There are a lot of things in life we find happiness. For some, they are activities that stimulate our senses like skydiving, riding on rollercoasters, or cooking. But like with much of what this world offers, their satisfaction is limited. Like eating a nice meal, they are enjoyable at the time, but after a short time, we are hungry once again.

I can remember watching a video on YouTube where an engineer tired of having his packages stolen from his porch, set up a booby trap for the thieves. He rigged a package with a glitter bomb and fart bomb. When the package was opened, glitter would spray all over followed by a smelly gas. To identify the culprits and get the package back, cameras and a GPS were also installed. The thief was probably pretty happy with their accomplishment until they opened it…

So I want us to take a few moments and try to answer the question, “Is happiness really possible?” Paul speaks a great deal about joy. I recently did a sermon series on the book of Philippians. Throughout the letter, Paul encourages his readers to rejoice, to find their happiness and joy in Christ. But are there practical things, or experiences in life that can bring us joy?

In Psalm 1, we find a biblical understanding of happiness and how to achieve it. The Old Testament definition of “happiness” is different from ours – it is a life of fulfillment and satisfaction, a life that makes a difference.

I was reading a story about Alfred Nobel. Back in 1867, he awoke one morning and read in the newspaper his own obituary. It read: “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before. He died a very rich man.”

Actually, it was Alfred’s older brother who had died and the reporter, in his zeal, had made a mistake. But the obituary had a profound effect on Alfred. He decided he wanted to be known for something other than developing a means to kill people efficiently and amassing a fortune in the process.

So Nobel initiated the Nobel Prize – an award for scientists and writers who foster peace. He went on to say, “Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.”

So in light of that, how we can achieve happiness? The writer of Psalm 1 first tells us to “not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.” The writer is referring to people who go throughout their lives without God. Paul talks about that in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” Now, this is not a warning regarding being around unbelievers or having relationships with them, rather it is how deep our association is with them. The warning here is we don’t want their influence in our big life decisions, because they leave God out of the equation.

Secondly, the psalmist tells us to “delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it day and night.” The Hebrew word that is used here for “law” is the word “Tora.” It literally means instruction and wisdom from God. The Jews called the Old Testament the “Torah,” referring to it as God’s instruction book for their lives. The fact is, to take delight in something means to take pleasure in it. But do we take pleasure in God’s Word? Do we cherish the time in meditating on it or do we see it simply as a duty or chore?

Did you know on average, our mind wanders during a conversation Every 7 seconds. Regardless of who we are talking to; our spouse, our children, even God, our minds tend to wander. When we spend time in God’s Word, “conversing” with Him, do our minds slip into other realms? The fact is, the thing your mind goes to is probably what you’re meditating on.

When you ask people what motivated them to do what they do for a vocation, for most it was something from their youth or childhood that impressed them or gave them focus. I read about how a nautical painting in a family room of a farmer’s home motivated his sons to join the Navy. Whatever we find our happiness or joy in, will always lead to fruit. When our focus is on God and His Word, it leads to transformation in our lives.

The psalmist writes that the person who delights and meditates in the whole counsel of God will become like a tree planted near a stream of water. If we want satisfaction and fulfillment, we’ve got to look at our lives over the long haul and realize that God always stands with us, even in the hard times.

The promise of God is for those who delight in the Lord. The Word says they will prosper. Unlike the prosperity teachers of today, the Bible does not define prosperity as only money or wealth, rather it is also getting those things from God that help us go through life and manage it well. When Jesus prayed, “Give us this day, our daily bread,” He was praying for God’s provision and prosperity for His children. God provides all we need for this life and the life to come. That is prosperity.

We have all heard the saying, “You can’t take it with you.” At the end of their lives, people who leave God out of their lives become like chaff. There’s nothing to them, nothing substantial. But for us, as children of the Most High, the end of our lives here on earth is a foretaste of what is to come.

In a sense, that is how many Christians approach life here. This life, biblically speaking, is preparation for the life to come. Those who are practical atheists, who leave God out of the equation, live lives that ultimately lead to a dead end. But those whose home is eternal know this life is part of a journey to eternal happiness and joy because God is there.