in pursuit of happiness?

Psalm 89:16-17 "Happy the people who know You, Lord, who walk in the radiance of Your face. In Your name they sing joyfully all the day; at Your victory they raise the festal shout."

I find my son silly at times. There are moments when he can never be contented. He wants to find pleasure in doing something but he can't seem to grasp what it is that he wants. He grabs his crayons and starts drawing. After a few minutes, he would wail. He would then open the TV and watch. Minutes after, he would cry again. He would then pull either my arm or my wife's and lead us outside. Outside, he sees his swing and starts swinging. Minutes later he would cry again. While I find this situation silly, I realize that I am sometimes like that as well. If we look into our lives, we may see similarities.

Knowingly or Unknowingly, A lot of people spend their life on earth in pursuit of happiness. We ask the question, what will make us happy? For some, their carnal nature dominates and they try to find happiness through pleasures that will satisfy the desires of their flesh - sex, drugs, parties, alcohol. For some, they seek happiness through the power that they attain, they find satisfaction from the fact that they are able to control others or dictate on others' wills. For others, happiness is sought through appeasing others, being at peace with other people and with nature. They believe that for as long as they are at peace with everyone and with their surroundings, then they can find happiness. And there are those who would seek happiness through their careers holding their positions and titles as a very important measure of success.

The problem with pursuing perfect happiness is that if happiness is the object of our pursuit, it can never be attained. The Lord has placed a void in our hearts which can only be filled by Him alone. Therefore, if the object of our pursuit is happiness, we will never find it. If, however, the object of our pursuit is the Lord, then happiness will surely come. It is the Lord and only the Lord who can fill the void in our hearts. Only through Him will we be content, only from Him can we experience absolute joy, absolute bliss.

My God, I praise and thank You for allowing me to know You for it is only through You where I can find fulfillment and contentment. While time and again, my flesh can be weak and seek gratification from things of this world (for which I ask forgiveness and beg Your mercy), I am relieved that You continue to watch over me and remind me that nothing and no one can fill the void in my heart but You and You alone. Grant that my eyes always search for You, my ears always long to hear Your voice, and my heart always long to be in Your presence. For it is only in Your presence where I am moved to sing joyfully all day and raise the festal shout. In You and You alone will I be content.

Randy