The Pursuit of Happiness

David’s experience with Bathsheba and the resultant consequences constitute a desperate low point in his life. That he lost his joy is understandable. That he recovered it is reassuring and encouraging.

This wedding song was written for a festive occasion but was apparently intended for use by succeeding generations (see v. 17). This fact, coupled with the application of the Psalm to Christ (see Heb. 1:8-9), allows us...

St. Augustine said, “The beginning of knowledge is to know oneself to be a sinner.” The next step is to know what to do about it. David knew and wrote about it in Psalm 32.

Depression is experienced by most people at one time or another. It has many causes and is experienced at varying levels. David knew depression, and this Psalm gives some clues as to how he handled it.

We live outward and inward lives. If we allow the outward to dominate, the inward suffers. If we nurture the inward, the outward is changed. Which way we live determines whether we are happy or frustrated.

Everybody wants to be happy. Opportunities to be happy abound. The Declaration of Independence guarantees freedom to pursue happiness. But what exactly is happiness?

If fear isn’t mastered, it will master. When fear is in control, life becomes miserable. David had good cause to be afraid—but he also had some solutions.

Life is lived in death’s shadow. The longer we live the longer the shadow. This thought can be so paralyzing that man’s ingenuity has been stretched to cope with it. The psalmist, himself no stranger to the valley, shows the best way.

A commitment to being happy through pleasing yourself may be attractive, but it can become abusive. There is a better way expressed by David: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart...

In this world, as in David’s world, there is much to be discouraged about. This is undeniable and unavoidable. So what can be done about it?

The Psalmist in a somber mood asked, “What is man?” And then he proceeded to answer his own question. What he said is crucial for a generation that struggles with self-image.

We must look at the world in which we live and evaluate the situation. As much as we would like to ignore it, we can’t. We need to be realistic and understand that there are a lot of things wrong with the world.