Are you happy?

The first part of Psalms 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked..." 

We need to clarify two words in this specific portion of God's word. These words are "blessed" and "wicked". 

Blessed in Hebrew is " 'esher ", which is more known as "happiness". The word "wicked" on the other hand is " rasha` " in Hebrew which connotes "hostility towards God". 

All people want happiness, but not all people are happy. Why is it then that despite people want happiness they are unhappy? I think it is because in our search for happiness, we disregard the "law of God". 

Most people have a distorted understanding of happiness. They think happiness can be obtained without regard for the law of God. They think the path to happiness is by following their own wishes and desires, their own laws.

Most people think that money, power, fame, pleasures, and forbidden relationship can make them happy. To obtain them, they resort to all kinds of means without regard for what is right and wrong. The result is that for a time, these people may appear happy for indulging themselves in sins and gratifying their lusts, but in the long run, they feel miserable, unhappy, and empty. 

Hostility towards God is the primary root of human unhappiness and misery. Such hostility is expressed in diverse ways. The most popular expression of this hostility in our time is the denial of God's existence.

A happy person is someone who makes it his duty to meditate the law of the Lord day and night. This is tough for our natural inclination is to continually depart from the law of God and so the path of happiness is not within our reach. 

We need the grace of God to annihilate that spirit of hostility towards Him and our inclination to depart from Him. We need the grace of God to create in us a new heart that delights in the diligent study of the law of God. This is the only way I know to live a happy life.