Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD,

and He will give you the desires of your heart. vs3-4

We have a key to happiness [vs3-4]. All of us want it. We want to be joyful, but we don’t have to turn to sin. The lie of Satan is, “Turn from God to be like God, knowing good and evil, making up your own decisions.”

“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [Gen 3:5]

Thus, man seeks happiness in what destroys him, and he’s not satisfied with the rich, enduring treasures of Christ.

Don’t be fooled. The love of money, sex outside of marriage, and drunkenness are not the way of peace.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. [Eph 5:18]

Do good, read your Bibles, and live by the gospel: God will fulfill you.

Secondly, He will not let you down [vs5-6].

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in Him, and He will do it.

He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn,

your justice like the noonday sun.

It is impossible to serve God and not be better for it [Heb 11:6]! He’s a rewarder of the righteous, but we must serve by faith. Tough times come, exhaustion sets in, and temptation knows our weakness. Yet, if we PERSEVERE, then we’ll see God faithful.

Call upon Him in your weakness. Say, “Lord, I need pleasure. I need joy. I need strength to do your will, when I feel defeated. Help me to honor You.” He will be there: He won’t forsake your cry for pleasure!

Finally, the blessing is coming, even joy and peace [vs8-9].

“Refrain from anger and abandon wrath;

do not fret—it can only bring harm.

For the evildoers will be cut off,

but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.”

He will never forsake us or allow the wicked to have greater pleasure. They riot in the daytime, but we have God’s peace and power of sin! We have a guilt free conscience, access to God, and usefulness. We have a life worth living that saves others.

(I’m thinking about testimonies of saints nearing death - all the joy, peace, and assurance they have before the Last Enemy. This reminds us that God is with us now and will be forever!)