Grabbing the “Gusto”

Scripture Reading: Psalms 1:1-6

Psalms 1:1-6

1 Blessed [happy] is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Moving away from the beatitudes to another key in the book of Psalms in our search for real life… For happiness. It is no accident that the first 6 verses in the first book of Psalms contains some essential clues to being blessed in our treasure hunt for real life!

The psalmist begins by telling us that there is a road to avoid when seeking happiness, when seeking—gusto. The road to avoid is ungodly counsel… that is counsel with the wicked.

We desire happiness, we long for it, we search for it, we want it in our lives. Our search for the fairy tale will often cause us to seek happiness from sources other than God. In fact, sometimes our search actually leads us away from God — to a place of sinfulness. A place where God is no longer at the center of our life. God has been replaced by another person, possession, pleasure or ideology. This leading away is typically a very subtle thing but if we continue to stray, over time we feel ourselves falling into the happiness trap. If you seek happiness as an end in itself you will never find it; it will always escape you. It is like catching a soap bubble…You think you have it, then it bursts and it’s gone… there is nothing left.

In our text in the Word of God, we learn that a person who wants to experience real gusto — to experience lasting happiness, is the one who is delighted, when they read, meditate and follow God's Word.

So, you ask: “What can be so exciting about sitting around reading and meditating on the Scriptures?” For many the fifteen or thirty minutes spent in daily devotion seem like a long time. But the psalmist did not spend all day reading the Scriptures. What he did constantly, day and night, was think about what the Scriptures were saying, what they meant and how they could be applied in his life. That is meditating on God's word.

If we meditate, (focus) on God's word, then Satan and the world are just a mere annoyance. We begin to think like what we read. We begin to focus in the right direction, make the right decisions, start transforming our lives by the renewing of our minds. But if we allow our focus to be compromised, then we put ourselves — and true happiness at risk.

The fairy tale ending is not attainable through the things of this world. Blessedness. Happiness does not come from others. It comes by abiding in Jesus. It comes by abiding, and if you do, the fruit of the spirit will be manifested in your life.

So, go for the gusto. Go for all you can! Get every ounce of life and potential out of your opportunities. Live your life to its fullest, in God, and you will be the happiest, most blessed person on earth.