THE SECRET OF A HAPPY MAN
by Ivan Maddox
Atlanta, GA

What is it that makes a man or a woman truly happy? I'm sure
everyone has his or her own answer to this question, but in this
study we want to look at God says true happiness is, and what God
says makes a person truly happy. If God calls you happy, then you
are one happy person indeed, are you not?

To find God's instructions on how to achieve true happiness,
we're going to look at the first Psalm.

Psalms 1
1. Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth
in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4. The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which
the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way
of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 1 begins with the words, "Blessed is the man..." The
word "blessed" seems easy enough to understand. Either good things
are happening in your life or bad things. If good things are
happening, you're blessed. If bad things are happening, you're
not. Right?

That's the way we tend to think as human beings, but God
doesn't see things that way. A good way to see the difference
between our idea of blessedness and God's idea is by looking at Job
5:17:

Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore
despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

Here the same Hebrew word, 'ESHER, translated "blesses" in
Psalm 1 is translated "happy." But here it is used to describe the
state of a man who is in the process of being chastened, or
disciplined, by God. Lest we get the wrong idea from the use of
the word "happy." Hebrews 12:11 warns us that this is not a fun
situation to be in.

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but
grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

The difference between God's idea of happiness and ours is
perspective. God sees farther than we do. He knows the end result
of things, while we see no farther than our noses. Happiness from
our perspective means having good things happen to me right now.
Happiness from God's perspective means receiving long term good and
benefit, even if that requires pain and discomfort in the short
term. God sometimes allows us to go through hard times in the
short term so that we can have blessed or happy days in the long
term. In Deuteronomy 8:15-16 Moses explained to the Israelites why
God allowed them to run out of food and water in the wilderness
while on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness,
[wherein were] fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought,
where [there was] no water; who brought thee forth water out
of the rock of flint;
Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers
new not, that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy
latter end;

God deliberately placed the Israelites in a situation where
they could not sustain themselves, where they could not even
provide food or water for themselves, in order to teach them the
futility of self-sufficiency independent of God, and the critical
necessity of obedience to God. The Israelites survived in the
wilderness only because God delivered food and water to them day by
day sufficient for their needs. Left to themselves, they would
have quickly died. God put them to the test in the wilderness so
that He could bless them richly later on without them forgetting
the critical importance of obedience to God.

What can a person do in order to become truly happy? Psalm 1
begins by telling us three things NOT to do.

1. "...who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly..."
Don't follow the advice of those who are not following God.

More precisely, we are not to follow advice that is in
conflict with what God has said. We don't have to stop our
ears every time someone who isn't following God tries to talk
to us. Rather, we are to judge every word we hear, every
piece of advice, every suggestion, by the standard of God's
Word, and act accordingly.

Everyone has ideas on what needs to be done, and how to get
things done. But all ways don't bring the same long term
results.

Proverbs 19:21.
[There are] many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless
the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

Do you want to know what works? Do you want to know what will
bring about the best results in the long term? Doing things
God's way!

II Corinthians 10:5 tells us how to handle each and every
thought that comes through our own mind so as to keep our mind
in line with God's Word. This instruction is equally
applicable to advice, suggestions and ideas from others.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ;

We are to lead everything that enters our mind captive to the
obedience to Christ. This is true not only for thoughts that
arise within our minds, but for things that are presented to
us from the outside also. Everything that comes to us,
internally or externally, must be judged by the standard:
What does God's Word say about this?

2. "...nor standeth in the way of sinners..."
Do not adopt a lifestyle that is in rebellion against God's
Word.

Even more dangerous than following ungodly advice is
developing ungodly habits. Ungodly habits of thought and of
deed constitute "strongholds" in our thoughts and actions
which must be pulled down and demolished by means of God's
Word.

There are many ways open before us. Which is the right way to
go? Which way leads to happiness and benefit in the long
term? God's way is the right way. Our own way, or anyone
else's way, is wrong.

Isaiah 53:6.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all.

Even our own way is a way of rebellion against God. God has
called us to walk in His way.

Psalm 25:9, 12.
The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He
teach His way...
What man [is] he that feareth the LORD? Him shall He
teach in the way [that] He shall choose.

God's way leads to life. Any other way, whether our own way
or the way of someone else who is not going God's way, leads
to death.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16.
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and
death and evil;
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God,
to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His
statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and
multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the
land whither thou goest to possess it.

We can choose to walk God's way or someone else's way. whether
our own or somebody else's. Only God's way leads to life.
Only God's way results in happiness in the long run.

3. ...nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful...
Do not take God or His Word lightly.

"A scorner, as the word is used in Scripture, is one who makes
a mock of sin, and of God's threatenings and judgments against
sinners; one who derides all wholesome reproofs and
counsels..." (Crudens Complete Concordance)

A scorner is one who does not take God or His Word seriously.
Scorners come in many shapes and sizes. There is the educated
scorner who respects religion but knows that God is a figment
of man's imagination; there is the pragmatic scorner who never
lets God or His Word get in the way of what needs to be done;
there is the streetwise scorner who has learned in the school
of hard knocks that God and His Word are not applicable to
real life; and there is the theological scoffer who is quite
comfortable redesigning God and rewriting His (or Her) Word as
circumstances dictate.

In I Corinthians 1, Paul explains that those who are
considered wise, strong, and important by the world's
standards tend not to take God seriously.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, that not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, [are called]:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to
bring to nothing things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

All to often it seems that the better off we are, according to
the world's standards, the harder it is for us to take God
seriously. But the minute we're in trouble and can't find a
way out, God suddenly becomes very important to us.

Scorning God and the things of God sits at the opposite end of
the pole from fearing God. If the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom, then scorning God is the beginning of
folly.

God takes scorners very seriously.

Proverbs 3:34.
Surely He scorneth the scorners; but He giveth grace unto
the lowly.

If you laugh at God, God will laugh at you. The fear of the
Lord is the first step in walking in God's wisdom, which is
vital to experiencing true, long term happiness.


Having instructed us in what NOT to do, Psalm 1 goes on to
tell us what we MUST do if we want God's kind of happiness. Two
instructions are given to us here, and both have to do with
building God's Word into our lives.

The key to living a life that is happy by God's standards is
knowing and doing God's will as set forth in His Word.

1. "...But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD..."
Develop a love for and enjoyment of God's Word.

God does not want us merely to grit our teeth and tolerate His
Word; he wants us to see it for what it really is -- His
communication with us -- and to value it accordingly.

God gives us an indication of how highly he values His Word in
Psalm 138:2.

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy
name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth; for thou
hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

The NIV translates the last phrase a little bit differently:

...for you have exalted above all things your name and
your word.

Either way, it is very clear that God esteems His Own Word
very, very highly, and that He wants and expects us to do the
same.

James 1 makes it very clear that merely knowing God's Word is
not enough. Knowledge must be coupled with obedience if we
expect to receive benefit from God's Word.

James 1:22-25.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is
like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and
continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer,
but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his
deed.

But the heart of the individual described in Psalm 1 goes far
beyond a stoic obedience to God's Word. The Word of God has
become his joy, his delight.

Psalm 119:16.
I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget
thy word.

Psalm 119:47.
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I
have loved.

The prophet Jeremiah experienced this kind of love and delight
for God's Word.

Jeremiah 15:16.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word
was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am
called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

God wants us to rejoice in His Word as if we had just won the
lottery, or discovered buried treasure in the back yard.

Psalm 119:162.
I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

But God does not want us to stop there.

2. "... and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
Teach yourself God's Word constantly.

We describe a person who has one thing on his or her mind all
the time as obsessed. God clearly wants us to be obsessed
with His Word. He wants us thinking about it every night and
every day.

When God talks about "meditating" in this verse, he does not
mean what we usually mean by meditating. He does not want us
to let our minds become blank so that we can receive impulses
from beyond them. Neither does he mean using His Word as a
springboard for launching our own thoughts and opinions.

The Hebrew word translated "meditate" is HAGAH, and as used
here, it literally means "to mutter." God wants us to speak
His Word to ourselves. He wants us to go over and over His
Word in our minds, day and night.

God gave a similar commandment to Joshua after the death of
Moses, and it was one of the great keys to his success.


Joshua 1:8.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all that is written
therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and
then thou shalt have good success.

God instructed Joshua not to allow the Book of the Law to
depart from his mouth. In other words, he was to speak God's
Word at all times. Who was he to speak it to? Himself! He
was to meditate on it, he was to speak it to himself,
constantly, day and night. Why? So that he would be careful
to be fully obedient to it.


God made a promise to Joshua that if he did this, he would be
prosperous and successful. Wouldn't it be wonderful if God made a
promise like this to us, for doing what we're supposed to be doing
anyway? Well, He has.

God has given five promises to those who carry out the
conditions set forth in Psalm 1:1-2. The result of doing these
things is a special kind of happiness. Not the oblivious happiness
of a fool in trouble, ignorant of the disaster that is waiting to
happen to him; but the long-term happiness of the person whose
course is being charted by God.


Psalm 1:3.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also
shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

A similar promise is found in Jeremiah. It sheds some added
light on this verse.

Jeremiah 17:5-8.
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in
man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from
the LORD.
For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not
see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in
the wilderness, [in] a salt land and not inhabited.
Blessed [is] the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose
hope the LORD is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and [that]
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when
heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be
careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from
yielding fruit.


What has God promised to those who meet these conditions?

1. "And he shall be like a tree..."
God will establish you, so that you are not controlled by
your circumstances.

What does it mean to be like a tree? Let's look for a second
at what the tree is contrasted with.

The tree is contrasted with two different things. In Psalms
it is contrasted with the chaff; in Jeremiah it is contrasted
with the heath in the desert.

Chaff is the empty grain husks that are left when the grain is
threshed. The grain is threshed by tossing it into the air
with a winnowing fork. The chaff is much lighter than the
grain, and is blown away by the wind, while the grain falls
straight down.

The word "heath" is the Hebrew word ARAR, meaning "stripped,
desolate." I do not know what kind of plant is being referred
to here, but in the United States the tumbleweed seems to fit
the description. The tumbleweed has no green leaves and no
roots. It goes wherever the wind blows it.

In contrast, the tree is rooted to one place. The wind may
blow, and the chaff and the tumbleweed may go wherever the
wind sends them, but the tree will remain right where it has
been planted. It takes an awful lot of wind to move a tree.

When you put your trust in God, and not man, God will anchor
you in place, so that you are not blown about by the same
circumstances that are blowing about those around you.
Trusting in God will enable you to be independent of the
circumstances.

2. "... planted by the rivers of water..."
God will place you where He wants you to be, and see to
it that your needs are supplied.

The word translated "rivers" here is PELEG, which means
channels or canals. It is not natural rivers that are being
referred to here, but irrigation channels.

Notice that this tree has been planted. It did not just
happen to grow randomly in this spot. Someone planned for it
to be here. In the same way, the person who delights in doing
God's Word and continues to teach it to himself will find that
he is not where he is randomly, but that God has placed him
where He wants him to be, so that he can do what God wants him
to do.

Notice also that this tree has been placed by a steady supply
of water. It has been planted where its needs will be met,
where it can thrive. In the same way, when you put your trust
in God, and not man, God will put you where you need to be in
order to get your needs met, and to thrive.

Finally, notice that the water supply for the tree is not
natural. It is being irrigated. Water is being diverted from
its natural course in order to supply the needs of this tree.
In the same way, when you make God, and not man, your
confidence, you will not have to make do with what naturally
comes your way. God will route things away from their regular
course to supply the needs of those who delight in His Word.
An irrigated plant gets first shot at the available water,
even in a drought. Likewise, God puts a priority on His
people's needs being met, even when the necessities of life
are in short supply.

3. "... that bringeth forth his fruit in his season..."
You will develop a character patterned after Godžs
character; not immediately, but in due time..

What does it mean to bring forth fruit? Jesus gave a very
illuminating picture of fruit and trees in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7:15-20.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but
a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can]
a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

This passage makes it very clear that fruit is the
manifestation on the outside of conditions on the inside.
Unless the insides are right, the fruit that appears on the
outside cannot be right.

God has always expected fruit from His people; He has
always expected them to develop the same kind of love, joy,
peace, meekness, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, long-
temper and self-control that He has manifested toward them.

Galatians 5:22-23.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

How can we be sure of bringing forth good fruit? With Jesus
Christ, God brought man two giant steps forward in fruit
production. First, Jesus showed us on a human level what the
fruit of the spirit, the character of God, looked like.
Second, Jesus gave us a new way to produce fruit. In Psalm 1,
the individual believer was the whole tree, producing fruit
from scratch. Through Christ, we need only abide in him who
is already fruitful, and we, too, will produce fruit.

John 15:4-5.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can
ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in
me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for
without me ye can do nothing.

This is not something we do ourselves, but rather something
that God does in us as we abide in Christ. The fruit we
produce is for the benefit of others (Have you ever seen a
fruit tree munching on its own fruit?) and for the glory of
God, because God is glorified when we bring forth much fruit.

4. "... His leaf also shall not wither..."
You will not be subject to the circumstances that
surround you.

If you make God your confidence, and if you make God's Word
your delight, God will make you independent of the
circumstances that surround you. In essence, this is the same
thing that Jesus said would happen to the person who seeks
first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of God.

Matthew 6:33.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.

Jeremiah gives a more detailed statement of this promise.

Jeremiah 17:8.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and
[that] spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall
not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green;
and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither
shall cease from yielding fruit.

There are four parts to Jeremiah's description of the godly
man like a tree going through hard times:

"...[he] shall not see when heat cometh..."
The heat will come, but this tree won't notice it. God
has situated it right where it needs to be to suck up all
the water it needs to compensate for the additional heat.
In times of famine, the man who is like this tree will
have food. In times of unemployment, he will have work.
He will not be dependent on people, or on circumstances,
but on God.

"...but her leaf shall be green..."
The first place that the effects of a drought shows up on
a tree is in the leaves. When water is in short supply,
the leaves begin to dry. But the leaves of this tree
will remain green even in the midst of drought, because
its needs are met. Why? Because of what it is doing to
meet its own needs? No! Because God has planted it
where it needs to be in order for its needs to be met.

"...and shall not be careful in the year of drought..."
In times of scarcity the natural tendency is to hoard, to
store up emergency supplies in case the drought
continues. But this tree shows no signs of doing this.
It behaves as if there is no drought going on. The
circumstances around it have no effect on the way it does
business.

"...neither shall cease from bearing fruit."
You don't expect good fruit from a tree in the middle of
a drought. Nevertheless, this tree produces good fruit
regardless of what the external circumstances are like.
In the same way, God will enable us to maintain our godly
character, regardless of the circumstances around us.


5. "...and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
Whatever you do will be successful, not because you make
it succeed, but because God will cause it to prosper in
your hands.

This is a powerful promise. It is the same promise made by
God to Joshua before he began the conquest of the Promised
Land.

Joshua 1:7-9.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law, which
Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to]
the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper
whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all that is written
therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and
then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good
courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the
LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua went on to conquer nation after nation that lived in
Palestine, carving out a home for the Israelites. The secret
of Joshua's great military success was not Joshua's military
skill. The battle of Ai showed that. God was not with Israel
in that battle because of unconfessed sin, and as a result
Joshua lost a battle for the first and only time in the entire
campaign. He did not attribute his defeat to mistakes on his
part, but on the fact that God was not with them in that
battle.

Likewise, we will not be successful because of our own talent,
or skill, or brilliance, or determination, but because God has
blessed the work of our hands, and made us successful. We
must still do the work, just as Joshua still had to fight the
battles. But the key to our success is God, not our own
efforts.

Psalm 127:1.
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that
build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman
waketh [but] in vain.

Without God, or independent of God, our very best efforts are
doomed to failure. With God, our success is guaranteed.

But it is important that we understand that the success we're
talking about is in God's time, not our time, and on God's
terms, not our terms. A good way to get a reality check
regarding this promise is to look at the life of Joseph, son
of Jacob, for he lived this promise. Whatever he did, God
caused it to prosper.

But God's idea of causing the work of our hands to prosper is
many times a lot different than our idea. Joseph started out
as his father's favorite son, and Jacob appointed Joseph to
report to him on the work of the rest of his sons. Joseph's
brothers resented this, and sold Joseph into slavery. Because
God was with him, everything Joseph did prospered in his
hands. He was promoted to steward over his master's house --
but he was still a slave.

The wife of Joseph's master desired to have him for her lover,
but Joseph refused to enter into sin with her. His
faithfulness to God and to his master was rewarded by a false
accusation of rape, and an indefinite term in prison.

Even as a prisoner, God caused the work of his hands to
prosper, and Joseph became the head trustee in the prison.
But he remained in jail, even though he remained faithful to
God.

But all this was preparation by God for the work He had called
Joseph to do. After years in slavery, and years in jail, God
caused Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring Joseph out of jail and
promote him -- in one step, with no striving, no politicking,
no compromising -- to the number two position in the kingdom,
created especially for him. His assignment from God: to save
Egypt, the surrounding nations, and his own family, from
starvation, in obedience to God's guidance.

Even though God caused everything Joseph set his hand to do to
prosper, Joseph's life looked like one failure after another,
until the day when, in His own time, and in His own way, God
exalted him. Through adversity, God trained Joseph for the
job He wanted him to do. When God exalted Joseph, he was no
longer the proud little boy who had been the darling of his
father, but a strong man, meek toward God and toward his
master Pharaoh, with a record for faithfulness that had been
battle-tested under the most trying of circumstances. He was
ready for the job God had called him to do.

The promise is sure: God will cause whatever you set your
hands to do to prosper, if you will make Him your confidence
instead of yourself or other men, and if you will make His
Word your delight and your guide for living. The result of
this will be the fulfillment of the prayer: "Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven."


What is the secret of the truly happy person? His or her attitude
toward God's Word. That's it. The person who delights to know and
do God's will as revealed in His Word, and who keeps God's word
running through his heart and mind, is the person whose life will
be blessed by God's grace, and who will find genuine, long-term
happiness, regardless of people and circumstances.

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Created 6/15/97, by Ivan Maddox