Psalms: Chasing Happy

May 15th, 2023
by Emily Turner

May 15, 2023
CHASING HAPPY
Watch here.

Are we equating a blessed life with a happy life?

A couple of Sundays ago, while I was standing under the Commons, a few of us ladies were chatting about the week prior- the good, the bad and the burdensome. One of them was sharing what had been a struggle for her, when suddenly she paused and said, "I must be really strong in my faith because Satan is surely trying to attack me". I chuckled but then immediately thought, let me always see trials as a way to identify the strength that God has equipped me with. What an incredibly faithful way to consider her surroundings and circumstances!

Lead Pastor, Nate Levering, led us into our short, two-week sprinkle of Psalms, focusing mainly on Psalm 1.

Blessed 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;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
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.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Reflecting on last weekend's sermon and on this Psalm, I think of so many in our church community and others throughout my life, who have exhibited such fruit that does not wither. Not that they have lived a perfect life or have even come close, but time and time again, stand on the faith that God is able and in control. Our response to His faithfulness is a choice. We can choose to waiver, to wander and to stray away from His truth, away from the grace He offers and protection of His love, or we can lean in hard- falling almost into His catching us. Either way, He remains.

Each week as we prepare the LifeGroup questions for our LifeGroup leaders, there are a few questions selected for a section named, God Is Relevant in the World. These questions are asked particularly about the sermon and help lead the groups to connect Scripture to what is happening in our world today regarding that specific topic. It's my favorite section to work through because each week, I come face to face with that choice- I can lean in to where God has our world, trusting that He is still here in our crises, or I can avoid the truth He offers and wander. The world is extremely tempting, which is no surprise, but the choice is ours. Sometimes, depending on our crisis, it may not feel like a choice. I think back to when the Ditler's shared about finding their son in their backyard, having committed suicide, and Robert (the dad) immediately calling out to the Lord, despite not having much of a relationship with Him. Their crisis led them to an immediate need to know and lean on the faithfulness of Jesus in their time of suffering and grief (watch the recap video here). I was thinking about how we are moving out of a mental health series, into a short glimpse into Psalms, before then going into the Sermon on the Mount (the very words of Jesus), but the truth is ... we're not moving out of or into anything because it all ties together. It's all the story of a perfect Father, loving His children well, using the stories we have and bringing others into a relationship with Him. He's done that from the beginning of time. There is nothing new under the sun. There is nothing that surprises Him or catches Him off-guard because He knows us. We are known by Him.

Today, we proclaim that God is good and His word endures forever. His word says that. Our stories share that and the way He uses those stories confirms it.

So, what are we producing today, church? Compassion? Bitterness? Forgiveness? Faith? Arrogance? Let us, together, choose fruit.

Posted in Sermon Recap
Posted in psalm, fruit, crisis