YOU CAN HAVE HAPPINESS AND A FULFILLED LIFE. HERE IS HOW!
Which is most important to achieve happiness or wisdom? Most would say they would rather be happy than wise. But can we truly be happy and live a fulfilled life without wisdom?
The Psalms clearly say No.
We are journeying through the Book of Psalms.
Take this journey with us as we learn how and what it means to find wisdom, happiness, and fulfillment through the Psalms.
The Psalms are prayers and hymns. As we journey through the Psalms, may they guide us to a happy and fulfilled life.
But, to be happy and live a fulfilled life, we must have wisdom. The good news is we are not required to choose between happiness and wisdom. Godly wisdom brings true happiness. How do we obtain Godly wisdom? Let’s invite God’s presence and then get right into it.
Father, “…teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, NKJV). “In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Psalms (Lesson 8)
Wisdom for Righteous Living
Day 1
In today’s terms, wisdom is “a body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period.” It also relates to the “soundness of an action or decision.” Wisdom also means “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.”—Oxford Language Dictionary.
Thus, wisdom has to do with obtaining knowledge and having the ability to make sound decisions. In fact, we often equate wisdom with those with significant knowledge in a specific field of science or literature or expertise in a specialized area.
Some, however, view wisdom as having knowledge and the ability to decipher mysteries or reach a higher spiritual level.
But what is godly wisdom, and how does it bring about happiness and a fulfilled life?
We discovered in the previous lesson that God’s mercy and grace make provision for us to receive the forgiveness of sin. God forgives us not only for our sins but also when we are truly broken and sorry for our sins, He gives us new hearts. Thus, He makes us righteous through our faith in Jesus.
What’s more, Psalm 119:9 tells us that through God’s word, we receive instructions for righteous living. It says:
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. (Psalm 119:9).
In other words, God’s words, including his commandments, provide instructions for righteous living. Review Psalms 119:10-16.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. (Psalms 119:10-16)
Now, obeying God’s word or keeping his laws is not to be confused with the legalist view that some seek by trying to make themselves righteous. Instead, we are only made righteous by our faith in Jesus.
Thus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to do his will by making every effort to obey him, just as a child seeks to obey his or her parents.
Psalm 119:1, 2, and Psalm 128 tell us that we are blessed when we walk in harmony with God through obedience to his word.
Psalms 119:1-2
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! (Psalms 119:1-2)
Look at Psalms 128
1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel! (Psalms 128)
Does this mean that if we seek to live righteously, we will not have temptations to do evil? Of course not.
We live in a world of sin in which, because of our foreparents, we are bombarded by temptations from Satan and his evil angels. (Split)
Sin is powerful, and our only safeguard against temptation is prayer and complete surrender to God. Notice what it says in Psalm 141:2-4.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity, And do not let me eat of their delicacies. (Psalms 141:2-4)
We learned in the previous lesson that it is sin that creates a separation between us and God.
Sin is cunning. Therefore, in helping us to become wise to sin and the craftiness of Satan, sometimes God allows us to be tested.
This testing helps us to see what is really in our hearts. In that God is faith and always keeps his promises, our testing reveals our faithfulness or even our unfaithfulness to God.
As we strive to follow God’s instructions and admonitions, with each victory, we become wiser, and our faith in God is strengthened. Their trust in God will grow.
So, yes, testing times and troubles will come. They are designed to strengthen us. The wisdom we need for righteous living, obtaining happiness, and living a fulfilled life is gained through the dynamic forces of having a life with God, accompanied by the temptations and challenges of this world.
Thus, the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 90:12 is that God
12 … teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalms 90:12).
This prayer is significant because it shows a desire for an ongoing commitment to remain faithful to God until the end of our days.
As we do, how important is it for us to keep God’s commandments and His laws? Pause and read Psalm 119:1- 16, 161-168. Pay special attention to what the psalmist says about the importance of keeping God’s law and the benefits that come with doing so. Notice how we obtain wisdom through obedience. View the next segment of this video: Day 2: Your Word I Have Hidden in My Heart
Psalms (Lesson 8)
Wisdom for Righteous Living
Day 2: Your Word I Have Hidden in My Heart
Living a life of faith is a journey we agree to take with God. This is a walk on the path of righteousness for the rest of our lives.
How do we know we are on the right path? Psalm 119:1 tells us we are on the right path when we walk in the law of the Lord.
Psalm 89:15 tells us that we are walking in the light of God’s countenance, God’s countenance is love. Therefore, we walk in the light of His love when we are on the path of righteousness.
His light of love shines on our path to light our way.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. (Psalms 89:15)
Moreover, Psalms 119:1, 2, 10 helps us to understand that walking “in the law of the Lord” involves seeking God with all our hearts.
1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (Psalms 119:1-2, 10)
There is wisdom and happiness in walking in the law of the Lord. In fact, our lives will be as acceptable as the sacrifice represented in Exodus 12:5, which is described as “without blemish.” Just as Paul pleads in Romans 12:1, we become “living sacrifices.”
Romans 12:1 says.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)
As we increase in godly wisdom and love for God, we will hate sin and all that it represents. Sin defiles us, God’s love makes us clean.
When we become totally committed to God, we will do the things that please him. This does not just involve outward display; being clean or undefiled before God means more than keeping God’s commandments; it also means seeking God with our whole heart, as expressed in Psalm 101:2, 6 and Psalm 18:32.
Psalms 101:2
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. ) Psalm 101:2, 6)
Psalms 18:32
32 It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. (Psalms 18:32)
The point is that God’s commandments are more than a set of divine rules we must obey. Instead, when we obey God’s commands, we demonstrate that we love and reverence the Lord. Furthermore, we show that we are growing in grace, in knowledge, and in the wisdom of God. We show that we know the difference between right and wrong. In contrast to a little child, we demonstrate that we know the difference between what is good and what is evil. Psalm 111:10 and 1 Chronicles 22:12 makes this same point.
Psalms 111:10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. (Psalms 111:10)
I Chronicles 22:12
12 Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. (I Chronicles 22:12)
You see, our obedience to God’s commands changes more than our behavior. It changes our hearts and minds.
As the psalmist declares in Psalms 119:1-2. We “seek Him with our whole heart.”
God’s word reveals His plan for everyone on the earth. His commands show us how to live wisely, happily, and peacefully in him, as noted in Psalm 119:7-11, 133, which says
7 I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. (Psalm 119:7-11, 133)
Psalms 119:133
133 Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. (Psalms 119:133)
Moreover, in Psalm 119:77, 174, the psalmist expresses that he delights in God’s law. It shows that he is assured of God’s faithfulness. This again confirms that God is faithful and always keeps His promises.
In terms of wisdom, happiness, and living a fulfilled life, Psalm 119:165 reveals that the law of God gives us peace.
It says:
165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. (Psalms 119:165)
Nothing can cause us to stumble. Now, how is that for wisdom, happiness, and fulfillment?
Here, the word “stumbling” refers to moral failure or sinning.
As the psalmist says in Psalm 119:105, God’s Word is like a lamp to our feet; it helps us see our way. In other words, the word of God protects us from yielding to temptation and falling into sin, as it says in Psalm 119:110.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. (Psalms 119:110)
In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus shows in a powerful way just how valuable God’s Word is. With every temptation that Satan presented, Jesus responded, saying: It is written.
Pause and Read Psalm 90, Psalm 102:11, and Psalm 103:14-16; notice especially how short life is considering eternity. Why should we then be wise in how we use our days? Then Continue to the next segment of this video: Day 3: Teach Us How Short Our Lives Are
Psalms (Lesson 8)
Wisdom for Righteous Living
Day 3: Teach Us How Short Our Lives Are
Human life is very short compared to eternity; for instance, in the sight of God, according to Psalm 90:4, 1,000 years is like a watch in the night,” which is the last three or four hours of the night. Psalms 90:10 reveals that our lives in the eyes of divinity are not long. It says:
10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10).
What’s more, the strongest human life is compared to the weakest plant in Psalm 90:5, 6; and Psalm 103:15, 16.
Psalms 90:5-6 says:
5 You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers. (Psalms 90:5-6)
And, Psalms 103:15-16 says
15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. (Psalms 103:15-16)
What’s more, we find in Psalm 90:10 that our short lives are destined for hard work and sorrow:
10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Psalms 90:10)
For some, this could be discouraging. Many people feel dismayed when they think about how short life is. They mourn and lament the idea that their life will soon come to an end and the world will go on without them.
But we must not walk away in despair; Psalm 90:1, 2 helps us to see that even in our short lives, God has been our “dwelling place.” He has been a shelter for us.
Psalms 90:1-2
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Psalms 90:1-2)
There is hope, for those who accept his grace and mercy, God is our dwelling place.
The Hebrew word for “dwelling place,” used also in Psalms 91:9, depicts the Lord as the shelter or refuge of His people.
Because God is our shelter in times of trouble, He is our safe place. He is our protector when we choose to accept him and reject sin.
Psalm 90:11 helps us see just how serious sin is. The psalmist points out that: “No one really knows the full [strength] of his anger” (Psalm 90:11.
In other words, No one has really felt the full effect of God’s anger against sin. That’s because God holds His anger back and shows us His mercy.
So, we have hope. God gives us many opportunities to repent and say I we are sorry for our sins. Therefore, we may come to Him and ask Him to give us the wisdom we need to live righteously.
As expressed previously, wisdom has many meanings. Wisdom in the Bible means more than being intelligent, having knowledge, or being smart. Biblically speaking, wisdom is having respect, that is, reverence for God. We need wisdom to know that our lives are very short and how to number our days. The number of years that we will live is limited. When we understand this Bible truth, we will become wise. This wisdom will teach us about faith and obedience to God’s word. Wisdom leads us to live meaningful lives with the awareness that our life is short. Recognizing that our life is transient leads to faith and obedience to God’s word.
How do we get this wisdom? It comes only when we confess our sins and stop living contrary to the will of God.
Speaking of repentance and awareness of our days, the psalmist says in
Psalms 90:8 and 12
8 You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalms 90:8, 12)
Understanding that wisdom is gained only through repentance and God’s forgiveness, the psalmist goes on to say in Psalm 90:13, 14
13 Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants.
14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalms 90:13-14)
Our problem is not that we are human beings. Our problem is sin. Sin is a terrible virus that has infected this world, and we are sinners. It does not take much effort to see the devastating effect of sin on everything and every person in this world.
Our only hope is in Jesus; God has made a way for us to be rescued from the sin problem. John in John 1:29 and John 3:14-21 tells of the provision God has made for us. Without Jesus, we have no hope at all.
John 1:29
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
John 3:14-21
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:14-21)
Jesus is our sacrificial lamb. He offers to take away our sins, but we must surrender our lives to him.
Yes, our lives are very short. What hope do we have in Jesus (John 3:16)?
What hope do we have without Him?
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Pause and Read Psalm 81:7, 8; Psalm 95:7-11, and Psalm 105:17-22 to see how testing promotes wisdom. Notice the kind of test God gives. Then View the next segment of this video, Day 4: The Lord’s Test
Psalms (Lesson 8)
Wisdom for Righteous Living
Day 4 The Lord’s Test
Have you ever questioned God or put Him to a test? That’s what the Israelites did in a place called Meribah. You see, Israel didn’t trust God to keep His promise to take care of their needs. So in Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95:8, 9 we read that Israel tested God. Psalms 95:8 and 9 refer to that test, saying:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. (Psalms 95:8-9)
Interestingly, Psalm 81 talks about this incident at Meribah in reverse. Instead of Israel testing God, the psalmist in Psalms 81 sees the incident at Meribah differently. He interjects that God, in fact, tested Israel. Notice what it says in Psalm 81:7.
7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah (Psalms 81:7)
Did Israel pass the test? No. Psalm 81:11 tells us that Israel disobeyed God and refused to trust in Him.
11 “But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me (Psalm 81:11).
In other words, the people of Israel failed the test.
What can we learn from Psalm 81? The incident at Meribah teaches us two important lessons.
- We must avoid making the same mistakes as our fathers. We should not repeat the mistakes of past generations. Israel did not trust God. The plea found in Psalm 81:13 is the solution to avoiding this mistake is to trust him. There is Wisdom in listening and obeying His instructions.
Psalms 81:13
13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!
- Second, even when we fail the test. God is merciful. He is there to give us the answer to the test. Just as he did for the Israelites in Psalm 81:7. God saved His people after they failed the test. He gave them the answer.
Seeing and experiencing God’s saving grace and mercy in the past should give us hope that God will show us his saving grace and mercy in every generation. Why? Because God is faithful, he always keeps his promises.
The point is that it is only a test when God allows us to go through tough times. These tests are designed to give us the wisdom we need to handle life’s challenges and trust in God.
This is the point that Psalm 105 makes when it recounts the History of Israel. It shows us that God uses hard times as a test. In fact, God gave Joseph a test to remove any doubt that God would keep his promise.
The test also helped to increase Joseph’s faith in God, for even before becoming a slave in Egypt, Genesis 37:5-10 tells us that God gave Joseph a dream that told him he would be in a position of power.
Psalm 105:19 tells us that God tested Joseph before what was foretold came to pass.
It’s pretty clear why God tests us. Through testing, it is God’s purpose to increase our faith in him and remove any doubt that He will keep His promise.
Now, here is the tough one: it is clear why God tests us, but why does God punish us?
The answer is found in Psalms 105:20-22
20 The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his possessions,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom. (Psalms 105:20-22)
God’s punishment is designed to teach us wisdom.
The goal of divine discipline is to strengthen us, teach us, and prepare us for the fulfillment of his promise.
When God disciplines us, like parents, He desires us to learn from our mistakes. He wants us to grow strong and be ready for the blessings he plans to give us.
But we must learn from our tests, trials, and disciplines. However, like Pharoah, if we reject the lessons God is trying to teach us, we grow to be more stubborn, and our hearts become hardened.
Listen to what it says in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4 “God requires prompt and unquestioning obedience of His law; but men are asleep or paralyzed by the deceptions of Satan, who suggests excuses and deceits, and conquers their principles, saying as he said to Eve in the garden: ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ Disobedience not only hardens the heart and conscience of the guilty one, but it tends to corrupt the faith of others. That which looked very wrong to them at first, gradually loses this appearance by being constantly before them, till finally they question whether it is really sin and unconsciously fall into the same error.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 146.
The idea that rejecting the lesson that God is trying to teach us hardens our hearts and makes us more stubborn. How can we avoid this?
Pause and Read: Psalm 141. Then View the next segment of this video: Day 5: Deceitfulness of the Wicked Way
Psalms (Lesson 8)
Wisdom for Righteous Living
Day 5: Deceitfulness of the Wicked Way
The idea that we become subject to Satan’s control when we reject God’s test and discipline is a frightful one. It should drive us to pray and ask God to help us accept his discipline so that we can be prepared to receive his blessings.
Psalm 141 is a prayer for protection. Here, the psalmist asks God to protect him not from just hurt, harm, or danger but to protect him from sin.
He is asking God to protect him from sin internally and externally. In fact, he recognizes that he is not only in danger from the schemes of wicked people, but he is also concerned that he will be tempted to act like the wicked people around him. Thus in
Psalms 141:9-10 he says:
9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely. (Psalm 141:9, 10).
The point is that the psalmist sees that he is also in danger of sin in his own heart.
He says that his heart is the real danger to his safety. The reality is that the greatest war between good and evil is the one that takes place in our hearts. Thus, he expresses that, at times, he wants to sin and join with people who are wicked.
It, therefore, becomes a matter of self-control. The first weak point in self-control is speech, so the psalmist prays that the Lord will “keep watch over the door of his lips” in Psalms 141:3.
Will the psalmist follow the wisdom of God, or will he be lured in by their delicacies and join them in a life of sin? He prays in Psalms 141:4-5 saying:
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. (Psalm 141:4, 5)
In our strength, we do not have the power to resist evil. Our only protection against sin is prayer and putting our trust entirely in God.
So, trusting in God, the psalmist says in
Psalms 141:1-2
1 Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:1, 2).
He prays for help. He understands that constant prayer, trust, and devotion to God can save him from temptation. Thus in
Psalms 141:4 he says:
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. (Psalms 141:4)
Psalm 141:4 shows us how sin works.
First, sin starts in the heart. It causes us to want to do evil.
Second, sin causes us to repeatedly act and to do evil things that violate the commandments of God.
Third, we accept evil into our hearts; the heart eats the delicacies of the wicked and accepts their wicket practices as something good and desirable.
This is the point the psalmist makes in Psalm 1:1
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (Psalms 1:1)
You see, sin prevents us from following God and obeying His commandments.
As a matter of fact, it entices us to join in with the wicket who have no regard for the Laws of God’s law and even make fun of Him.
So temptation is designed to prevent us from walking in the Lord’s way by causing us to walk with the wicked, stand in the path of sinners, and, finally, sit with the scornful.
The thing is, God commands us not to conduct ourselves like the wicked. We should make every effort through prayer to resist their evil suggestions. We must not allow them to lead us away from God.
The Psalms show that we can only be safe from sin if we surrender ourselves completely to God. God frees us from sin.
The Psalms provide the wisdom to know that we must learn to control what we say. Therefore, we must choose our words carefully, and we must also be careful to follow only God’s lead.
We can secure victory over sin only through the power of God and following his guidance, strictly adhering to his written word, the Bible.
Do not be fooled. The Bible is not obsolete. It has stood the test of time and is for every generation.
In fact, evil or wicked people will give us bad advice that leads us away from God.
We must, therefore, go to God for wisdom. His book is filled with wisdom. It is our foundation and guidance for living. In the end, He will judge both the good and the evil people according to Psalm 1:4-6 and Psalm 141:8-10).
Psalms 1:4-6
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalms 1:4-6)
Psalms 141:8-10
8 But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely. (Psalms 141:8-10)
For now, the final vindication of God’s children remains in the future. This means we are called to patiently trust God and wait upon Him.
Until then, we must be patient and trust Him.
What is the reward to those who hold on until then?
Pause and read Psalm 81:7, 8; Psalm 95:7-11; and Psalm 105:17-22;
Then continue to the next segment of this video: Day 6: Blessings of Righteous Living
Psalms (Lesson 8)
Wisdom for Righteous Living
Day 6: Blessings of Righteous Living
Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 112:1-9, and Psalm 128 tell us about the blessings that come to those who respect and revere him.
Of the many blessings for those who honor, respect, and revere Him is the blessing of peace.
Psalm 1 compares the righteous, those who walk in the law of the Lord to a tree. This is not just any tree, but a tree planted by a river. Fruits grow on this tree. Psalms 1:3 reveals that the leaves of the tree don’t dry up and die (Psalm 1:3).
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalms 1:3)
This same point about the leaves of the tree is found in Jeremiah 17:7, 8 and Ezekiel 47:12.
The comparison of the righteous with the tree planted by the rivers shows where all our blessings come from.
Our nourishment comes from being in God’s presence through prayer and having an uninterrupted loving relationship with Him.
When we live in faith with God in His temple in heaven, we will enjoy a loving relationship with Him.
In contrast to the righteous, the wicked are compared to dry grass with no roots; thus, they have no stability.
Like hay or dried grass, the wind blows them away. The point is that the wicked are unstable; they have no hope or future.
On the other hand, God’s people are the fruitful tree with roots planted near God. They have the hope of everlasting life.
Psalm 128:2, 3 talks about the blessings of the kingdom of God that we will enjoy on the new earth.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. (Psalms 128:2-3)
There, we will sit under our own vines and fig trees, according to Micah 4:4
4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
In Psalm 122:6-8 the psalmist asks people to pray for God to bless Jerusalem with peace.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
The same request for peace is made in Psalms 128:5-6
5 The Lord bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. 6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel! (Psalms 128:5-6)
This prayer is a display of hope. It shows hope in the coming Savior who will end evil and bring peace to our world.
The Book the Controversy describes this world of peace as follows:
“In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called ‘a country.’ Hebrews 11:14-16. There, the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 675.
This hope of a new life will happen when Jesus comes again; according to Matthew 26:29 and Revelation 21, He will create a new world. Then, we will receive everything that God has promised.
Can we truly be happy and live a fulfilled life without godly wisdom? The Psalms clearly say that we cannot.
In simpler words, if we want real happiness, we need to have the wisdom that comes from God.
Do we have to choose between wisdom and happiness? No, we don’t have to pick one or the other because Godly wisdom actually brings us genuine happiness.
Godly wisdom leads to true happiness and fulfilled lives.
Godly wisdom is found in our complete surrendering to Christ and accepting him as our Savior; we receive the ultimate wisdom, fulfillment, and happiness in him.
Holy Father, Thank You for your wisdom as it is found in Jesus Christ, for in it we obtain the ultimate in happiness, joy, peace, and fulfillment. Help us strive for it in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church
7902 Wheatly Street
Houston, TX 77088
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