There are many things that happen to us in life that weigh us down and sometimes make us go down the wrong pathway that leads to sadness and sorrow. Residential school experiences, boarding school experiences, adoptions, child welfare involvement, addictions, divorce, death, disease, and betrayal. When I read Psalm 1 in verses one and two it says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (ESV).
This oral and written Holy Scripture says that the person who meditates on the Holy Scriptures of God the Creator will be blessed. When you take a look at the real meaning of being blessed you will see that it means to be happy. This is what it says in my Study Bible. Many of us, because of the hardships we go through in life, will be tempted to turn to a path of trouble and sadness and tears because we don’t know any better. It seems like the easiest thing to do in light of the suffering we have gone through.
Verse three says, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does prospers.” Many times we think that prosperity is all about getting rich and not having any worries in this life. Yet, in my Study Bible it also says that the true meaning of a tree by waters, according to our Hebrew biblical ancestors, was strength, stability and endurance, and those who were planted in the Bible were the ones who were prosperous. Not because they had lots of money, but because the Holy Spirit, Who was sent to us believers in Jesus when Jesus went back to heaven after dying on the cross and rising again three days later.
Another word of advice coming from God’s Holy Scriptures that is similar to Psalms 1:1–3, but yet different is a story about Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10. It says, “And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” According to my Study Bible the name Jabez means “he will cause pain,” and Jabez was asking God to do the opposite of what his name meant. He wanted to be blessed. He wanted to be happy, because I am sure that his heart was broken because of his name meaning what it meant.
He asked God to bless him and enlarge his territory. Do you want your territory expanded as you live for God? Do you want to take your broken heart and live your life so that you and others can be happy instead of filled with sadness and sorrow? Jabez wanted God’s hand to be with him, and the best way to make that happen in your life is to meditate on God’s Holy Scriptures and do what the Bible is telling you to do; instead of going down a wrong pathway. Jabez wanted to be kept from evil. So that he wouldn’t cause other people pain because of his wrong choices. God granted him his request.
Is your heart broken? Did you go down the wrong pathway that has led to trouble? If you want to be healed and be happy, part of the solution seems to be to read the Holy Scriptures that have been passed down to us from our spiritual ancestors and Elders, and let the healing begin. God can make you happy and make your territory bigger. God can keep you from making more bad choices and lead you in His pathway of truth and freedom and real blessings of happiness. Do you want to be like a tree planted by rivers of water? Do you want strength, stability and endurance as you travel in this journey of life?
Run to God’s Holy Scriptures and read them daily and nightly and watch what God, the Creator will do in your life. Watch what He will do in and through you regardless of your past and failures. God doesn’t want you to cause pain in your family anymore. God doesn’t want you to have harm come to you. He wants to heal your broken heart through meditating on the Bible day and night, and eventually you will see what it means to be blessed and be prosperous and have your heart healed.
Parry Stelter is originally from Alexander First Nation and is founder of Word of Hope Ministries and lives in Edmonton, Alberta. http://www.wordofhopeministries.ca
