PSALM 1

Are you looking for True Happiness in the world?

     1     How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

                         Nor stand in the  path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

    2     But his  delight is in the law of the Lord, and His law he meditates  day and night.  

     3     He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

                         Which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither—

                         And in whatever he does, he prospers.  

     4     The wicked are not so,  but they are like  chaff which the wind drives away.

    5      Therefore the wicked will not stand in the  judgment,

                          Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

     6     For the Lord  knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

It’s all pretty straight forward…

True happiness is NOT found in a life that leaves God out  (Ps1:1-2) 

To live a happy and righteous life, we must build our lives on God and HIS Word. The world can never satisfy us, only God can. Having things can never satisfy and relationships cannot satisfy apart from God being put first as our ultimate “relationship”.   

 

We leave God out when we have fellowship and take counsel with the ungodly.  This person lives his life based on the world’s wisdom.  We need to be on guard, because the “counsel of the wicked” has flooded into the church today. By endorsing counsel apart from God’s word does great harm to God’s people. 

How can we tell the difference in truth from what the world says and what the wisdom of God is?  

(1) The "counsel of the wicked" in verse 1 is any source that does not come the Word of God, the Bible, What the world believes apart from scripture denies the sufficiency of the Bible in dealing with the problems of the soul of a man. The Bible IS the only adequate help and to equip the believer for every good [work] we try to do. (see also 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
... And the sufficiency of the wisdom found in scripture will produce in us true happiness by helping us to deal with the problems of this life.  The truth found only in the Holy Bible provides answers for problems of guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness, and relational conflicts.

(2) The counsel of the wicked exalts the pride of man and takes away from the glory of God. The Bible humbles the pride of man and exalts the glory of God (see also Isaiah 42:8, and  1 Corinthians 1:31). The world’s wisdom builds up self and minimizes the need for absolute trust in God.

(3) Man's thinking apart from God sees no need for the need for the cross of Christ, by asserting the "goodness of man" over all.  He denies or does not understand creation and Adam as the original man in God's creation -- and the first sin of Adam toward God. (This is known as the "fall of man").  The Bible teaches that we are all sinful and self-seeking. None of us could or would seek God if left to ourselves (see Romans 3:10-18). The cross humbles human pride and wisdom and exalts Christ alone.  

(4) The counsel of the wicked focuses on pleasing self rather than on pleasing God and putting others first before ourselves.  The world’s wisdom does not promote first the love for God and putting others as of first importance (see Mark 8:34; 12:29-31). Often the world’s wisdom provides “relief" for the symptoms of his problem -- without leading him to real help and release from it.  

We leave God out by standing in the path of sinners 

The "path taken by a sinner" refers to their way of life or behavior outside od God. To stand in the path of sinners means involvement with other sinners and their sinful behavior. The word “sinners” comes from a Hebrew word meaning to miss the mark. It means to step away from the standards sets by God as revealed in His Word.

In that sense, we’re all sinners. We’ve all missed the mark by deviating from God’s Word. But when we trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, we become converted—instead of living to please self, in the newness of life through Christ ... we seek to please God ( see Colossians 1:10). We can grows in learning how to deny self (Mark 8:34) and to love God and others (Mark 12:28-31). 

Remember this:  “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33. We will learn to:

 Guard our mind!  Satan begins there, as he did with the first creation, Adam and Eve. 
Satan asked Eve “Did God really say...?”).  Satan puts doubt in our thoughts which lead to wrong behavior which leads to rejection of God and His truth.

• Be careful who you choose as friends! Those whom you choose as close friends should also be committed to the things of God.
• “What fellowship has light with darkness?” Bad company will corrupt good character. (2 Corinthians 6:14).
• True happiness is found in a life built on God and His Word.  To the extent that we do this, we can expect to see results.

The Result: A Fruitful and Prosperous Life (Psalm 1:3)

The psalmist describes the person who delights in God’s Word as a tree planted by streams of water. This is a tree that has been deliberately cultivated, surrounded by streams so that its roots have a continual supply of water. It is solid and able to withstand drought or storm. It is fruitful and has continual evidence of life and vitality—while its leaves do not wither.  

TRUE happiness is found in a life that takes thinks about eternity (1:4-6) 

The psalmist describes the wicked in contrast to the righteous.

• The righteous is like a sturdy tree rooted, firm, and fruitful. The wicked is like chaff from the wheat rootless, weightless, and useless.
• The wicked will not stand in the judgment (vs 1:5), which means, they won’t have a leg to stand on. Their case won’t hold up in God’s court. They won’t be in heaven, where those who have been made righteous through faith in Christ will be assembled. Even though it may not look like it at times, “the Lord knows” (is intimately acquainted with) “the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” The wicked will be condemned to eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). 
  

The Word of God declares that you are not an accident—you are here as a creation of God, made in His image, designed to find true happiness in Him and in His Word.  
He could rightfully judge you, but because of His love and mercy, He sent Jesus Christ to die in your place on the cross. You must turn from your rebellion, trust in Him and accept the pardon He offers. If you will do that and then build your life on God and His Word, you will live happily -- both now and throughout eternity!