds of interpersonal relationships. Your friends make all the difference in your life.
Watch the company you keep, they influence you - Folorunso Alakija
1. BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT WALKETH NOT IN THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY. VERSE 1 (CASUAL INFLUENCE)
Choosing the righteous path includes refusing advice from those who hold godless values and whose moral choices violate the laws of God. (1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 22:24-25).
Example of the ungodly - 1 Corinthians 5:11
2. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO DOES NOT STAND IN THE WAY OF SINNERS. VERSE 2 (ADOPTING THE LIFESTYLE)
It is one thing to listen to wicked counsel. It is another to decisively side with that viewpoint. Instead, the happy person refuses to follow the worldly crowd.
You don't see him "hanging out" with those who pursue sin as a lifestyle.
Finally, he refuses to sit and associate with those whose conversations mock and curse God. (2 Cor. 6:14). Remember the concept of being guilty by association.
Use social media controls:
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set firm boundaries
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limit contact
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be assertive
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find new friends
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avoid risky situations
3. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO DOES NOT SIT IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL. (FINALIZING REBELLION)
If you want to be miserable, make your best friends who are scornful, critical and disrespectful.
Evil is not passive. It is ever descending. The longer you go, the worse you get.
A pattern of evil choices causes a downward spiral in character that leads to destruction.
HUNGERING FOR GOD'S WORD
Second, Psalm 1:2 declares that happiness comes by developing a strong appetite for God's Word. (Col. 3:16)
We learn to enjoy the Bible by nurturing the disciplined habit of meditation. Joshua 1:8
The Spirit of God makes the Word of God satisfying to the soul of man. (Ps. 119:103; Ps. 19:10).
There is a mental discussion going on continuously. Some people simply express parts of their dialogue audibly. This mental conversation is meditation.
Fruit bearing is the result of deep roots' finding an abundant supply of nourishment from underground streams of water.
God's Word is an all-sufficient, eternal supply of empowering grace for all of life. Even during difficult, seemingly barren times, the Word will sustain life. Psalm 119:9-11
THE WRONG WAY - PSALM 1:4-6
Ungodliness will never, never prosper!
In the end ungodly people's lives are deemed as "chaff." In other words, they are worthless, lifeless and useless. Psalm 68:1
They will be driven away by the wind of God's judgment. They will not dwell with the people of God in the congregation of the righteous (Ps. 1:5).
LIFE APPLICATIONS OF PSALM 1
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Be Selective About Influence: Avoid "walking in the counsel of the wicked" - meaning, be careful whose advice you follow and which social influences shape your thinking. (Proverbs 13:20).
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Delight in Scripture: Move beyond just reading the Bible to truly loving and meditating on it day and night. This means allowing God's word to shape your decisions.
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Cultivate Stability: Become like a "tree planted by streams of water" by grounding your life in God's truth, ensuring you stay rooted, stable, and productive even in tough times.
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Produce Fruitful Results: A righteous life leads to productivity, resilience, and "success" in God's eyes, even if the world's definition is different.
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Choose the Right Path: Recognize there are only two ways to live - the way of the righteous (lasting, blessed) or the way of the wicked (temporary, shallow).
CONCLUSION
1. Jesus Christ is the happiest being in the universe. His gladness is greater than all the angelic gladness of heaven.
2. The happiest person in the world is one who fears the Lord God. Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:11; Psalm 30:5
3. Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed [happy] is the man who trusts in Him.
4. Hannah overflowed with a thankful heart to God in a prayer (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10).
5. David. He wrote:
Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5)
6. Mary, mother of Jesus: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. (Luke 1:46-47)
7. The Samaritan Leper. (Luke 17:11-19)
