Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Why Happiness Escapes Us – Greg Laurie
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5:6
Researchers have consistently ranked Scandinavians as the happiest people on Earth. But even if you aren’t Scandinavian, you can still find happiness.
According to the Bible, if you know God and discover His plan for your life, you will find the happiness you’re searching for. It doesn’t come from seeking to be happy in and of itself. It comes from knowing and seeking the God who created you and discovering His plan and purpose for your life.
C. S. Lewis said this about happiness: “God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food for our spirits were designed to feed on. . . . God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
The Bible says that if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, then you will be happy. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” The word blessed also can be translated “happy.”
This world will promise us happiness, but it simply won’t deliver. That’s because this fleeting happiness that we experience ebbs and flows. It comes and goes, depending on what our life is like.
If things are going reasonably well, then we are fairly happy. But the moment things get difficult, we are no longer happy. And that is not real happiness.
Writing in a Time magazine article, Gregg Easterbrook said, “Love, friendship, family, respect, a place in the community, the belief that your life has purpose—those are the essentials of human fulfillment, and they cannot be purchased with cash.”
Happiness is never something we should seek directly, according to the Scriptures. It is always the result of seeking something else. If you seek holiness, then you will find happiness as a result.
Greg Laurie
COVID-19 Crisis Prayer – Pastor Mike
Today’s Prayer
Today’s Subject: What is Right?
In difficult times which can bring desperation, decision making in the context of the the will of the Lord can be complicated. How do we know what is right to do in this times of uncertainty? Is there a test for our decisions which keep us in the will of the Lord? James 3:13-18 gives us some marks on making a right decision in the Lord. There is a wisdom that is not from above and it is earthly, sensual, demonic. Then there is a wisdom which IS from above. This wisdom from above provides us a test from making the right choices. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without hypocrisy.
Pray that as we navigate these uncharted waters in life that we would determine first to do so in the wisdom of God which is from above. Pray that our wisdom and decisions therefore, would reflect meekness. Pray there would be no bitter envy and self-seeking in our hearts. Pray we would have the discernment from the Holy Spirit to know the wisdom in which we operate and in which we live and in which we make decisions.
Pray that a decision and determination made by us would reflect the purity of God. That the decision would have nothing common or profane to it. Pray that our decision would then bring a peace into our hearts and minds. The sort of peace which comes only as a fruit of the Spirit. Pray then the decision to reflect a gentleness that is like Jesus. That we would be willing to yield to others and to the Lord even if the wisdom from above differs from our own thinking. That we would be full of mercy and our decision would reflect mercy as well.
Pray then the decision, when made, will produce good fruits. That it would be without partiality and without hypocrisy. Give thanks to the Lord for His word and His way for us to navigate decisions in this life using and desiring the wisdom from above. Praise the Lord for His equipping us.