Reflection

You ask anyone what they want in life, and they will likely reply: ‘to be happy’ — as though happiness were a state to be attained and then frozen in time forever. But according to the opening lines of Psalm 1, even devoting your life to such a worthy endeavour doesn’t quite get to the heart of happiness. So, what will?

Holiness. The psalm boldly states that the one who ‘delights in the law of the Lord’ is ‘blessed’ — happy. Like a tree planted near water, the happy person knows and is known by God, the source of all true nourishment. The psalm practically goes so far as to say that happiness is holiness, and that holiness is happiness. Westerners today may be in hot pursuit of happiness, but holiness is where it’s at. Do you yearn for holiness the way we tend to long for happiness?

Prayer

Our loving Father, keep us on your path always for it is the way to true holiness and true happiness. We ask that our friends and family who don’t know you would come to see that a life lived under you is one that flourishes, no matter what season of life. Amen.