Joy and Insight for Living

 We all want to be happy and to have a good life here in this world. Everyone is searching for how to accomplish this. Different people look in different places, and unfortunately most people are looking in the wrong places. Instead of life getting happier and better, it makes things worse and worse. God's will is for all of us to see the way to real joy, instead of just temporary happiness and to have insight for living a good life.

David tried different things, but he came to understand the right way to have joy and insight for living. He did not always do the right things, but he knew the way, and he passed it on to all of us. (Psalm 19:8) David found out that the commandments of the Lord are right, and they bring joy to the heart. He also came to see that thee  commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.  I think this verse might be a great surprise for a lot of people, so we need to unpack it some.

Here, we are referring to the commands of God, not just His entire Word. When we learn and do a command of God it brings joy to our heart. Most people think the commands restrict us, but really they produce joy. Joy comes when we do things God's way, so we avoid the stresses and problems of life. Also, joy comes when the Lord sees us being faithful to Him, so that He blesses us. Joy is a gift from God when our hearts are set on Him and doing His will.

God's commands are clear, too. As I have read the Bible, I have found that the great majority of what it says is very clear. The problem is not that we can't understand the commands. The problem is that we must accept the insight they give us and live by it. Then, we see God's will, and we see God's way for us to do His will. Those insights are what bring about a good life in this evil world. It may not be easy all the time, but it is well worth the effort to live according to God's clear commands.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 20-22.