HAPPINESS AND OBEDIENCE

 HAPPINESS AND OBEDIENCE

Ps. 119:2-3 Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. NLT

I don't know of anyone who doesn't want to be happy, do you? We spend our whole lives on the quest to find happiness, to make our lives bearable. The world offers a multitude of ways to find happiness, but the happiness found in the world is so fleeting and unsatisfactory. There is only one way to truly be happy, and that is found in the Lord.

The Psalmist offers four different ways to find happiness: obey God's decrees, search for Him with all your heart, do not compromise with evil, and walk only in His paths.

Obeying God is where most people stumble and fall. We want an easier road. We don't want to give up our wants in order to live God's ways. We want to call our own shots and deal with God on our terms, not His. The only problem is, it never has and never will work. Obeying God is not an option; it's a necessity if you really want to be happy with your life.

Searching for God with all your heart means that He is of the utmost importance to you. It means you value God more than anything or anyone else. It means that you never stop looking for God in your life. Happiness is being totally committed to the Lord in your life.

Compromising with evil is a stumbling block for most. We don't want to accept the fact that there are no gray areas in God's Word. What God calls sin is sin. If you want to be happy you will live by God's Word, not what your flesh wants you to do.

Walking only in His paths means that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life for you. It is not the Lord and other things. There are no mixing and matching truths to live by. It's God's way or no way. Happiness is living life God's way and no other way.