A Blessed By-Product

Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust.
Psalm 40:4a

When a giant oak, cedar, walnut, or pine tree is ripped into planks at a sawmill, lumber is the product. But there are by-products, too. In the case of sawmills sawing lumber, there are two by-products: bark and sawdust. And they have huge value. Bark is turned into mulch for our yards and sawdust is made into particleboard, briquettes for wood stoves, and pulp for making paper.

There are “by-products” in the spiritual life as well, happiness being one the Bible identifies clearly. An oft-used phrase in Scripture is, “Blessed is the man who.” In fact, Jesus’ Beatitudes are based on the by-product premise (Matthew 5:1-12). What does this mean? It means the person who does something or other will be happy, or blessed. Happiness is a by-product of doing something specific. In the case of Psalm 40:4, happiness is a result of trusting in the Lord. In Psalm 1:1-2, happiness comes from delighting in God’s Word. Our modern culture seeks happiness as an end-game, a quest that is rarely rewarded. True happiness is not a product but a by-product of knowing God.

Are you happy today? Continue to put your trust in God and His Word and watch as happiness rises in your heart.

To seek God is to desire happiness; to find Him is that happiness.
Augustine