Human Happiness and Joy

Where do you go to find happiness? Wouldn’t it be great to have a blueprint or an instruction manual to get to happiness. Well, there is, God’s Word. All that is needed is to keep it close to be able to reference and refer to when things get a little sideways, or you want to make sure that you are taking things on in the right manner. God’s Word has all we need to start and make it through the day and life in general.

“⁴But he answered, ‘It is written,

“Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” – Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

“⁷Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”’” – Matthew 4:7 (ESV)

“¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.”’” – Matthew 4:10 (ESV)

This morning I was reminded that Jesus depended on God’s Word as He worked through this world. In the above verses, Jesus was being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and yes, Satan was using scripture to distort the truth to get Jesus to give into the temptation. But, Jesus did not fall into that trap. Even as He was weak from a 40 day fast, Jesus went back to the instructions or blueprint to make it through. He consulted God’s Word to find the strength and just what was what. Jesus quoted God’s Word in refute of the lies from Satan. Jesus was able to find happiness in the Word of God as to how to proceed.

But what did Jesus do after fending off Satan, He began His ministry. Jesus was able to get back (or started) to work doing what He loved, teaching and caring and loving and leading and healing and all that came with His ministry. He had consulted the blueprint that got Him through the sticky spot and stuck with the blueprint to move forward into that which brought Him joy.

If you remember, happiness is a momentary emotional thing. Joy is more lasting and internal. With Jesus in our lives and God’s Word to lean on daily, we are able to find joy in all things and circumstance. We will however need happiness from time to time in a moment to get back to the joy. Joy and happiness are found in the instructions for our lives that was laid out by God through His Word. Jesus used it and certainly if it was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me.

Where do you go for encouragement and life giving instructions? Do you look for momentary happiness and then back to the grind? What if you found the instruction on how to get through things and then used those instructions to get you back on track and moving forward into joy, God’s Word, Jesus did can’t we?

Do We Really Want to Reign

What a great question, and one that I can identify with. It seems as though what I see from “leaders” in this world is not really something that I would want to do or be. I will say that I am leader in my house and in my role in my work. Yet, what I see in “leaders” in the world is not what I expect. And, frankly, when I am in the New Heaven and New Earth, I am told that I will be able to rest, being a leader does not seem like rest.

“²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

Yes, Jesus says the above, and if you only look a the one verse, you will get the sense that rest is indeed what we will have. But we would be looking at things from a very narrow perspective.

Think of it this way. What is it that you like to do more than anything else and you seem to get lost in yourself and that thing to the tune that time seems to pass quickly. You may be completely worn out at the end of the time, but you look forward to that thing again and again and again. This is the idea that if you love what you do, it is not work. You find joy in the actions and want to do them more and more.

Well, this is what it will be like in the New Heaven and New Earth. I will be focused on the joy of God that whatever role I am tasked to take on will be glorious and I will find much joy in it. It will be light work from the perspective of on my soul. It may have difficulty in the task, but it will bring joy that I am working for the LORD. See below the next two verses from Jesus.

“²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30 (ESV)

Jesus tells us that when we are in with Him, all things will be lighter since He has taken the heavy load upon Himself.

Reigning in the New Heaven and New Earth will not be a burden. We will be doing so from a position of the “family business” as Randy Alcorn indicates in my study. And since we are in the family of God, we are rulers with Him and each other.

But what about the challenges that come with ruling? A truly valid question. Well, there will not be any. Why you say. As we are all there to do the will of God, only need someone to direct us of where and what. Remember, there is no sin in the New Heaven. There won’t be any animosity. There won’t be any push back. There won’t be any insubordination. There will only be getting the work done in worship to the LORD so we can get back to worship of the LORD.

But, I don’t want people to be telling me what to do. I hear you, and that will not be the case. We will be receiving direction not orders. We will know of what needs to be done, and there will be someone there to direct us as to where it is to be done. And we will be directing others of where.

The New Heaven and New Earth will be filled with rulers (us) and filled with subjects (us). “We’ll be governed by Christlike rulers, and all of us will be under the grand and gracious government of Christ Himself” – Randy Alcorn

What view do you have of ruling? Are you of the school of slave driving authoritarians? What if you embraced ruling in the New Heaven and New Earth as doing that thing that brings you joy, bringing glory to God?

Lost and Found

This morning I was brought to the parable of the prodigal son. Now I am confident that most have heard the parable and even have an understanding of meaning. I know that I have had my eyes opened to meaning that I had not looked at before in that there are three men that are in the story and looking at all three gave me more insight. I want to look at the idea of “lost” as this is where my study is now.

“²⁴’For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” “³²’It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” – Luke 15:24 & 32 (ESV)

The prodigal son came back, yes. He returned to the home he once knew. He was greeted with open arms. His return was well worth the celebration. I know that I have not seen my youngest son Aarron in a couple of months as he is off serving in the Navy and when I do see him again, we will certainly celebrate. But Aarron being gone is not the same as that of this prodigal son.

I see this morning the attitude of the father and the other son. I will start with the father. He was missing his son. I believe that as the loving father he was, he graciously gave to the son all that was to be his. He loved him and was likely, to some degree, glad that the son had chosen his own path. I am sure that the father was somewhat disappointed in that the son did not chose the family business, as well as how the son would be using the inheritance he was receiving. But the son was loved none the less. And the father was sad that the son had gone yet resolute in the fact that he may not ever return.

The other son to was resolute in the idea that the brother would not return, although his attitude was likely of anger due to his staying behind and working the family farm alone. He was not happy that the prodigal son had taken from the family, even if it was his to take. The other son was, in his resolution, glad now that the prodigal son was gone and he was now THE son of the father.

Let’s look at the return. The father was the first mentioned to welcome the son home. He did not receive him with animosity or anger or other more negative attitudes. On the contrary. He received him as thought he had been lost for years and was now found. He was celebrated to be alive and well. He was loved and accepted for he was still son of the father and deserved it.

The other son, on the other hand received the brother much differently. His anger was rekindled. After all, in his mind the prodigal son had taken the inheritance given, squandered it and then came back looking for more. He was not happy to see the brother return and was quick to make it known.

What a difference in the attitude toward the prodigal son here. There is love and anger. There is acceptance and deflection. Both of the men who got to again see the one who returned did so in their own ways.

The prodigal son was lost. Whether it was lost due to being misplaced or lost due to own carelessness, he was lost none the less. And no matter how he returned, he should be counted as found. The father saw the finding as that of something precious that was back and the other son saw the finding as something that had been moved on from and should have been continued to be lost.

I have to remember that being lost is just that, being lost. There is no room for giving up on the lost. Yes, I have to move on from total focus on the lost once I have resolved that I may not have much more influence on getting back, but never giving up is still giving it over to God to continue. And now, once the lost has returned I am to celebrate that return as the finding of something precious. Being found brings joy that was not there prior to the return and that deserves to be celebrated.

What is your attitude toward the lost? Have you moved on and if/when it returns you are indifferent or angry at the return? What if you were to see the lost and just celebrate the return as the precious that has been found?

Joy for the One Found

This morning I am going to take the other side of a belief that I have. You see, I am concerned with this idea that the small percentage of a group should be of more concern than the larger percentage of the same group. The fringe groups of society are pushing to be recognized at the expense of the mainstream of society. This morning I am going to speak on behalf of a small percentage of a group, the followers of Christ.

“⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” – Luke 15:7 (ESV)

Jesus shows us here that the one lost who is found and repents creates more joy than ninety-nine others who have already repented. The one percent is recognized more so than the ninety-nine percent. I have to see that the one is certainly greater than the ninety-nine in this instance.

How did we get to this realization, well Jesus tells us the parable of the lost sheep. When a shepherd loses just one sheep, he will leave the flock to find the one. Where as to some the one seems of little value, to the shepherd, that one sheep is part of the family, not to mention of monetary value to the shepherd as well. There is great rejoicing when the sheep is found and returned to the flock.

“⁴What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” – Luke 15:4-6 (ESV)

Just as the sheep are of value to the shepherd, I am of value to the LORD. I am part of the family and when I am lost, He will drop everything to find me and bring me home. When I am found, there will be great rejoicing in the flock that I have been returned.

In this situation, the one is fully recognized, not at the expense of the greater group, but as a member of the group in need of rescue.

What is your approach to the one lost? Are you looking to them as though they are of little value alone? What if you were to take the approach of Jesus and the shepherd and drop everything to help the one be found and bring great joy to the flock?

Confidence for the Day of Judgment

Tears of joy is what should come when being judged. You see, when I abide in and follow the commands of the LORD, I am on the right side of judgment.

“¹⁶So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” – 1 John 4:16-17 (ESV)

It is with confidence that I enter each day. I know that I am with the LORD and He is with me. I know that I am working for Him and all the actions I take for the LORD are in line with His Will. Knowing that I am adhering to God’s Law and that His Law is greater than man’s law, I am confident in those actions. Therefore, any judgment that come from my actions are of no consequence as my actions would be considered righteous and I should be joyous in knowing that I have done the LORD’s Work.

Now we come to the judgment day. When I have taken on the actions of the LORD daily, I know that I have been righteous in my actions and on that day will be held to account for them. Again, I should be joyous in knowing that I have done the LORD’s Work and that He will reward me. I also will not be surprised where I am held to account on that day for where I was not adhering to the LORD’s Will and again be joyous knowing that I have been open to again having them read out.

Confidence is provided by God for all that I have done. Whether those actions are for or against the LORD, I am to be held to account and should know that all will be read out. I come to the judgment day knowing that all is known and my joy of being there should be evident in my tears. Not tears of fear and anguish, but tears of joy for the heavenly reward.

What does your confidence level look like? Are you worried about what may be found out or about the punishment to come? What if you had the confidence in the LORD that you have done all that you were to do and that now it is time to be rewarded on that judgment day?

Be Yourself Righteous to Bring Joy

First, let me be clear and remind that we cannot declare ourselves righteous. Now, let me add that to bring joy, I have to be righteous, or more accurately, take righteous action. It is what is seen that the people of this world will react to. I have heard and said the phrase, “do as I say, not as I do” but as we all know, it is the actions that are mimicked more often than the words said. Therefore, when we want someone to act a certain way, we have to demonstrate those actions to them so that they will see the example and realize that is the proper action.

“²When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,

but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”

— Proverbs 29:2 (ESV)

I remember seeing a video once referring to being the lone nut (can be found on YouTube). It is a leadership lesson and I guess that is what I am speaking about this morning. In the video, there is a view of what appears to be a hillside festival and you see one person just dancing without care to what or who is around them. Over time more and more people join in the dancing, not because they are told to, but because they were given the example. This is a lesson for us to follow as we progress in our life with the LORD. I am to be the lone nut that brings joy and as I demonstrate that joy, others will join in and then all the people will rejoice.

There is loneliness in the standing for something that is right. And a lot of the time, one will experience the feeling of giving up as the result of the action is not happening in the timeline imagined by the one. The thing is, I have to remember that God does not work on my timeline and He only asks me to do the work for Him and that I would be rewarded. I demonstrate righteous actions not to be followed or recognized by the world, it is to be recognized by God. He will reward me. Sometimes that reward is more work, and sometimes, He rewards with seeing the demonstration of joy in those around me. I am not to be discouraged and should just continue doing the work for the LORD and allow Him to increase the joy in me for the work I have done.

When have you been the lone nut? Were you doing so for your own reward? What if you were to do so for the glory of the LORD and to see the joy in those around you at the pleasure of Him?

Don’t Be A Sorrow to Your Mother

“¹The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.”

— Proverbs 10:1 (ESV)

I know that I have disappointed my mother on a number of occasions. The thing is, that in the moment, I was only thinking of myself and did not notice until some time later when I looked back. What a difficult time those were for me. There is nothing like having your mother look at you with eyes of disappointment. I had been selfish and did not think before acting. I had overlooked the impact of my actions on others.

I want to be clear, this is not about being shamed into feeling bad about the decisions made that better your family. Like deciding to move 1500 miles from my mother with my family for a career promotion. My mother was not excited about that one, but it was not a foolish move so there was no shame in it. Even Jesus had a moment that brought fear to His mother when she could not find Him as He was teaching in the temple as a child.

It is about making decisions with thought and understanding. Not making them based on emotion and chasing unrealistic fantasy. Oh sure, we should be encouraged to dream, but sinking all of your life into the fantasy of being “king of the realm” is not a realistic dream. It is there that the sorrow felt by a mother is realized.

Mothers love their sons and daughters. They may not show it in the way that we want sometimes. They may not show it at all and frankly it may have wavered and disappeared entirely, but at some point, the love was there.

By and large, mothers want to see us as successful. That success is seen from their perspective and when they do not see it, they feel sorrow. It is not up to us to do things for our mothers, but it is up to us to help them see things from our side so that they will be able to turn those frowns upside down and feel joy once again.

Our move 1500 miles away, led to an opportunity for my mother to experience something that she really only dreamed of before. And, we did move back closer and are now only about 200 miles away, close enough for a day trip. All in all the move that was disappointing turned to be a move that drove joy. And, remember the fear Jesus’ mother experienced when she could not find Him, imagine the joy in her heart when she did and realized that He was fulfilling His call.

We are charged to do the work of Christ, wherever that work may take us. And when we are focused there, we will bring the joy to our mother. When we are doing the foolish thing, that will bring the sorrow.

What are you out there doing that your mother is watching? Are you doing the foolish thing that brings sorrow to her heart? What if you did what is right by God and guided your mother’s understanding of it to bring joy to her heart?

Mothers for All

This morning I was reminded that it is not just the biological mothers who make an impact on the children of the world. It is those mothers out there that place themselves in the place of caregiver to the children.

“⁹He gives the barren woman a home,

making her the joyous mother of children.

Praise the Lord!”

— Psalm 113:9 (ESV)

When I read this verse I thought of those little old ladies in the neighborhood who were always entertaining the kids. I also thought of my grandmother, and where she was not barren and did have children of her own, it was later when she was the caregiver of my nephew for the first few years of his life. And I thought of the ladies that taught in Sunday school and made such an impact on the lives of the children there on Sunday mornings and anytime she interacted with those children. I thought of Lori, my wife, as she teaches and interacts with the children in her classes and in the school who later in life bring smiles to her face when they see her and tell her of all they have accomplished.

The LORD’s design was for man to care for the world, as noted in Genesis in the creation. And God created Eve to be the mother of the world. Women are precious to the growth and development of the world. Even when they have not been blessed with biological children, the LORD has blessed them with motherhood of those in need.

We all are in need of mothers. Some of us have biological mothers who were/are the caregivers in our lives. Some of us have biological mothers who were/are not caregivers and may not be the ones to impact us positively. Some of us have those surrogate mothers in our lives who love us and care for us as a mother would/should. In either of these cases, God has provided a mother for us that we can count as our own. There are mothers for all of us and all of them have children they can/will bring joy.

Who is your mother? Are you looking to only the biological mother to bring you joy? What if you recall the one mother who impacted your life in a joyous manner?

Rejoice Over One Sinner

I am working on my learning more about being a sinner. I am a sinner for sure and want to know more about just what that means. This morning I am reading in the book of Luke and the parable of the lost coin. A simple one for sure, but a good one none the less. When has limited things and loses one, there is an all out search for that one and then there is the rejoicing that comes when that one is found.

“⁸Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’” — Luke 15:8-9 (ESV)

The precious coin is of lots of value to the woman who had few of them. Aren’t we all about the same when it comes to those things that are precious to us. I know that I am for sure. God is no different in those things that are precious to Him. And I am one of those precious things. Not because I am a Christian, but because I am His creation. And not because there are limited numbers of my kind, but because I am limited, there is only but one of me.

“¹⁰Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” — Luke 15:10 (ESV)

It is my repenting that give God joy. It is the finding of me, the one unique person that brings joy to Him. My coming to Him and repenting of the sins I have committed and those that I will commit that brightens His face. Me, the ONE sinner. I bring the LORD joy with my repentance.

I have to remember that we are all precious to the LORD. Not just those who have more. Not just those who impact larger groups of people. Not just those who are known more to the masses. It is the one sinner that repents of sin that brings joy to the LORD. God does not look at who the sinner is. God does not consider one over the other. God looks to the repentance of the sin by the sinner and that is the joy.

I need only focus on my own sin and repenting of that sin. I have to remember that it is that which brings joy to the LORD. I have to be right with God and getting there requires my repentance. I have to acknowledge my sin and ask the LORD to forgive me. I have to remember that He is always listening to hear my voice of repentance, and when He hears, he will smile with joy for His precious.

What are your beliefs of that which gives the LORD joy? Are you looking to make a splash with God by doing grand things and expecting Him to leap at you for the massive amount of work done? What if you just looked to Him and repented knowing that the LORD looks at each sinner’s repentance as precious?