A Formula For Happiness: From The Bible

A Formula for Happiness: From the Bible! Kelly Durant

Psalm 146:5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

2. Don’t you love happy people? People who can laugh despite the awkward or uncomfortable position they might be in? I lost a front tooth last week, one of the implants, and I looked like a hillbilly with a big missing front tooth! (Thank God the dentist is fixing it and temp one is in now). I felt like the old woman who only had two teeth but she said, “I thank the good Lord, that at least they meet!”

In all honesty, we will never be fully happy in life because this broken world is not our home, we are just passing through. John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Peace of spirit is a good thing!

I believe we can make the best of it though! We can be happy trusting that God will take care of us. Happiness is a state of contentment, and we can choose to be content no matter what conditions we are in. Paul did (see Philippians 4:11) It does not matter if we are rich or poor, no matter the temporary situation, we know God can make our hearts be light as we trust Him because “we know all things work together for good , for them that trust in the Lord”, Romans 8:28

3. We must have certain conditions to be happy though. One condition is in reference to the verse of today and that is that we have the “God of Jacob for our help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God”. The God of Jacob is Jehovah, the father of Jesus (we must specify who is our God!) and what will make us happy? To have hope in Him!

Having hope in God, which is connected to faith, means we expect a good outcome for all matters, and we get them. We are the most optimistic people on earth as we believe that no matter how bad the situation is, or how great the need, or how discouraging and depressing things are, God will come through with a positive response.

And why will He answer us? Because we love Him and He loves us! We are his children and in the end He is the one who takes care of us and comes through with all of His great promises.

4. The next item for happiness is that we must love God’s word in order to gain wisdom. Proverbs 3:13 ‘Happy is the man (implies all) that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding.’ We gain wisdom and understanding, which gives us a more peaceful state of mind knowing we are pleasing God.

Proverbs 29:18 ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.’ So when we grow in understanding of God’s wisdom, it gives us a vision, a purpose, a life that is worth living, and we learn of His law, or of the values and vision of God.

By keeping God’s law, or living in obedience, we become happy. Jesus taught us the total essence of the law, to love God and others, but Jesus also wanted us to obey all His commands which includes hearing His words and obeying them, which includes sharing the gospel of the eternal Kingdom of God with others. John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Obedience to God brings on happiness!

5. Here is another condition for happiness, to earn your pay by honest living. Psalm 128:2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. God wants us blessed but it requires service, work, and generosity.

When you look at all of society and all the jobs of people, those who work a skill or a profession and reward their selves by a slow prosperity are the most happy. They live in peace because they got their means by honesty, integrity, and the sweat of their brow, which are the conditions we have to live with to survive while temporarily living on this earth.

Jesus said this concerning working for God, which is living by preaching, doing mission work, or serving in some Christ-like capacity those who are suffering, John 6:27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Jesus idea of work is to gain souls for heaven!