HAPPINESS OR JOY

  “We don’t have a ‘right’ to happiness, but a life well-lived will get us there,”  wrote Bonnie Gray.  She questioned “the pursuit of happiness” in  the American Declaration of Independence.  You know it states, that we have the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  She said, “of all the different purposes set before mankind, the most disastrous is surely “the pursuit of happiness.”  That took me by surprise, but when I think about it, she is right.

  The reason being that our drive for happiness has caused us to do some ugly things. We will do almost anything to get ahead, to achieve wealth, to have fame, to be popular, to win at any cost.  We are willing to sell out our soul for a ‘mess of pottage.’ 

 I was reading the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament for my daily devotional.  It is the study of Solomon in his search for happiness.  He tries anything and everything; wine, women and song. Yet, none of these bring him happiness.  Listen to this, supposedly the wisest man of his time, in Ecclesiastes 2:10 -11: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”   He hated life because he knew that he would die and leave all that he possessed to those who would come after him.  Solomon knew that to seek only for happiness in this world ended in “meaningless, emptiness, vanity.”  So, what was the conclusion of the wisdom of Solomon: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13 

  Listen to the wisest of them all, Jesus, who said, “Watch out. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  Luke 12:15   Jesus told the parable, earthly story with a heavenly meaning, of the rich man who had an over abundance of good crop.  What would he do with it?  He would store it up, even if it meant building more buildings in which to house the crop. He thought he had it made and could take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. “But God said to him, ‘You fool.’ This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?  This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”   Luke 12: 20-21 

  Jesus calls us to a different kind of pursuit: “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”  Luke 12:31 Again, Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Luke 12:34

  I close the devotional with this thought from Bonnie Gray: “Joy is found not in pampering our soul, but pleasing our Creator.  God isn’t impressed with our money, with our titles, with our fame.  He looks at our heart, at our character, at our souls.  The pursuit of happiness is trumped by the quest for joy.”

  May the motto for our living be: “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” 

THANKSGIVING

The Thanksgiving Day Proclamation was given by President George Washington in 1789. 

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God; to obey His will; to be grateful for His benefits; and humbly implore Him, His protection and His favor.

And whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts that many favors of Almighty God; especially by affording them an opportunity to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted to the people of these states to the service of that Great and Glorious Being – Who is the benevolent Author of all good that was, that is, or that will be.  That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country.”

PSALM 100  “SHOUT FOR JOY TO THE LORD, ALL THE EARTH.  WORSHIP THE LORD WITH GLADNESS;
COME BEFORE HIM WITH JOYFUL SONGS.  KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOD.  IT IS HE WHO MADE US, AND WE ARE HIS ;  WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE.
ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME.  FOR THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER; HIS FAITHFULNESS CONTINUES THROUGH ALLL GENERATIONS.”

Give God thanks…

The Gospel of Luke, the 17th chapter, verses 11 through 19, tells the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. Only one of the ten returned with an expression of thanksgiving. This poem suggests what might have been thought by one of the other nine, it just may help us to have right thoughts in this Thanksgiving Season.

“I Meant To Go Back”
I meant to go back, but you may guess, I was filled with amazement I cannot express. To think that after those horrible years, that passion of loathing and passion of fears, by sores unendurable, eaten, defiled – my flesh was as smooth as the flesh of a child.
I was drunken with joy, I was crazy with glee, I could scarcely walk and scarcely could see.  For the dazzle of sunshine where all had been black…But, I meant to go back.
Oh, I meant to go back.  I had thought to return when my people came out.  There were tears of  rejoicing and laughter and shout.  They embraced me, for years I had not known a kiss;  ah, the pressure of lip is an exquisite bliss..
They crowded around me, they filled the whole place. They looked at my feet and my hands and my face.
My children were there and my glorious wife and all the forgotten allurements of life.  My cup was so full I seemed nothing to lack.    But, I meant to go back.  Oh, I meant to go back.”               Author Unknown

  Here is a story that tugs at our hearts, but with a great deal of uncomfortableness.  If we are sensitive in the least, we can feel the heartache of Jesus in this situation.  What disappointment rings in the words and voice of Jesus as He says, “Were not all ten cleansed?  Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”   Luke 17: 17

  Let’s pursue the question of Jesus, “Where are the nine?”  It does not say in scripture as to where they were.   That is not important. What matters is, where they were not.  Why weren’t they at the feet of Jesus?  Nine out of ten didn’t so much as return to thank Jesus.  What a tragic situation.  What a lack of gratitude on the part of man then and now.
The Bible urges us to be thankful, to give thanks to Him who is the giver of every good and perfect gift.
Hear the Psalmist declare, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.” Psalm 95:2  “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.”  Psalm 107:1  Or, hear the Apostle Paul state, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God.”  Ephesians 5:20                It is sinful to be lacking in gratitude to God.   

  There is no  excuse for a lack of respect, courtesy, thankfulness.  How it must hurt and disappoint Jesus today, when those to whom He has given so much do not honor Him with thanksgiving and praise.  Have you counted your blessings recently?  Count them, name them, one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.  Physical and material blessings abound for most of us.  But, those are not the primary blessings from God.  His infinite kindness is shown in His love for us, by sending His Son to save us.  Faith, hope, love, forgiveness of sins, peace of mind, member of God’s family, an eternal Home to come–these are the real blessings that matter regardless of how rich we are materially or how healthy we are physically.  We need to acknowledge that the real source of our blessings is God: He gave life, He sustains life, and He saves life.  Give Him thanks.

“Gratitude is humanity’s minimum response to divine grace.”  True thanksgiving is thanks living.

  Remember, the incident of the man who heard the cries for help from a young man struggling in the water.  The man jumped in and pulled the young man to safety. He gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation until the young man came around.  Later, the young man came back to the man asking, “How can i ever thank you for saving my life?”  The man said, “Prove to the world that you were worth saving.”