Word of Encouragement (12/7/2020)
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:1-2).
“Blessed is the man...” can be translated as “Happy is the man....” What do you think it means to be blessed, to be happy? There are many definitions of happiness out there. Tim Keller thinks that many in today’s generation view happiness as “looking good, feeling good, and having the goods.” Even if we reject such thinking as too shallow and materialistic, we cannot deny that some measure of it is included in whatever definition of happiness we have. For example, many try to find happiness in romance or in meaningful and loving relationships with others. But they also think that “looking good, feeling good, and having the goods” is necessary (or, at least, helps) to find true romance or to have satisfying relationships. The kind of happiness most people have in mind is a mixture of having a life of comfort and pleasure and doing some good work for others.
What I appreciate about the Bible is that, as God’s Word, it provides me with God’s perspective. Since God is the ultimate Being and Reality, His Word is the truth. Someone said, “The reality is what you run into when you are wrong.” I feel like that when I come to God’s Word. I feel like I’m running into something solid and firm when I read the Word of God. Distracted and disoriented by the lures of the world and the gloomy news of the day, I feel like I’m blown away like chaff aimlessly. Then, by God’s grace, I come to His Word and it stops the aimless wandering of my mind and soul; it realigns and reorients my heart toward the True North Star.
These verses define happiness in terms of right and wrong, righteousness and wickedness, not in terms of how we look, how we feel, or how much we have. What choice we make between righteousness and wickedness is what matters to God. True happiness, too, depends on it. Righteousness leads to true happiness and delight. Wickedness leads to misery and destruction. Do you believe that?
As you begin a new day, what are your concerns? Is it just getting things done at home and at work and at school so you can have some break and peace of mind at the end of the day? Is it arranging your schedule so you can do what you’ve been really wanting to do? Is it keeping yourself and your loved ones safe and well? I’m not saying that God is not concerned about those things. God has given us various callings and responsibilities and we should be faithful to carry them out. It is hard to be happy when our work is piling up due to our laziness. But God is not just concerned with whether or not we get things done. He is also concerned with how we get them done. God wants us to do what we do rightly—for the right goal of glorifying God, by the right standard of God’s Word, and out of the right motive of love and gratitude toward God.
Many of us have already experienced that “looking good, feeling good, and having the goods” does not make us truly happy and blessed. But will seeking righteousness give us true happiness and blessedness? I hope you have experienced that a sure way to happiness is a clear and free conscience rather than a lot of possession. If there is any doubt, look to Jesus, who is the truly Blessed Man. He was truly blessed, truly happy, not because He sought to gain more things and keep what He gained, but because He sought after God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Let us reorient our minds and hearts toward God and His prescription for blessedness, not doing things just to get them done but to do them right according to God’s Word for His glory.