Psalm 1:1-3 Happy New Year!

As the year 2009 was ending and the new year 2010 was beginning, I received the good will wishes of many who told me: Happy New Year! In return, I also bestowed the well intended wishes upon them. If the truth be told, neither of us have the power to bestow happiness upon anyone. It is only a desire. Even if strong, it is not enough to guarantee happiness. Where is the true source of happiness? How can we get it?

The true source of happiness is not a place, but a person. It is God! Blessing is the biblical language for happiness. It is to enjoy the favor of God Almighty with all the benefits: peace, joy, love, etc. God is the only source of blessing in the universe because blessing is directly tied to having a relationship with him. No one else can offer it! The question is how can I get it? It must be understood that blessings are bestowed by God upon his people by grace - unmerited favor. But far from thinking that there is nothing I must do to enjoy the blessings of God, there are conditions to enjoy them.

Psalm 1 gives two pictures to indicate the kind of person God blesses. On the one hand, it describes the person by way of what it ought not to do. In other words, it paints the picture of what a person lacking blessing does and says: "don't do that." He avoids walking in the counsel of the wicked, or standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of scoffers. Notice the progression from walking to standing to sitting. This is the picture of someone progressively being sucked in by evil as he seeks counsel for his life. By contrast, the second picture is of a person whose delight is in the law of the Lord and meditates upon it day and night - a tree planted by streams of water yielding fruit.

When I am confused and in need of counsel, I should run to my Great Counselor and listen to his Word. I am to avoid seeking counsel from the culture, the world, the tarot cards, the horoscope, even my own imaginations and feelings. God is the one who designed me and understands what I need. I must run to him. Seeking counsel from the wicked will only put me on a path of estrangement from God and miss out on his blessings.

If I want to have a true Happy New Year, I must make my relationship with God a priority. I must make his Word my source of counsel and delight in it day and night.

Father, fill me with your Spirit to desire your presence and your Word more than anything on this earth so that I may enjoy your blessings.

Joshua 9 The Gibeonite Deception

One of the greatest powers God has conferred upon me and every human being is the power of choice. But the ability to make choices is not what makes me free. In the kingdom of God, true freedom is to be in relationship with God. Enslavement to sin will skew my choices for evil, but enslavement to my God will free me from the oppression of evil to make choices that are good for me and others. There is no neutral position; it is either good or evil. 

One of the most prominent manifestations of evil designed to oppress, even crush, my happiness is deception. The enemy is out to make me believe something that is not true. A deception is designed to look like truth. Biting on deception is like biting on bait placed on a hook. It's ultimate purpose is my demise. And when I make decisions based on deception, I bring upon myself consequences that may last a lifetime. Wisdom is to make good decisions. Good decisions are based on the discernment of the truth. The discernment of the truth is not possible without God's counsel because God is truth.

Unfortunately, Joshua made a decision, even a covenant, without seeking God's counsel. The Gibeonites deceived him to think they were people from far lands when indeed they were inhabitants of the land Joshua set out to conquer. Because of the hasty decision, Joshua made a covenant with the Gibeonites and spared their lives. The Israelites made them slaves, but they had to live with them every day; a daily reminder of their disobedience to the Lord. Deception is powerful and can alter one's life forever. The Gibeonite deception is a reminder of the Satanic deception in the Garden of Eden.

True freedom is in my subjection to the counsel of God. His counsel will help me discern the truth and avoid deception. My decision-making will be wise if I consult my God through prayer and his Word. Happiness will follow me, if I follow God's counsel. Wisdom and its benefits are rooted in choices guided by God's will. I want to exercise my power of choice while enslaved to my God. It is the only way to experience the joy of true freedom.

Oh God, I dedicate myself to you. I want to be wholly yours. May I seek you day by day and consult you before making decisions. Guide me with your truth. Spare me from deception.