The book of Psalms holds some of the most-loved Bible passages known in the World. It is a collection of 150 poems that express a wide variety of emotions towards God (love, sorrow, desperation, thankfulness) People who were bringing their emotions to God; good and bad.
The original Hebrew name for this book was Tehillim meaning ‘Praises’. It was later changed to its Greek name when the New Testament was being established: Psalmos meaning ‘Song’.
The Psalms capture our human experience. They express the emotions and attitudes of the average individual. People love the Psalms because they can identify with them.
In our experiences, no matter how deep the pain or how big the frustration or how great the joy, we can find a psalm that echoes our innermost being.
The first Psalm serves as the gateway into the whole book. This psalm takes topics found in wisdom literature such as Proverbs, and makes them the subject of song: the purpose is that those who sing the psalm will own its values.
The psalmist reminds the readers that in the end there are really only two ways to live. The truly happy person guides his life by God’s instruction rather than by the advice of those who reject that instruction.
The first two verses of the first chapter read:
1 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;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Your happiness comes straight from studying the Word of God. Your capacity for happiness is directly proportional to your knowledge and application of the Word of God.
So, are you happy?
What are your habits concerning the word of God?
Charles Spurgeon once said, “A Bible that is worn and falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”