Find A Happy Place

Finding A Happy Place
Psalm 119:1-8
Pastor Aaron Robinson

As we end this week focusing on obedience to God, we close with Psalms 119 and it’s first 8 verses.
 
The Psalmist writes the poem in peculiar way.  The psalm is composed with 22 strophes, one for each letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and each strophe is made-up of eight verses.  These first eight verses deal with happiness or blessedness and how it is connected to obedience.   The song opens with the notion of finding a happy place. It reminds us that our happiness can be found in pleasing God.  The Psalm says when we obey God, we find happy.

How do we please God and find our happy place? The text gives us three examples of how to find our happy place. Finding our happy place requires us to follow, seek, and walk.  To get to a happy place requires some work in our relationship with the Creator.

Those who follow the law of God are happy. When we follow the rules of God, we are creating a space of tranquility in our lives. The rules of God and the rules of man are very different at times. Some of the time man wants injustice but God always wants justice.  When we follow the will of God, we find happiness even in turbulent times.  Following God leads us to peace and in peace, there is always happiness.

Individuals who seek God with their whole heart are happy.  God desires all of us, not just some of us. The text reminds us to seek God with our whole heart. Seeking means that we are going after God, it requires our full effort, not a half-hearted one.  When we seek, God reveals to us the purpose and plan God has for us.

When we walk in God's ways, we are happy.  Walking in God's ways means we are living the life God desires for us. It means that we are taking the steps God has placed before us.  It infers that we are doing it God's way not our way.  Walking with God is an act of obedience.

Finding our happy place is a lot simpler than we think. It requires work on our part but every step is worth it. Many of us are seeking a happy place but are hiding from God. We have a tendency to chase everything else but God's purpose for us and are depressed because things aren't going our way. We say we want happiness but are looking in all of the wrong places.
 
If we would just trust the Lord and lean not to our own understanding but walk by faith and live in obedience our happy place will find us.  We will wake daily feeling an unspeakable joy.  If we would just listen and follow God’s instructions, we will find our happy place. The road won't be easy and there will be storms, but if we trust, we know that the storm will pass over and the crooked will be made straight. As we draw closer to resurrection Sunday let's be intentional about seeking our happy place by becoming more obedient to God's word.

Prayer:  Most gracious and merciful God, thank you for creating a happy place for each and every one of us. Thank you for giving us directions to that happy place. Now God we ask that you open our ears so we might hear what you are saying, open our eyes so we might see what you are revealing and strengthen our legs so we might go where you are leading. Walk with us so that we might help others find their happy place in you. In Jesus name Amen and Ase.