In Psalm 1 the writer lays out what happiness is like and where happiness comes from. I think that is an amazing place to start a new year because we are always looking for happiness. Some versions say “blessed,” but the Hebrew word here is actually “happy” even though our happiness ultimately comes from His blessings.
What is surprising is that the writer doesn’t begin with what to do in order to be Happy… he actually starts out by telling us what NOT to do for happiness. Notice the progression. Don’t WALK in the advice of the wicked, Don’t STAND in the pathway with sinners, Don’t SIT in the company of mockers. One action leads to the next and ultimately you are seated with those you don’t need to be with and a part of their crowd. Find happiness by not being in the wrong place with the wrong people, and positively find it by “delighting in the Lord’s instruction and meditating on it day and night.”
We live in a world where we are inundated with every negative message, add, and influence under the sun. When I was younger our parents would say things like “bad company corrupts good character.” Now you don’t even have to be in the presence of bad company to be corrupted; the internet and mobile technology makes sure of that. Every social media outlet, every newscast and every television show appears bent on corrupting us and force feeding us a false narrative. While we cannot hide from the world, we must daily inoculate ourselves against this false narrative with the truth of His word. I pray that this year you would meditate on it, delight in it and let it shape your life. You are who He says you are, not what the mockers say.
