Psalms 12:11-12 reads: Ecclesiastes chapter 1 11But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield. How do you define happiness? If you're like most people happiness is defined as a good feeling in response to a person or a certain circumstance or event.

That is so true these days when we hear endless stories of people winning the lottery or reality TV giveaways. Let's look at one of the greatest people in bible Solomon who addresses this issue. Ecclesiastes chapter 2 10Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. 11Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. 12I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God..

So what is Solomon saying? Joy and happiness does not rely on the abundance of things. The real joy lies in knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior. There is joy in knowing that God loves you no matter what you have done. It saddens me that the misfortune and tragedy of people have become forms of entertainment for us today. Programs like 'Divorce Court', 'People's Court' and 'America's Most Wanted' have become regular shows that people watch all the time. There is no mercy or forgiveness for any one at all. Jesus is not like that. A relationship with Jesus is so easy. There is no prerequisite to fill nor is there any requirements that you have to meet in order to receive his grace. It's FREE!! I know you must be asking yourself is there a catch somewhere? Well, there is.

The OLD you will die as the NEW you will start to live! Jesus has committed himself to you by taking full responsibility for your sins through his death on the cross. It's a sweet deal because that's when you give Jesus the full authority for your life. Here's the hard part. No one will ever force you or make you make this choice. That's the beauty of the God-Man relationship. God will never force you to make the decision to serve him. He is a total gentleman. Religion will attempt to control us through its never-ending road of rules and regulations. You have to choose for yourself. Some people find comfort in the structure of religious legalism. Jesus didn't come for religious legalism. He came to set the captives free!

Then the happiness and joy will come not. This joy will not be because of the changing circumstances that happen on a day-to-day basis but by knowing without a doubt that God is in control and he loves you unconditionally. Money will come and go. Cars will break down. People will let you down. Jesus will never let you down. He will never leave you or forsake you. That's God promise on that!

 

Article by Sgt. Roy