Psalm 1: How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

The wicked - the ungodly - are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Cathy Guisewite - who does the “Cathy” comic strip - as the commencement speaker at the University of Michigan - Cathy said this: “I graduated with a class committed to open love, open thinking, open doors, open everything. Twenty-two years later the people of my class are getting cash out of a machine...and it isn’t even possible to get a human being on the phone at the phone company. In Los Angeles the only chance I have of a meaningful encounter with a person is if I smash into one with my car.”

There is a mood - a feeling - that we share. That as we become more advanced - technologically - socially - economically - as we advance we’re falling farther behind from what really matters in life.

A couple years ago there was a USA Today survey that reported what people said gave them a feeling of happiness in life. 83% of the people said that satisfaction with their lives was important. 78% said happiness came from having a good marriage. 66% said being able to afford things that are important to them. 63% said having successful children is important.

If we think about it, these are really good answers. But how are we suppose to achieve these things? It seems like while we’re running after happiness - we’re so busy trying to get to this elusive state that we’re not really happy.

Dennis Wholey, author of “Are You Happy?” says that - according to the people who research these things - only 20% of Americans are happy.

This morning we’re talking about the secret of happiness. What really leads to happiness?

Psalm 1 begins, “Blessed is the man…” Blessed is a word that translates the idea of true happiness. We could read this like “O the happiness of the man who lives like this…” Psalm 1 is a practical description of true happiness and how to get there.

In verse 1 notice first that the happy man, “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked”

Walking is how we make decisions as we go step-by-step through life - the choices we make every day about all kinds of things. The type of speech we use. How we do business. The way we spend our money. What we allow to penetrate our minds - what we watch or read or expose ourselves to. How we raise our children. On what basis to do we make these decisions?

The society we live in makes those choices by saying, “Me first! I want it now! Everything is relative!” With that philosophy the wicked live their lives. But, the one who’s found the secret to happiness rejects that - is not counseled by it - in deciding how to live.

Second, the happy man “does not stand in the path of sinners.”

Have you ever stood at the ocean - just about waist deep in the waves - being pushed and pulled by the water? It takes determination to stand there - to remain standing firmly in place. That’s the kind of dogged determination that’s being described here. Sinners - people - who are determined to pursue their own way of life - their own self-made - self-centered - godless as it may be - life - regardless of what they may learn about God and God’s love which compels them - pleads with them - to change. They choose to remain in sin. The happy man does not associate with those who choose sin - who prefer to live lives apart from God.

Third, the happy man, “does not sit in the seat of scoffers.”

Scoffers are those who laugh at God - who mock God and the things of God - who profane what is holy - the Howard Sterns and Madalyn Murry O’Hair’s of the ancient world. The happy man has nothing to do with people like this.

Please understand that what is being said here is not that we should avoid people and go live in Montana in some type of religious commune. What’s being pointed out to us is the truth that the way of life of the godly is totally different from the life of the ungodly. The godly don’t go there. They don’t take steps in that direction. They don’t stand for the same things as the ungodly. And they certainly don’t find themselves sitting and mocking the things of God.

Verse 2 - the godly man - those who have learned the secret of happiness - “delight in the law of the Lord - they meditate on it day and night.”

John Wooden coached 10 UCLA Basketball teams to NCAA National Championships - a great coach. Bill Walton was a player under John Wooden. Walton played back in the days of Watergate and the Vietnam war - during very troubled times in this country when everything - even the basic philosophies of how we’re to live our lives - everything was being questioned. Bill Walton says this about John Wooden. “We thought he was nuts. But, in all his preachings and teachings, everything he told us turned out to be true. His interest and goal was to make you the best basketball player. But, first to make you the best person. He would never talk wins and losses but what we needed to succeed in life. He didn’t teach basketball. He taught life.”

So is the word of God. Amidst all the confusion and delusions of where we live the Bible teaches us life. Those who know true happiness in life have come to realize that the Bible is the book that tells us the truth - that shows us ourselves - shows us how to live as God intends - and the power to live as God intends.

The godly meditate on God’s word day and night. The Hebrew here for “mediate” has the idea of that which echo’s around inside of a person and then resonates out. In other words, if you could imagine yourself as being empty headed - hollow in the head. Or, if that’s a stretch, maybe you could imagine someone else as being empty headed. The word of God goes in and sort of bounces around - echo’s back and forth - until your head begins to vibrate - resonate - taking on the movement - the sound - of God’s word - and pretty soon - as your head vibrates - it produces the audible sound of God’s word.

That’s the idea in meditation. The word of God goes in and, as we dwell on it - ponder it - think about it - memorize it - allow it to confront and change our lives - from deep within God’s word takes over our lives. So, how we live looks like - is like - what God’s word says. We begin to live in the happiness that God intends for our lives.

The result is in verse 3. The godly man, or woman, who turns away from that which is ungodly - and instead allows God’s word to permeate his heart and actions - becomes centered on God - becomes like a tree - firmly planted - unmoved by the changing philosophies and distractions of this world. He becomes deeply rooted - by streams of water. His roots run deep into the rich moist soil of God’s graciousness - drawing upon God’s strength - His truth.

He, or she, becomes a person of usefulness and value - that produces godly fruit - a godly character. “His leaf does not wither.” He thrives throughout the seasons of life - however the circumstances of life may change for better or for worse - the godly thrive. And, whatever He, or she, does God brings to prosperity.

That’s the godly life. That’s the secret to true happiness - the realization of the presence of God in our lives.

Verse 4. In contrast, it takes two words to describe the ungodly: “not so.” All that’s offered to the godly for the ungodly is “not so.” The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Harvesting wheat - the bundles of wheat are thrown into threshing machines - straw is blown out and stacked - grains of wheat come out and are taken to granaries. Floating in the air is chaff - an immense - useless - empty - dirty nuisance. Its a cleansing experience when the wind blows the chaff away.

The ungodly may be very successful in the eyes of this world - a beautiful home - nice cars - all the things of life - but ultimately their lives are like giant empty clouds of chaff waiting to be blown wherever the wind - or the philosophies and ideas of this world blow them. They come to end of their lives and then try vainly to find some purpose for their being here - some legacy to leave behind. But, only God can give real meaning, value, and purpose to our lives.

Verse 5: Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount - a sermon that He began by teaching about the true happiness of the godly - Jesus in that sermon also speaks of judgment. Speaking of that future day when each of us will be judged by God - when we come to the moment of entering eternity with God or without God - Jesus said, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22,23)

God knows those who know Him - those whose hearts are surrendered to Him through Jesus Christ. And God knows those who may even be in the church - producing works of service - honored and respected by man. But, they live excluding God from control of their hearts. When God evaluates our lives the ungodly will not stand with the godly. Without Jesus as our Savior - without God at the center - the present and eternal future of the ungodly is hopeless.

Psalm 1 contrasts the God-centered life and the self-centered life - an encouragement to us that true happiness comes only as we give our lives to God through Jesus Christ.

Thinking about all this as we come to communion, let me share one final thought. When the Psalmist describes the ungodly, it would be so easy for us to think about murderers, rapists, drug addicts - criminals and wicked people - people who have ruled God out of their lives - other people. It would be very easy for us in vanity and pride to think that the verses describing the godly are speaking of our lives.

But consider, how often we walk in the ways of this world - how often we stand in sin - sit profaning what is holy. How many things in our lives distract us from meditating on God’s word? How open are we to God’s transforming our lives? Is the prosperity and reputation we experience ours or because of His work in us?

This is a hard thing for us to hear. It makes us deeply uncomfortable. But, the question remains: Are great areas of our lives worthless and wasted because we’re living according to this world’s counsel and reason? Do you know the secret of happiness?

Coming to communion we need to be reminded of the cross - of new life in Jesus Christ - the fullness of life that comes only from Him. In humility we need to come and renew our surrender to Him that He will create His life in us for His honor and His glory.