“How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction! Happy are those who keep his decrees and seek him with all their heart.” – Psalm 119:1-2

As my children are becoming adults, I have noticed that one of the most difficult things to do is allow them to make their own choices and, by default, sometimes make their own mistakes. When they are little, you can watch over them and keep them from any harm. But now that I have some “kids” that are 17…18…19…almost 20 years old, I must allow them to make decisions on their own, even if that means making mistakes. They must come to realize what it is that brings them pain and what it is that brings them happiness.

This is a lesson we must all learn and are, to some degree, still learning. We think we know what will bring us happiness. We pursue our own will, believing that it will bring us the peace and joy we are looking for. But the truth is, there is only one way to truly be happy: obey the Lord’s instruction and keep his decrees…even if those things are the complete opposite of what we want to do! I am joyfully watching as my children (young adults) are beginning to apply this truth to their own life…all the while remembering that I must continue to apply it to my life as well.

Heavenly Father, keep our eyes fixed on Your statutes. Fill us with a desire to live out Your laws. And in that, let us experience the true happiness that only comes from You.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon