Happy

Psalm 1:1-2 reveals the pathway to true happiness. The HCSB translates the first part this way: "how happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked..." The ESV translates it this way: "blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked..."

But, who are "the wicked"? We normally think of wicked people as those who commit terrible acts of cruelty and are barbaric in nature like murderers, pedophiles, etc. And, while wicked can refer to those types of things, it refers primarily to those who stand in opposition to God and his truth. It refers to those who disregard God and his truth, to those who seek to live autonomously apart from God (i.e., Genesis 3:1-8), to those who have a worldview that is man-centered rather than God-centered.

The antidote for following the advice or counsel of the wicked is to delight in the "instruction" or "law" of the Lord. By extension, this refers to all of God's revealed truth about Himself, his purposes, his ways, his decrees, commands, and statutes.

The "happiness" promised by the world (cf. 1 John 2:15-17) will never be lasting. It will always be short-lived. Nothing this world offers will satisfy the depths of our soul. Only Jesus can.