As I was walking around my local Waterstones bookshop recently, I came across several books that claim to reveal the path to happiness. It is no surprise that there is a huge market for such books, as happiness has always been a contemporary theme.

People of every generation live in the pursuit of happiness. It is the supreme desire of life, yet very few people find true happiness. People may experience temporary happiness, but the harsh realities of life often disrupt it. We search for happiness in the wrong places.

The things we think will bring us happiness do not. Our expectations of the things of this world are too high. Even when circumstances seem to be going well, we struggle within ourselves. Our hearts are restless and without peace. Many ideas have some merit, but on the whole, the world’s highways to happiness are entirely at odds with the Bible’s teachings. The world’s ideas revolve around three conceptualisations: hedonic, eudaimonia and mindfulness (1)

“People may experience some temporary happiness but it is often disrupted by the harsh realities of life.”

In our wealthy Western societies, pursuing wealth and possessions is one of the dominant highways. This is, of course, nothing new. To the wannabe millionaire, Jesus told a story (see Luke 12:16-21). It all started when a person in the crowd asked Jesus to help him negotiate some inheritance with his brother. Turning to the crowd, Jesus said,

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus constantly dispelled the myths that society claims will bring happiness. As Jesus says elsewhere,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In this world, there are two kinds of happiness: happiness that comes from laying up for ourselves treasures on earth and happiness that comes from laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. The former is happiness, which is entirely dependent on circumstances. Therefore, it is uncertain, easily evaporates, and the desire for real happiness remains.

The latter is lasting and real because it comes from the source of true happiness – God Himself. This is happiness, which depends not on circumstances but on God, who does not change (see Heb 13:8, Mal 3:6, James 1:17). The focus on wealth and material possessions blinds people to these spiritual realities. Their hearts are earthbound because their treasure is (see Mark 10:17-27).

“The world’s highways to happiness are completely at odds with the bibles teaching.”

Ultimately, death and the fear of death are why true happiness cannot be found in this world. Everybody will die. Death is like a thick black cloud hanging over humanity. That is why the Bible refers to death as the enemy (see Heb 2:14-15, 1 Cor 15:26, Rev 21:4). In a world where death reigns, happiness is at best elusive.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians from Prison, but despite his circumstances, Paul’s letter is known as the ‘Epistle of Joy’ (2). Paul knew that death for him meant being in the presence of Christ (see Phil 1:23, 1 Cor 15:54-57). That is why Paul could face death with Joy. In Psalm 32, the writer, King David, shows us how we can know the same Joy as Paul did. This is God’s highway to happiness.

Forgiveness

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭32:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”

Augustine, Confesssions

The young Augustine was a rebel. His mother, Monica, visited priest after priest to help him. The reply was always the same. ‘Nobody can fix him; all you can do is pray for him and hope he will read the bible and meet with God.’ (3). One day, Augustine did just that and became one of the most well-known Christian theologians in church history. The quote above, which perhaps he is most famous for, sums up what it means to find happiness in God.

The first word of the psalm is the word blessed. This word in Hebrew is much stronger than our English word happy. To be blessed is to enjoy God’s special favour and grace (4). This word opens the book of Psalms (see Ps 1:1) and points us towards the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt 5:1-12). The Psalm opens up with the link between happiness and forgiveness. As Augustine says, how can we find ‘rest in God?’

The Bible tells us we need forgiveness to find true ‘rest.’ At this point, someone might want to put their fingers in their ears or their head in the sand, but the Bible calls us to think carefully about ourselves and be honest about ourselves.

Reading the Bible can be uncomfortable because it illuminates our hearts (see Matt 15:19). Psalm 32 illuminates the human predicament and its answer. David uses three words to describe the human predicament and three words to describe God’s forgiveness.

Firstly, the word transgression (32:1) is a positive offence. We are lawbreakers. We see a sign saying, ‘Don’t trespass,’ but we trespass anyway. We are rebels, and the bible tells us that by our individual choices, we have rebelled against God’s law and are therefore condemned (see Rom 3:10-20).

Secondly, the word sin (32:1). Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 both resulted from a dark period in the life of David. Guilty of adultery and murder, David confesses,

“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement.”

Everybody has heard of the word sin. Alistair Begg writes that most people see it as Christian neurosis (5). Unlike transgression, which is positive, the word sin is negative. Sin is failing to live up to God’s holy standard. That is why David, in Psalm 51, confesses that although his actions had hurt other people, ultimately, his wrongdoing was an offence to God.

Sin is missing the mark, falling short. This falling short is no more seen when we honestly examine ourselves against God’s revealed law (see Ex 20:1-17, Matt 5-7). This is what Christians mean when they confess they are sinners. They say that when they examine themselves before God, they ‘miss the mark’ and are condemned (see Rom 3:23).

Thirdly, David uses the word iniquity (32:2). Recently, an artist named Andrew Brown set up an open-air gallery in Soho, London, called the ‘Honest Gallery.’ Four works of art were hung on a wall, and a collection box was left out. The idea was that people could buy what they wanted if they left the money in the collection box. By the end of the day, all the artwork had been stolen. Mr Brown said,

“It was an experiment in human nature to see if we could expect people to do the right thing, and in Soho, it was a dismal failure. The artwork was put up at 6.30 am on Saturday (May 1st) and we set up a CCTV camera to monitor the site, When we checked the CCTV footage later we could see the first piece was stolen within an hour and when we returned at the end of the afternoon all four pieces were gone. We couldn’t believe that even the gallery signs were taken. The only thing that was left was the collection box which was completely empty” (6)

Iniquity refers to a conscious and intentional offence. Moral perversity, the corruption of human nature, leads to corrupt moral choices. This explains why the people visiting the ‘Honest Gallery’ were anything but honest.

“Sin is missing the mark; falling short.”

Like a lawn bowl, which has an internal weight bias, which means it can’t be bowled straight, our hearts have an internal bias towards evil. What is the cure if this is true regarding the human predicament? David tells us, again, using three words.

Firstly, the word forgiven (32:1) refers to lifting a burden. Human beings are burdened with sin and unable to deal with it. Religion can only tell you to try a little harder, go and do certain things, and rebalance the scales, but this never lifts the burden. No, the burden of sin must be lifted from us from outside of ourselves. In the same way that you might take an item of clothing to the dry cleaners, forgiveness is the removal of a stain that is part of the human condition.

Secondly, the word covered (32:1) refers to the complete removal of something so it cannot be seen. It is not covering up, but it is as if it never happened in the first place. That is why God can say He ‘remembers our sin no more.’ (see Is 43:25).

Thirdly, it counts no iniquity (32:2). This refers to cancelling a debt. The same word is used for God’s acceptance of Abraham. It is worth noting that the Apostle Paul quotes this Psalm in the epistle to the Romans, where he is laying down the doctrine of justification by faith and describing the grace of God’s forgiveness (see Rom 4:1-8, Gen 15:6). David does not say that a person’s sin doesn’t count, he says happy is the person who’s sin is not counted against them.

God, in His holiness, must punish sin, which points us towards the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, who died in the place of sinners. Our sins are not counted against us, but they are counted against Jesus. Our happiness, therefore, is grounded in God’s forgiveness. God showed His love for us, and while we were helpless and hopeless in our sins, Christ died for us (see Rom 5:6-8). However, we can only know God’s forgiveness by coming to him in confession and repentance.

Confession

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭32:3-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You must plead “guilty,” or remain guilty for ever.”

C.H. Spurgeon

The well-known author Noel Coward is said to have decided as a prank to send the following note to twenty of the most famous men in London: “Everybody has found out what you are doing. If I were you, I would get out of town.” All twenty left town! (7). We all know the burden of guilt, and David was no exception. David had committed adultery and murder and had tried to cover the whole thing up (2 Sam 11). However, like us, David had not got away with his sin.

Even if other people do not find out, God knows our hearts. We may not have done what David did, but the bible says we have all broken God’s law, and so we all are guilty (see James 2:10). In what was probably the space of one year, David was relentlessly tormented with guilt as he lived under God’s discipline (32:3-4, Heb 12:5-11). David may have been ‘putting a brave face on it’ and going about his public life as King usually, but privately, he was a mess. I wonder if we can identify with that? (see Ps 38:3-4).

There is a contradiction in our society: We have abandoned the notion of an objective standard of right and wrong, but at the same time, people are burdened with guilt and depression (32:3). The reality is we cannot break the law of God and not feel guilty about it. So, what is the cure for guilt? David tells us it is found in confessing our sin (32:5).

To confess our sins means to cease rationalisation and self-justification and to stop fighting against God. It means to join God and agree with him in condemning our sin (see Luke 15:18-19). Once again, David uses three words to offer expressions of confession and repentance.

Firstly, David acknowledges his sin (32:5). In other words, David ‘let God know about it.’ He did not keep the knowledge of his sins pent up inside. In the unravelling of his life, David came to his senses and returned to his Father, who stood ready to forgive (see Luke 15).

Secondly, David did not cover his iniquity (32:5). This is the same word used in verse 1 to describe God’s covering of sin. David is making a play on words by making the point that as long as he covered his sins, he could not know God’s covering of those same sins. God has provided a covering for sin in the person and work of His Son Jesus. David is coming out into the open.

Thirdly, David confesses his transgressions to the Lord (32:5). David uses the plural to show that he is willing to acknowledge all of his sins. David submits to God and comes clean before Him because he is confident of God’s mercy (32:5, Psalms 86:5, 1 John 1:9). We can be, too, if we seek Him.

Submission

“Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭32:6-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Seek not happiness first; seek Christ first, and happiness shall come after.”

C.H. Spurgeon

David has shown us how to deal with the pain and guilt of our past, but here, he makes a beautiful discovery. God takes the pen from David’s hand, as it were, and instructs him on how to live daily (32:8). We need forgiveness and instruction. We need to know how to live.

The Bible is God’s instruction manual to humanity. God will provide us with protection and direction (32:6-8). God wants us to come to Him and not hide from Him. The problem is, by nature, we are like a horse and mule (32:9). We ignore God’s instruction manual and go our way (see Prov 14:12, Is 53:6, Rom 3:10-12).

One of the main characteristics of the horse and the mule are stubbornness, irrationality and waywardness. The Bible is very clear about the human condition. We are like that. Don’t make the mistake of the modern man who thinks he is so enlightened. The Bible is talking about you! (see Prov 14:12, Jer 8:6-7). Before David confessed his sin, he was like the horse and mule, the same as us.

“The Bible is God’s instruction manual to mankind.”

So, how can we become wise if we are naturally like the horse and mule? How can we live the way God requires? How can we be saved from sin? Where do we go when we look at God’s law and realise we fall short? We go to the gospel! We find wisdom, happiness, peace, and joy only by submitting to the gospel and being reconciled to God (see Col 1:20, Rom 5:10).

Jesus, being the Son of God, perfectly kept God’s law. God has promised the forgiveness of sins to all those who seek Him and trust in His finished work on the cross (see Col 1:14, Eph 1:7, Acts 26:18). If we are going to satisfy God’s law, then we need a new heart. We need to be a new creation (see 2 Cor 5:17).

A horse and mule must be compelled to obey, but we must not be like that. We are to come near God willingly and eagerly to submit, confess, repent and follow.

When we do this, God will give us a new heart—a heart that lives for Him. This is the way to happiness and joy (32:11). Jesus died on the cross according to God’s will as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. But be warned: unbelief and a refusal to submit to God’s salvation are to experience everlasting sorrow and to be counted among the wicked (32:10).

Forgiveness, confession and submission to the instruction of God’s word is the way to true happiness and blessedness.

There is no happiness found anywhere else.

Notes

1. Hedonic – The pursuit of pleasure versus the minimum amount of pain. Eudaimonia – Happiness is found in behaving virtuously. Mindfulness – Finding inner peace. Note: Mindfulness is often linked to eastern religions
2. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/50-1/the-epistle-of-joy
3. Augustine, Confessions (Paraphrased)
4. Theological Note, Psalm 1:1, The Reformation Study Bible ESV, Reformation Trust Publishing 2019, p4830
5. https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/happiness/
6. Robert Dex, Evening Standard, 17th May 2021
7. Roger Ellsworth, How To live In a Dangerous World, Biblical Pictures of Modern Perils, Evangelical Press 1998, p151

All scripture quotations are from the ESV