Looking for Happiness

Psalm 146:5

To slightly change an old song: people everywhere, all the time, are looking for happiness in all the wrong places!

Oddly enough, many are looking for happiness in the same places they are looking for love (the original word in the song).  Some look in local bars; many in a new relationship, job, city…the list goes on and on.  All this looking occurring and precious few finding true and lasting happiness.  Of course the song tells us why no one is finding it.  They’re all looking in the wrong places.

Where should one look?  For true, lasting happiness where do I go?  Where do we find such a thing?  Is it even possible?

Well yes, it is possible to be blessed (in the Psalms happiness often means blessed); to be blessed beyond belief; to find and have true, lasting happiness.  You can find it too, if you look in the right place – actually, if you look to the right person.

Read verse 5: Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord His God.

If you want to blessed, to find happiness, look to God.  Specifically, look to Him as your source for help and the One in whom you place your hope.  Do so, and you will find happiness – the true and lasting kind.

Trusting the Temporal or Eternal

Psalm 146:3-5

Trust is a part of everyday life…you cannot get away from it.  When you sit down, you trust the chair to hold you.  As you drive, you are trusting other drivers to stay in their lane and follow the rules.  We trust our spouses and our friends.

We trust often, each day.  Trust is a part of life.  And even though we all have had our trust broken at times, we still have to trust – even when we don’t want to, or are afraid to trust.  Our need is: knowing who to trust.

In Psalm 146, the psalmist makes it clear.

3 Do not trust in nobles, in man, who cannot save.  4 When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die.  5 Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord His God.

Very clearly we are told who not to trust: nobles, or man.  This is counter-intuitive; it certainly goes against what we see in society.  The nobles are the highly placed and esteemed; the powerful, famous and wealthy in our world.  They are the ones many people look to – trust in – for guidance, insight and answers.

Yet the psalmist says not to trust in these; and gives two reasons.  First, they cannot save.  When you need real help – effective assistance in a time of great need – these will not be there for you.  Here’s a news flash: the powerful and wealthy in this world don’t know you, and truly don’t care.  They certainly don’t mind espousing their opinions for everyone else’s consumption.  But do you really think they care for you and the problems of your life?

And look at what the psalmist wrote.  Even if they did care, they really have no adequate answer…they cannot save you!  Why trust someone who cannot really help?

Second reason for not trusting the nobles is that they die!  When they die all their great ideas and plans die with them (just like happens with regular folks).  Why trust someone who will not be there for you all your life?  Sooner or later, they are leaving this planet.  What will you do then?

The psalmist has an answer.  Instead of trusting in the temporal (temporary, bound in time on this earth as we are), trust in the Eternal!  Read verse 5: “Happy (or blessed) is the one whose help is the God of Jacob.”  The one who trust in God is happy because God can really help – indeed, He desires to; and He won’t let you down by leaving – He always will be here for you.  Both verse 6 and verse 10 say that God is forever.

So the question is…are you trusting someone temporal, or are you trusting the One who is eternal?

From Bored to Blessed

Psalm 136

Each day I try to read five psalms (reading through the whole book each month).  In the past, on the day I got to this psalm I would skip it or read just the first part of each verse and not read the repetitive second phrase: “His love is eternal.”  This exact phrase ends each of the twenty-six verses of this psalm.  I must admit, I found it boring.

And then one day I decided to try something different.  Instead of reading five psalms (which included Psalm 136 that day), I decided to spend some time carefully going through this one.  An amazing thing happened.  As I perused this psalm in detail, it touched me.  Simple, yet profound…and incredibly important in what it states.  Let me show you.

In verses 1-3 the psalmist calls God: “…the Lord…the God of gods…the Lord of lords…”  As he begins his ode to our God, the psalmist quotes Moses.  In Deuteronomy 10 the Covenant is renewed and beginning in verse twelve, Moses makes it clear to the people what their requirements are under their covenant with God.  It seems that the people may have had the desire to ask, “Why? Why should we do all this?”  Moses gives them the answer in verse seventeen: “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God…”  So when the psalmist begins his psalm of praise, the words of Moses are in his mind…reminding us all of the uniqueness and place God has…He Is, and He is above all other.

The psalmist begins listing attributes and actions of God, and at the same telling important moments from Israel’s history.  Similar to how one would diagram a sentence, I’ve diagramed this psalm, by verse.

1          God is good

4          He along does great wonders  [now the psalmist list some of those wonders, so these are indented under wonders…same pattern below.]

            5          made the heavens

            6          spread the land on the waters

            7          made the great lights

                        8          sun to rule by day

                        9          moon and stars to rule by night

            10        struck first born of the Egyptians

            11        brought Israel out from among them

                        12        strong hand and outstretched arm

                        13        divided the Rea Sea

                        14        led Israel through

                        15        hurled Pharaoh…into the Red Sea

            16        led His people in the wilderness

            17        struck down great kings

            18        slaughtered famous kings

                        19        Sihon

                        20        Og

            21        gave their land as an inheritance

                        22        an inheritance to Israel

            23        He remembered us

            24        rescued us

            25        He gives food to every creature

26        Give thanks to the God of heaven!

As you can see, the psalmist states three powerful things about God: He is good (vs. 1); He does great wonders (vs. 4); and we should Give thanks to Him (vs. 26).  Everything else fleshes out some of the great wonders of God…a wonderful psalm.

Wait a minute. 

We skipped one thing – the repetitive phrase, “His love is eternal.”  Why is that included in this psalm; and why is it repeated after each attribute or action of God?

Simply this: of all the great things about God, the greatest is His love!

This is what the psalmist wanted us to hear, reflect upon, and remember.  Is God good?  Absolutely – no doubt about it!  Has He done great wonders for us, and continues to?  Yes sir, without fail!  And should we give Him thanks?  Yes, yes, yes!

But the greatest thing to keep in mind is the LOVE of GOD!  He loves YOU!  He loves you no matter who you are, nor what you have done.  He loves you now.  And His love for you never ends…it is ETERNAL!

Why is He willing to forgive our sins?  Why was He willing to let Jesus die to pay my debt and your debt?  Why does He desire to have a personal, intimate relationship with you or me?  Why would He want us to join Him in Heaven for eternity?

The answer to all these questions (and so many more) is the same: Because He loves…and His love last forever!

And to think, I would skip this psalm.  Not again; I look forward to the day each month when Psalm 136 is part of my morning reading!  It no longer bores me; but greatly blesses me.

A Time for Sowing...A Time for Shouting!

Psalm 126:5-6

We all want what we want...and we want it NOW!  Patience is not a trait many of us possess.  And have you ever noticed: God's timing is not geared to match our own?

We want joy now.  We want success now.  We want answered prayer now.  And what does the Bible say?  "Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength..." (from Isaiah 40).  Many other passages confirm the necessity of waiting, being patient, and understanding that God's timing does not respond to our desires or wants.  The Bible also makes abudantly clear that God's ways and timing always are best!

So what is God's way and timing for us to have joy and success in our lives of service to Him?  These verses from Psalm 126 answer that question.

5 Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. 6 Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves. (HCSB)

The psalmist was convinced that joy and success was possible - that it would come - for each devoted believer.  But there was a price to pay, a road to travel, a time of waiting before one could experience the fullness of God's joy and the pleasure and excitement of being used in His Kingdom work.

First, there must be...   tears        then comes   shouts of joy.
First, there must be...   weeping   then comes   shouts of joy.
First, there must be...   sowing     then comes   reaping.

As those who claim to be believers in Jesus, we have only ONE commission: "Go and make disciples..." (Matthew 28)

We make disciples by sowing the Gospel...throwing the seed out in abundance; near and far; everywhere, with everyone, everyday!  The more you sow, the more you reap (a clear Biblical teaching).  And in the sowing and reaping, believers come to experience real, life-changing joy.  Watching God use you to bring another into the Kingdom, knowing you were instrumental in changing their eternity from one of pain and suffering to one of blessings unimaginable; therein is the source of this joy.  God using me?  YES!  And using you to impact eternity...one life at a time!  Can anything be more amazing and awe-inspiring than that?

Oh, but wait a minute.  Look again at what the psalmist wrote.  Just as reaping is preceeded by sowing, so the joy is the result of a previous experience.  Joy - indeed, shouts of joy - comes after weeping.  There must be tears, before there can be joy.

When is the last time you wept over someone you thought to be lost?  When is the last time tears came to your eyes because you were contemplating the eternal fate of those who reject Jesus?  Have you cried over anyone lately?  If not, why not?

We cry at movies.  We cry when we don't get our way.  We even cry at Hallmark commercials.  Why don't we cry for a lost friend or family member?  Is it because we don't truly care? 

If we care, then we will share!  We will weep before God for our lost friends, family members and others in our lives.  We will shed tears until God brings them into His Kingdom.

There'll be time enough for shouting, once the work is done!  But for now, it's time to work.  Pick up your bag of seed and walk out your front door.  Invite a co-worker or friend to lunch.  Walk over to your neighbors house.  Write a note or send an email to someone far away.

Start spreading some seeds.  Nurture them with your tears.  And prepare for times of joyful shouting!

How are we to approach God?

Psalm 100:4-5

Perhaps God prefers for His children to approach Him a certain way...at least with a certain demeanor, attitude or activity.  I think He clearly has a preference, and makes it clear what His preference is throughout the Bible!  Psalm 100:4-5 is one of the places where God tells us how to approach Him.

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him and praise His name.  5 For the Lord is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations. (HCSB)

Verse 5 begins with the reason why we are to approach God as He desires: "For the Lord is good, and His love is eternal..."

STOP...spend a moment meditating on what the psalmist has just said.

Do you believe it?  REALLY believe it?  Because He is good and His love is eternal, we are to approach Him with a two-part proper response.

I. Thanksgiving - (vs. 4a)  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving..."

When you approach God in prayer, no matter the circumstances of the moment, you are to first offer thanks to Him.  Why?  If for no other reason, for the fact that He is good and His love is eternal!  He is good to you and with you; even when it doesn't seem like it.  You can trust this is true because you know His love is eternal.  Think about this: GOD NEVER STOPS LOVING YOU!  No matter what we do as His children, He loves us.  Certainly there are things we do He does not approve of nor condone (we still call that "sin"); and we are disciplined because of those things.  But even then, He does not stop loving us because His love never ends...it is eternal, and it is eternally directed at, shared with, His children!  For that, we certainly should be thankful.

II. Praise - (vs. 4b)  "...and his courts with praise."

He has done everything for us - provided a means of salvation; blessed us abundantly; met our needs; and most importantly, is preparing us for an eternity in His presence.  What do we have that He has not given?  Would one dare say you have gotten all you have by yourself?  Well, who gave you the ability - the strength or the brains - to be able to accomplish so much?  Is it not God?

The Bible says all good things are gifts that come to us, down out of Heaven.  That is, everything good thing is a gift from God to you.

The Bible says He knows all the details of our lives.  He knows every thought, every word, even the number of hairs on my head!  He knows me so intimately, and loves me completely...as He does with every true child of His.  Are you a child of God?  Then He loves you, too.

The proper response to one who has done so much, is doing and promises even more, is to praise, honor and glorify HIM!

Look at the two responses we are to give: thanksgiving and praise.  As you read what the psalmist wrote, it seems like... Thanksgiving gets us in the palace; praise gets us in the Presence!

In good times or bad, we are to give thanks and praise to God.  Indeed, many of the times that seem "bad" to us, really are times of profound growth in our walk with Him.  Some of our "bad" times may be our "best" times, when seen from eternity.

How is that possible?

During the difficult times is when we often GROW in our trust and faith; DEVELOP in our understanding of Him and His ways; and, EXPERIENCE God at a deeper level.

So, yes...even during "bad" times...maybe we should say, especially during "bad" times...we should approach God with thanksgiving and with praise!

Reading the Psalms Regularly

A simple plan for reading the Psalms - one that allows the powerful words of this book to bless you on a regular basis - is one I have used for years.  I can testify to the power of this plan; and best of all, it's so simple.  Here it is...

Each day read 5 Psalms; at least have that as your goal.  Some days you'll breeze right through the five; and other days you will get captured by a thought or verse and not read all five.  And that's ok.  In fact, it's great!  The purpose of the reading plan is to have Psalms pour into your life and bless you.

On the 1st of the month, read Psalms 1-5; on the 2nd, Psalms 6-10.  Each day you end your reading with the Psalm that matches that day times five.  For example: on the 16th of the month, you end reading with Psalm 80 (16 x 5 = 80).  Back up five from the ending Psalm, and those are the five you read that day (on the 16th, begin with Psalm 76 and read through Psalm 80).  There are 150 Psalms.  If you read five each day, you will read all 150 in 30 days.  In February, you will just read 28 (or 29 in leap year) day's worth of Psalms.  In months with 31 days, read from some other portion of Scripture, or take that day off.

Psalm 119 is really long - the longest chapter in the Bible!  Fortunately, most translations now divide it up into 22 sections - as it was originally composed - each section containing eight verses.  I have gone through and numbered each section, 1 to 22, in the Bible I use for this daily reading plan.  On the first of the month, in addition to reading the five Psalms (Psalm 1 through Psalm 5), I read section 1 of Psalm 119.  Since there are only 22 sections, on days 23 to the end of the month, I simply do not read from Psalm 119.  On the first of the next month, I read section 1 of Psalm 119, starting it over again.

If you read five Psalms and one section from Psalm 119 each day, you will read through the whole book of Psalms each month...continually and regularly having the power of this book flowing into your life!  So dive in... and be blessed!

A New Beginning!

No book has the power to encourage, motivate, challenge or uplift, as does Psalms.  As I read and study passages from Psalms each day, golden nuggets of truth and inspiration bless my deeply.  The purpose of this blog is to have a means of sharing those insights with you...so you too can be blessed...and encouraged, motivated, challenged and lifted high!  So dive in, and be blessed!