Happiness: Where Is It Found?
Happiness: Where Is It Found?
- Greg Waybright
- Psalm 1
- Heart Cries
- 38 mins 32 secs
- Views: 1262
Community Study
Notes for Teacher/Facilitator
It is appropriate that the book of Psalms, a hymnal/prayer-book for ancient Israel, begins with Psalm 1. It sets the tone for all the songs and prayers to come. Psalm 1 is considered a wisdom psalm, meaning that in it the psalmist goes out of his way to focus on the practicality and usefulness of following God in all human endeavors since it is God who knows the best way navigate our treacherous human lives. Like many examples of wisdom literature in the Bible, such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Psalm 1 presents the reader with two paths: one wise and godly, one unwise and harmful.
Word Studies
Here are a few notes about particular words in this psalm:
- “Blessed” can be understood as “happy” as long as we keep in mind not a temporary positive feeling but instead a lasting state of receiving from God what he has deemed as best for us.
- “Delight” here means more than a one-time or temporary positive feeling; instead it means to desire chiefly, that is, to reorient all of one’s life around something.
- “Law” doesn’t mean a list of rules found in the Bible but instead points to all of God’s instruction about how his people are to live wisely.
- “Righteous” at the same time means having a right relationship with God and expressing that right relationship with God outwardly toward others through exhibiting justice.
Introduction
- Open your class/community time with prayer. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal himself to all of you through the Scriptures and through your discussion together.
- It would be helpful to begin this lesson/discussion by highlighting the difference between worldly happiness and the happiness that only God can provide. Here are some ideas:
- make two lists side-by-side on a white board or a piece of butcher paper of words associated which each kind of happiness;
- have your class/community break up into groups of no more than 8 and have them discuss the differences between the two types of happiness; and/or
- have the teacher/facilitator share examples from her/his own experience that demonstrate the differences between the two kinds of happiness.
Bible Questions
- What does it mean to walk in step with the wicked, to stand in the way that sinners take, or to sit in the company of mockers? Why is it wise NOT to do these things? How would we who follow Jesus go about avoiding doing these things?
- Practically speaking, what do delighting in and meditating on the Law look like? Why do you think we so often neglect to follow this wise advice from the Lord?
- What about the tree imagery in verse 3 stands out to you the most? Why do you think this particular image does such a good job illustrating what the life centered on God’s word looks like?
- Verses 4 and 5 tell us that the wicked, that is, the unwise, will not win the day; their victories are shallow and temporary because they will wilt under the judgment of God. Does this truth give you comfort as you center your life on God’s word and wait patiently for the blessings of verse 3? Why or why not?
- “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous.” This does not mean that the Lord will cause all that happens in our lives to be perfect. What do you think it might mean instead?
Discussion Questions
- What does this psalm teach us about God that can cause us to want to love and worship him more and more?
- What role does community play in helping a follower of Jesus steer clear of the way of the wicked and instead to walk in step with the wise ways of the Lord?
- How can you communicate the truths of this passage to someone who does not yet follow Jesus? What do you think would resonate with them and what might be confusing?
Takeaway
Begin each day by praying: “Whatever happens today, I choose to follow your ways Lord!”
Challenge
Delight in and meditate on Psalm 1 each day this week. Write down any insights that arise as you do so. Come prepared next week to share your insights with the class/community.
Study Notes
Psalms 1; 150
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are now behind us. I always love watching the best athletes in the world competing in their sports. I especially am thrilled when I hear athletes like sprinter Allyson Felix, winner of two gold medals and one silver, say things like this:
I feel so blessed that God has given me the talent of running. But track doesn't define me. My faith in Jesus defines me. I'm running because I have been blessed with a gift. I am so blessed to have my family and the upbringing that I did...
Allyson Felix, Olympic Athlete, Sister in Christ
When I hear athletes use the word “blessed”, I often google their names to find out if they are Christians. Almost always, they are. Blessed is a word that almost only Christians use. It’s a beautiful word. It’s a word that speaks of something that happens in life that seems to be right in every way, e.g., the joy of having supportive relationships, the freedom to pursue our dreams, the opportunity to experience justice when accused of something... There are so many kinds of blessings. If we have eyes to see them, we find there are many blessings every day of our lives.
There are two sides to a blessing: A blessing is both a gift given to us as well as a stewardship to be nurtured by us. We often don’t deserve the blessing. But, when we have it, we are responsible to utilize it well. That’s why Allyson Felix would say that running, on one side, is a blessed gift from God – but, on the other, we know she worked hard personally in order to win her races!!
Although most people who are not Christians do not use the word “blessed”, I find they understand deep down what it is to feel blessed. It’s what all human beings long to experience each day of our lives. It’s what people often mean when we use the word “happiness”. As we begin today a series of messages called “Heart Cries”, I think that “blessing”, a life of happiness, is probably our most basic daily human heart cry. Human beings want to be happy, they want to be blessed.
And the word “blessed” is the very first word in the Book of Psalms, the worship book of the people of God in the Bible. It was Jesus’ own worship book, one that he quoted again and again.
Psalm 1 and Being Blessed or Unblessed; Happy or Unhappy
It’s not coincidental that Psalm 1 is the first psalm, the opening overture to the entire book of Psalms. Jewish rabbis have often made note of the fact that the Book of Psalms is not a random collection of poems and songs. No, it is a carefully planned worship book with a clear intent. That intent is to teach us how to live blessed lives, i.e., lives of deep happiness, contentment, substance and flourishing even in this imperfect, sin-filled and pain-filled world. This brief Hebrew poem that opens the Psalms pronounces God’s unquenchable blessing on all who are faithful to the Lord thought-by-thought, day-by-day and decision-by decision.
What the Bible tells us in this first Psalm about being happy is very counter-cultural. In our world, we constantly are told that you should pursue happiness. In the US Declaration of Independence, we declare that an unalienable right of every human being is the right to pursue happiness.
But, the Bible says something very different. The first Psalm basically tells you that the more you try to become happy, the unhappier you will be. One of my first pastors, Pastor Green in Beckley, WV, once made this clear to me in a sermon. I have never forgotten it. He said, “Write this down and never forget it: ‘You don’t become happy by trying to be happy.’” Happiness does not come from pursuing it – but is derived from from something very different from what the world says.
I find that most people in the world live with the thought, “I want to be happy. I deserve to be happy.” So, what flows from that is a way of life that makes us think -- “I’ve go to get that job to be happy.” Or, “I’ve got to win that medal to be happy.” Or, “I’ve got to get into that certain school to be happy.” Or, “I’ve got to marry that person to be happy.” Or, “I’ve got to get out of this marriage to be happy.” But, when you go after happiness by pursuing it in those ways, you will never find it. Oh, you may find some fleeting pleasure or enjoyment but it will not last. Psalm 1 says that the kind of happiness gained by pursuing happiness will soon blow away like wind blows chaff away.
Happiness is one of those wonderful realities that you derive from something else – not from seeking it on its own! “You don’t become happy by trying to be happy.”
So, what does this Psalm tell us about our quest for happiness. It declares quite simply that there are only two possible ways to go after happiness – and one of those two ways will always let you down. Psalm 1 is what the people of Israel called a wisdom song. By that, they meant that it speaks to us of the two fundamental paths that we might walk down each day, either with God at the center or without God. What does Psalm 1 say?
Two Ways (and only two) to Live Life
Path 1 (1:1-3): A Life Lived with God. The first way to live is found in vv. 1-3. It speaks of a person (not just a “man” – the Hebrew is “ha’ish, a word for any human being) who lives life knowing God’s blessing;
- The blessed person walks seeking God’s counsel – “not in the counsel of the un-godly”. We all make countless decisions every day. But, how are we to make wise ones? Psalm 1 says that blessed people do not make moral decisions, set priorities, make decisions about school, decisions about business by the way the world thinks about things. No, we seek to make each one in ways that are consistent with God’s ways. Jesus talked about this often. When Peter told Jesus in Mark 8, “You can’t go to the cross to die, Jesus. You won’t gain anything by that!” Jesus said, “Get behind me, you Satan. You are thinking the thought of the world – not of God.” The blessed person seeks God’s counsel about all decisions. The blessed person asks, “Lord, how would you have me to live right now?”
- The blessed person stands with God and his people – “not in the place of sinners”. This Hebrew phrase, “stand in the place”, is a statement of identity. It meant, “I belong to this group I am standing with.” So, the blessed person takes a stand and says, “I am a child of God. I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I am still alive. But the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me gave his life for me (Gal. 2:20).” Psalm I says you will be blessed when you live in such a way that you let people know, “I am a child of God and his people are my people!
- The blessed person determines things from God’s perspective – “not in the seat of the scornful”. The language here is courtroom language. It’s about judgments we make about people – and about our world. People always make judgments about people, often determined on exterior things, like skin color. As I’ve preached about so often over my years here at LAC, when you begin to be changed by your faith in Jesus, one of the first things that changes is the way you see people – the way you treat people. Your judgments about people begin with the fact that every human being is an image bearer of God, a person so valuable that Jesus died for him/her.
Let me give you one example that I think is so relevant to issues happening in our world. Dr. Ruth Bentley, psychologist, Executive Director of the National Black Evangelical Association, and a member of the Wheaton College Board with me, tells me at times of research she has been conducting on what she calls “the Giant Young Black Man Syndrome” she has identified in our nation. She points out that research is showing that when people see young black men in our society, they tend to see them as much bigger, and therefore as much more dangerous, than they really are. She says this is not usually intentional but is learned behavior. But, she insists that it is behavior that followers of Jesus must unlearn intentionally. The Psalmist insists that the more you see the world and people in the world as God sees, the more blessed, the more deeply happy, you will be. You will not sit in the seat of being a scornful and always condemnatory person. You will know there is hope in Christ for all people.
Summing Up This First Path: Pursue happiness in this world and you won’t find it. Pursue God and you will be happy. Walking, standing and sitting every day of your life “practicing the presence of God” -- living with the awareness of God always being with you -- that is the way to happiness. Fearing God only – nothing else. Seeking to please him above all else. It is to that kind of life that I call you today on the basis of this word from God.
Path 2: (1:4-5) A Life Lived without God
The language of vv. 1-3 is about blessed people – but it clearly lets us know that it’s possible to walk, stand and sit as if there is no God at all. Do you see that in the text? This is like Solomon gave testimony to in the book of Ecclesiastes. He said that life without God is meaningless. Here, the Psalmist lets us know that, although living life without regular counsel from God may seem to be natural and even to bring temporary happiness, leaving God out of the center of your life will end up being empty.
The Psalmist speaks directly about life without God in v. 4? “The wicked are like chaff which the wind blows away.” This is a sober warning, isn’t it? The Bible tells you that, leaving God out of your life and living only according to your own desires may seem at times to be the happiest kind of life. But, at the end of the day, you will eventually see that what you’ve lived for will be like chaff.
The idea of separating wheat from chaff has little meaning to most of us in Southern CA. Chaff is the husk around the seed in cereal crops like wheat, rice or barley. Chaff is the part of the wheat that had no real value. When wheat farmers sorted out the wheat from the chaff, they threw both grain and chaff up into the air, a process known as “winnowing”. The wind blew the chaff away because it had no real substance, no weight, and no lasting value. What was left behind was the grain, the thing that brings blessing to hungry people.
Summing up the second path: If you try to find happiness with reference to God, your life will end in emptiness and judgment. When you stand before God, you won’t be able to stand.
Today, I ask you: Which path are you on? Which way are you living? You can’t be on both paths.
The Practical Key to Blessedness – It Begins with Your Mind (1:2)
This is the thoroughgoing message of the Bible. And this first Psalm will not let us miss the truth that blessedness begins with our minds. And it uses two words to drive the point home: delight and meditate:
#1: Delight in God’s Word and His ways –
The thing you “delight in” is the thing you desire the most. It’s what you have a passion for. What you delight in will almost always direct what you do. When you “delight in” a person, you want to be with that person. When you delight in a song, you want to sing that song. When you delight in a sport, you want to play that sport – or watch it. And when you delight in God’s ways, you want to live God’s way.
Beautifully, and counter-culturally for us, the Psalmist says that living a life directed by God is a delight. Instead of chafing under following someone else’s directives in your life, when you meet God through faith in Jesus, you find you actually come alive to God’s Word – you delight in hearing what it teaches you. One of the surest signs that you really are alive to God is that more and more, you will love to receive instruction in His ways.
Do you? Do you delight in learning how God would have you to live?
The Apostle Paul makes this point again and again in the New Testament. The way Paul puts this matter of “delighting in the law of God” is this: What do you “set your mind on”?
This is a call to you to discern what that “want-to mechanism” inside you really delights in. Do you really want to live for God? What do you dream about when you dream of? What do you wish for the most? Do you have a delight right now when I tell you that God is ready to speak to you about how you should live? The one who is blessed will delight in God and his Word.
#2: Meditate on God’s Word and ways day and night –
The Bible’s word for meditation is not like “New Age” meditation in which you are to empty your mind by chanting “om, om” or some content-less mantra. Meditation is to fill your mind with the teaching of God.
Meditation begins by being very focused about understanding the meaning of God’s Word. You can never live according to God’s Word if you don’t know what He’s said. You cannot apply what you’ve never learned!
But meditation is more than just learning. It has to do with allowing the Word of God to fill your inner being. That means, when you hear God’s Word taught or you read it on your own, you ask questions like these:
- Is there an example that I should follow in this Biblical story?
- Is there a promise in this text that applies to my situation?
- Is there a warning to me about a direction I’m headed or a command that I need to obey?
This kind of meditation is focused, intense, ongoing... It’s hearing the word with a deep desire to have it change your life.
When you meditate on God’s Word this way, you learn how to walk and talk with God. When a child is learning to speak, the child listens to its family speaking and learns to speak back. The beginning speech of a child is precious – but it’s not so precious when an adult still speaks like a one-year-old. In that way, meditating on the Word of God will teach you how to speak with God.
I find that the Psalms teach us how to talk to God in all times in our lives. When Psalm 1 begins with the word “blessed”, it’s not saying that it will now teach you how to never be sad or never to feel pain. The Bible never glazes over the hardships, evils and injustices in this world. But, it tells us how to live a life that is blessed even when times are tough.
The way the Psalm Book is put together is profound. It begins in Psalm 1 by telling us there is a way in this world to know day-by-day blessing, a deep and ongoing happiness. It ends in Psalm 150 telling us that, when God is done, everything will be filled with the praise and glory of God. And, in between, it deals with the real issues of all of our lives that happen in this world. It speaks of issues like anxiety, injustice, depression, and sickness as well as of times of success, and friendship and joy. It tells us how God would have us to live, how to pray, and how to be blessed no matter what life throws at us.
Psalm 1 tells us that the main mark of blessed people is that we delight in knowing the ways of God. The blessed person loves to have God tell him what to do. How counter-cultural is that? We who follow Jesus delight in him being the Lord of every part of our lives.
Psalm 1 tells you that when you walk in step with God instead of with those who deny God and when you seek first God’s righteousness instead of settling in and living as the world lives, then you will be “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither.” Indeed, your life will prosper and flourish. You will be blessed. And you will bring blessing to your world.”
Chinese Study Notes
內心的呼求—幸福何處尋?
詩篇1; 150
2016年夏季奧運會已經過去,我非常喜歡看世界上最優秀的運動員在這樣的盛會上競技;我特別驚喜地聽到二金一銀的短跑選手埃裡森.菲力克斯這樣說:
我是如此蒙福,因為神給了我跑步的天賦,但是田徑不能左右我,只有我在基督裡的信仰能左右我。我跑是因為我被賦予了跑的恩賜,我是如此蒙福,我有家人以及幼時(跑步)的經歷。。。
短跑選手埃裡森.菲力克斯,主內姊妹
當我聽到運動員使用“蒙福”這個詞,我一般會搜索一下他們是不是基督徒,而通常他們就是;蒙福幾乎是一個基督徒專用詞。這是一個美麗的詞,用來描述生活中各種幸福的事,比如獲得支持的喜樂,追求夢想的自由,被控告時得到公正的裁決。。。凡此種種,若我們睜開眼去看,就會發現我們日常生活中有著許多的祝福。
祝福有兩面:既是一個給我們的禮物,也是一個交付我們的管理工作。我們常常不配得祝福,但當我們擁有的時候,就有責任去好好利用。這就是為什麼埃裡森說,一方面她有神給的恩賜,一方面她自己也要刻苦訓練去贏得勝利。
雖然大多數非信徒不用這個詞,我發現他們非常明白蒙福的感受,這是所有人類都渴望每天經歷的,這也是當我們用“幸福”一詞時人們所認同的。我今天要開始的一個系列叫“內心的呼求”,我想,“蒙福”-----一種幸福的生活不正是我們內心深處的日夜呼求麼?人們需要幸福,需要被祝福。
整個詩篇的一開始就用了“蒙福”一詞,詩篇是聖經中神的子民用以敬拜的書,也是耶穌自己的敬拜用書,他一次次引用了其中的話。
詩篇第一篇:蒙福或不蒙福;幸福或不幸福
詩篇第一篇不是隨機放在卷首的位置。猶太拉比常常提到的事實是,詩篇不是隨意收集的詩和歌,而是精心設計的敬拜書,目的是要教導我們如何過一個蒙福的生活,比如,得到深度的幸福、滿意,甚至在不完美、充滿罪與痛苦的世界仍然堅固、昌盛。這首短小的希伯來詩開啟了詩篇,宣告神把獨特的祝福賜給那些每天的心思意念、每個決定都忠實於他的人。詩篇結束在150篇,表達了對神所賜予的各種福氣的稱頌之情。整個詩篇從頭到尾都在教導我們:當世上的生活常常看似不蒙福時我們當如何過。
聖經在詩篇第一篇就告訴我們,幸福是與所謂文化大相徑庭的。我們在這個世界上不斷地被告知要去追求幸福。在美國獨立宣言中,我們宣稱每一個人都具有一個不可剝奪的權力就是追求幸福。在我們極度商業化社會,我們不斷被告知,要獲得幸福就不得不擁有某種東西,或是達成某種目標,或是經歷某種快樂。
然而, 聖經卻有截然不同的說法。詩篇第一篇告訴我們當人越想快樂就越不快樂。起初帶我的一個牧師,西維吉尼亞柏克萊的格林牧師有一次講道時使我明白了這點,令我終身難忘,他說:“寫下來,千萬不要忘記:靠努力去得幸福其實得不到幸福!”幸福不是來自於追求,而是源自於一些與這世界所說的很不一樣的東西。
我注意到世界上大多數人有這樣的想法,“我要幸福,我配得幸福!”這其實反映了一種生活方式讓我們去想:“我必須得到那個工作才能幸福”;“我必須贏得那個獎牌才能幸福”;“我必須上那所學校才能幸福”或“我必須和那個人結婚才會幸福”,甚至是“我必須和那個人離婚才能幸福”。但是,當你靠這些方式追求幸福的時候,你不會找到幸福。也許你會發現一些轉瞬即逝的快樂和享受,但絕不會持久。詩篇第一篇說,靠著追求幸福所得來的幸福會像糠秕被風吹散。
幸福是美好實在中的一種,但你要從其它管道得到---不是靠追求就能得到的,因為靠努力去得幸福其實得不到幸福!
那麼,這首詩對我們尋求幸福的作法說了些什麼呢?它很清楚明瞭地說,世上只有兩個可能的途徑追尋幸福---其中一個還常常使你跌倒。詩篇第一篇被以色列人稱為智慧之歌,意思是它告訴了我們兩條基本途徑,我們每天必走其中之一:或者以神為中心,或者不要神。讓我們看看第一篇如何說?
生活的兩條道路(也僅此兩條)
第一條道路 (1:1-3): 與神同活. 這是從1-3節看出來的。這裡論到一種人,生活中知道神的祝福。
- 蒙福的人循著神的意思而行 – “不從惡人的計謀”. 每一天我們都會做無數的決定,但如何能作出智慧的決定呢?第一篇說蒙福的人不做世界標準下的所謂道德決定,不設立優先順序,不人云亦云做有關學校、生意這類的決定;他尋求每一個決定都要與神的道協調。耶穌經常談到這個原則,馬可福音第8章,當彼得攔阻耶穌走上十字架捨命的時候,耶穌斥責他說:“撒旦,退到我後面去。你想的不是神的意思,而是這世界的意思!”蒙福的人在一切事上尋求神的意思,他會問:“主啊,現在你要我怎麼辦?”
- 蒙福的人站在神與他子民的立場上 – “不站罪人的道路”. 希伯來句“站道路”其實是一個身份的認定,意思是“我屬於我所站在的這個群體”;所以,蒙福的人會站穩立場說:“我是神的孩子,我與基督同釘十字架;雖然我現在仍然活著,但現在活著的不再是我,而是基督在我裡面活著;並且如今我在肉體中活著,是因信神的兒子而活;他愛我,甚至為我捨棄了自己(加拉太書 2:20)”。詩篇第一篇說,如果你是這樣活的,並讓人知道你是神的孩子,神的民就是你的民,那你就蒙福了!
- 蒙福的人是從神的角度決定事情的– “不坐褻慢者的座位”. 這句話是法庭用語,是有關我們對人及我們這個世界的審斷。人常常論斷他人,常常從外表比如膚色做判斷。我這些年在這個教會講道多次說,當你因著信耶穌改變的時候,首先的變化就是你看人的方式發生改變。你判斷一個人必須從這樣一個事實出發,就是每一個人都有神的形象;每一個人都是無價的,以致耶穌為他/她而死。
讓我舉一個例子,與發生在我們世界上的事有很大關係。路得.本特利博士,心理學家,國家黑人福音聯盟總幹事,與我同在惠頓大學的董事會。她告訴我她一直指導的一個項目叫“年輕黑人巨人症”,已經在我們國家得到證明了。這項研究指出,當人們在社區裡看見一個黑人青年,會把他看得非常巨大,因此也格外危險,超過實際情況。她說,這通常不是有意的,而是學來的。她強調說,耶穌的跟隨者一定要有意識地不這樣做。詩人在這裡強調,你越能以神的眼光看這個世界和其上的人,你就越蒙福,就越有深度的幸福;你就不會坐在一個嘲諷者的位上常常詬病他人;因為你知道人類的希望只在基督裡面。
總結一下這條道路:在世界上追求幸福的得不到幸福;而追求神的將得到幸福。你每天生活中行走、站立、坐下都與神同行---意識到神總是與你同在---這就是幸福之道。單單敬畏神,就無所懼怕;努力如此行,討他的喜悅。這就是我今天根據神的話向你的呼籲:擁有這樣的人生吧!
第二條道路: (1:4-5) 生命中沒有神
1-3節說的是蒙福的人----但也清楚地讓我們知道,人有可能行走、站立、坐下就像完全沒有神一樣。你從經文中看到了麼?這就像所羅門在傳道書中的見證,沒有神的生命是沒有意義的。詩人在這裡讓我們知道,儘管不求告神的生命看起來很自然,甚至也能帶來短暫的快樂,但當神不在你生命中心時,你的生命將會歸於虛空。
對我們大多數生活在南加州的人,可能不太瞭解分別麥子和糠秕的作法。糠秕是穀物如麥子、稻子、燕麥的種子外麵包著的殼,沒有什麼實際價值。當農民要把麥子從糠秕中分出來時,他會將穀物與糠秕一同拋向口中,就是所謂的“揚場”;風就會把糠秕吹散,因為它們沒有密度、沒有分量、沒有長久價值;此時只有穀物留下來,對饑餓的人來說,就是留下了祝福。
總結一下第二條道路:若你想在神以外尋求幸福的話,你的生命將歸於虛空和最後的審判---當你站在神面前的時候,你將站立不住。
今天,我要問你:你會選擇哪條道路?你將活在哪條道路上?你不可能腳踏兩隻船!
蒙福之鑰 – 從心開始 (1:2)
這是聖經中完整的資訊,第一篇就讓我們注意到這個真理,就是蒙福是從心開始,這裡用了兩個詞表達: 喜愛和思想:
#1: 喜愛神的話語和他的道 –
你所喜愛的就是你深深渴望的,是你致力於去得到的,並驅使你為之奮鬥。當你喜愛一個人的時候,你願意和他在一起;當你喜愛一首歌的時候,你願意常常唱它;當你喜愛一本書的時候,你願意讀它;當你喜愛神的道時,你就願意活出神的道。
這不容易,與我們世代的文化截然不同,但你這樣做是好得無比的。詩人說一個被神直接引導的生活是可喜悅的。你若在生命中看人的眼色而活必然有許多煩惱,但當你因信耶穌與神相遇時,你就會發現你實際上是向著神的話語而活—你喜歡聽神教導你的話。當你真實地向神而活就有一個最確定的印記:你會越來越喜愛接受神的道的指引。
你是這樣嗎?你喜歡聽神要你怎樣生活麼?
使徒保羅在新約中不斷重複這一點,特別在羅馬書中12:2說,我們跟隨耶穌的人要心意更新,也就是說,你要分辨神在你生命中的旨意。保羅對“喜愛神的律法”的應用是:你的心思意念當如何?
因此保羅在羅馬書8:5-6節說:“要知道,順著肉體的人,思想屬肉體的事;順著聖靈的人,思想屬聖靈的事。6屬肉體的思想帶來死亡;屬聖靈的思想帶來生命和平安”。
這是呼籲你在最喜愛的事情裡面要分辨哪些是隨心所欲的。你真要為神而活麼?當你有夢想時,你夢想的是什麼?你最想要的是什麼?當我告訴你神真地對你說應該如何活的時候,你現在就很快樂麼?蒙福的人是喜愛神和神話語的人。
#2: 晝夜思想神的話和他的道–
對聖經話語的默想不像“新紀元”運動的默想,通過你有節奏或無意義的默念倒空心思。這裡的默想是要神的教導充滿你的心思。
默想要從非常集中地理解神的話開始。若你不知道神說的是什麼,你不可能照著神的話而活,因為你無法應用你沒有學過的。
但默想又不僅是學習,它是要讓神的話進到你的裡面;也就是說,當你聽了神的教導或自己學習了神的話語,你可以問如下的問題:
- 在聖經故事中有沒有我應該效法的例子?
- 經文中有沒有可以應用在我具體情形中的應許?
- 有沒有對我前行方向的警告和我需要遵守的命令?
- 這段聖經資訊如何挑戰我們的生活方式和思想—即使與我周圍人所說的大相徑庭?
這種默想是集中的、密集的、不斷深入的。。。是以深度的渴望要讓所聽的道改變你的生命。
當你這樣默想神的話時,你就學會如何與神行走和交談。當孩子學說話時,孩子是聽家人講話並學著應答。這種學話的初始經驗很寶貴—但若是一個成人還像一歲的嬰兒那樣說話就可笑了。默想神的話語將教會你如何與神談話。
我發現詩篇教會我們在生命的任何處境中都能與神交談。當第一篇以“蒙福的人”開始時,並不是要告訴你蒙福的人從此沒有痛苦悲傷,聖經也從沒有忽視這世界的困境、惡與不公;但它告訴我們在任何時候,神都與我們同在—他“是我們的避難所、是我們的力量,是我們困難時及時的幫助”(詩46),因此我們不要懼怕。詩篇告訴我們如何在困境中也可以蒙福的管道。
詩篇成集的方法很深奧。第一篇告訴我們世界上有一個辦法可以獲得每天每的祝福,獲得深度的並持續的幸福;最後一篇150篇告訴我們,當神成就了一切,萬物都將被神的榮耀和讚美所充滿。詩篇通篇都在處理我們在世生活的真實問題,比如懼怕、不公、焦慮、憂鬱、背叛以及成功、友情和喜樂;教導我們神要我們如何生活、禱告;以及不管環境如何,我們都可以蒙福的道路。
第一篇告訴我們,敬虔人的主要標誌不是面對邪惡也要保持微笑,不是總忙於教會事物,也不是知道很多宗神學知識。敬虔人的主要標誌是喜愛瞭解神的道,蒙福的人喜愛神教導他如何做。這是與今天的文化多麼不同啊!我們追隨耶穌的人喜愛讓他成為我們生活各方面的主。
第一篇告訴我們當我們一步步與神同行而棄絕那些拒絕神的人時,當我們先求神的義而不是滿心要過世人一樣的生活時,你就會“像 一 棵 樹 栽 在 溪 水 旁 , 按 時 候 結 果 子 , 葉 子 也 不 枯 乾 ”,事實上,你的生命將繁榮昌盛,你將被祝福,並將這福氣帶給世界。