June 15, 2023 BE HAPPY! REALLY?
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
Psalm 32:11 “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all that are upright in heart.”
Some would say that whoever says we should be happy in the world we live in today has their head buried in the sand. It is true; we live in difficult times and it seems that no one escapes the trials of life. And some would say that scriptures like the ones above are in ‘theory’ or they are simply a ‘pipe-dream.’ Yet, the mandate of God’s word is to be glad, to be joyful, to rejoice, and to be happy. Do not misunderstand, the scriptures also say that we will experience trials and that we are to comfort those who are enduring hardship; it’s obvious-life is not a bed of roses. So, are we or can we be happy? I think that we have to get beyond the physical; true happiness is rooted in the spiritual. JI Packer made the statement “The way to be truly happy is to be truly human, and the way to be truly human is to be truly godly.” The happiness that is available to us flows out of knowing God and knowing our true identity in Him. Our prevailing thought, belief, and mindset should be that as believers, we have been forgiven of our sins, we have been made new, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, Jesus has promised He will never leave us, we have been joined to God and our future with Him has been secured, He will give us strength to endure the hard times, we have brothers and sisters in the Lord to share life with, and that we have a fantastic inheritance reserved for us in heaven. Having life go good and avoiding troubles is a high priority for most-and that is not a bad desire; however, Jesus has told us we will have trials in this life. Instead of being defeated and discouraged by the trials, let us embrace them, knowing that God is working all things for our good-even if is is uncomfortable and even if we don’t understand how. The most important thing we can do in this life is to seek the Lord first and to pursue knowing Him in greater ways; as we come to know Him for who He is and as we discover our identity in Him, we will experience a joy and a peace that come from Him. In Him, our joy and our happiness are not dependent on circumstances. Again, we will experience difficulties and trials, but in the midst of them, we can know the joy and peace that is rooted in Him.
Psalm 144:15 “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.”
Blessings, Buddy
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
Psalm 32:11 “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all that are upright in heart.”
Some would say that whoever says we should be happy in the world we live in today has their head buried in the sand. It is true; we live in difficult times and it seems that no one escapes the trials of life. And some would say that scriptures like the ones above are in ‘theory’ or they are simply a ‘pipe-dream.’ Yet, the mandate of God’s word is to be glad, to be joyful, to rejoice, and to be happy. Do not misunderstand, the scriptures also say that we will experience trials and that we are to comfort those who are enduring hardship; it’s obvious-life is not a bed of roses. So, are we or can we be happy? I think that we have to get beyond the physical; true happiness is rooted in the spiritual. JI Packer made the statement “The way to be truly happy is to be truly human, and the way to be truly human is to be truly godly.” The happiness that is available to us flows out of knowing God and knowing our true identity in Him. Our prevailing thought, belief, and mindset should be that as believers, we have been forgiven of our sins, we have been made new, we have the Holy Spirit living in us, Jesus has promised He will never leave us, we have been joined to God and our future with Him has been secured, He will give us strength to endure the hard times, we have brothers and sisters in the Lord to share life with, and that we have a fantastic inheritance reserved for us in heaven. Having life go good and avoiding troubles is a high priority for most-and that is not a bad desire; however, Jesus has told us we will have trials in this life. Instead of being defeated and discouraged by the trials, let us embrace them, knowing that God is working all things for our good-even if is is uncomfortable and even if we don’t understand how. The most important thing we can do in this life is to seek the Lord first and to pursue knowing Him in greater ways; as we come to know Him for who He is and as we discover our identity in Him, we will experience a joy and a peace that come from Him. In Him, our joy and our happiness are not dependent on circumstances. Again, we will experience difficulties and trials, but in the midst of them, we can know the joy and peace that is rooted in Him.
Psalm 144:15 “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.”
Blessings, Buddy
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