There are many ideas out there about how to be blessed. Some of the strongest blessings are related to the Word of God. 

The above verse is a clear example of this principle. The Bible repeatedly lets it be known that God’s Book is essential to getting His blessing. Despite this, few people claiming to be Christians actually read it every day.

As the verse says, reading is not enough. The believer must also meditate on its teachings. It means to think about what you read and get out of it all you can – like a cow chewing its cud seeking to get all the sweetness out of it.

You also want to pray about what you read, confess sins when the text reveals them, and asking God to help you fulfill the responsibilities and duties mentioned.

Lastly, notice the word “delight.” When your heart is right toward God and His Book, you will delight in it and meditation on it will not be a chore. There are so many marvelous things in God’s Book that it will delight you if you let it. Your time spent in the Word and prayer will become one of your greatest joys.

Although sin may be pleasant for a brief time, it always carries a sting with it. Afterwards, there will be some guilt, regret, sadness, and some disappointment. Sin can never satisfy in any lasting way.

A guilty conscience (which can be seared – be made insensitive) can make people irritable, quick-tempered, hasty, rob you of sleep, and unhappy. A show can be put on, but underneath the veneer there is dissatisfaction and some inner turmoil.

Once saved, the Christian has the privilege of not only being forgiven their transgressions in God’s eyes but also has the assurance of eternity with God in Heaven. In addition, there are the things in his or her heart that truly can make a person happy.

The indwelling Holy Spirit can produce in them the nine qualities mentioned above. Those nine things are: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” All desirable characteristics. Even better, there is no law against having any of them. Of course, along with these fruit, there is also the best benefit of having a close fellowship with God.

The last phrase of the verse should also be noted. Although any true believer can have these qualities the Spirit of God gives, it must be remembered that they are contrary to the natural workings of the flesh and mind. Therefore, it should not be surprising that the requirement is: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

In the midst of his trials, David proclaimed that God had been his help all along. God never forsook him or proved Himself unfaithful. He kept His promises.

His experience with God made him determine to stay close to God, proverbially close enough to be in His shadow. Of course, God has no literal shadow, but the idea is that if you are in someone’s shadow – then you are very close to them.

David had an expectation of what abiding in God’s shadow might bring. He knew that it would bring rejoicing. Staying close to God is not a sad experience – it is a most joyful one. Believers who have little or no inner joy are those who do not walk close to God.

He even declared, in Psalm 119:62: “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.” While most people sleep, David determined that because of his love for God and His Word, that he would even praise Him at midnight. Just two verses later, he talks about praising God seven times a day for His Word. This was not a duty to him – but a joy.

As he walked close to God, David found another blessing. He learned that God would uphold him. David did what God wanted him to do. And when he did, God gave him the strength to do it.

Are you walking close enough to God to be in His “shadow,” and are you experiencing His joy and strength? You can!

There is a real difference between what the world calls happiness and Biblical joy. Some Christians think they are the same thing.

Happiness is largely based on circumstances. When everything seems to be going right, most people are happy. Their happiness can quickly end when the good circumstances change. This is not at all what the Bible talks about when it speaks about joy.

When your “happiness” depends solely on your circumstances, it will cause you to have a wavering Christian life. It also means that you are looking to the wrong things to make you happy.

Instead, Christian joy is not based on circumstances. Because of this difference, you can have joy much of the time – regardless of what is happening. Paul even talked about having joy while in a Roman prison – which certainly was not a pleasant place to be.

Biblical joy is given by the Holy Spirit – it is one of His fruits. When a believer is in tune with the Spirit (surrendered to do His will), all of the fruit of the Spirit will naturally be present.

Before He left to go back to Heaven, our Lord told us that He wants His people to have the same joy that He enjoys. It is part of His prayer in John 17, verse 13: “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Notice also that the text verse says: “in thy presence is fulness of joy.” It means that by spending more time in the Word and in the prayer closet, you can enjoy more of His joy in your life. And remember that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) – which makes it easier to serve our Lord.

Christian, is your prayer closet only collecting dust?