Thank you for joining me today! I pray this will be an encouraging word from the Lord for you, especially for these trying times. Eric

In 1988, there was a song written by Bobby McFerrin titled, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” We all desire to be happy and the song became well known around the world. Many times over the years, I have heard people say, “I just want to be happy.” (Some when trying to justify their sin!). I have never heard anyone say, “I just want to be sad and miserable!”

Without a doubt, people want to be happy. Are you aware that God wants us to be happy as well? The problem though is that people search for happiness in the wrong way, in the wrong places, or by taking the wrong path.

Advertisers want us to believe that without their products, we will never be happy. Sadly, many, after watching their ads, ‘buy’ into it! (Pun intended!) and purchase the product, whether they need it or not. Because of the abundance in our nation, many have become materialistic and have come to believe that bigger homes, better cars, an abundance of possessions and, always, more money will bring them the elusive happiness they are hoping to attain. The saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins” has been popular to the point of, at one time, being on bumper stickers! How shallow is that? And, how untrue it is!

People look to many things to bring them happiness and for some, at any cost, i.e. entertainment, sports, and various relationships. Case in point, Ticketmaster, the NFL’s official ticket platform stated the lowest cost for a seat at the just played Super Bowl was $6500! Unbelievable!

However, there are those with a different viewpoint. I just read the following quote by Anglia Wang, a Chinese dancer, “Contentment is to be happy.” The apostle Paul had a similar thought when he penned, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Philippians 4:11).

The acronym, JOY, Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last has become popular as the way to find joy.

As always, the way to achieve any objective is through the knowledge and application of the truth in God’s Word.

In psychologytoday.com, happiness was defined as “a state of well-being that encompasses living a good life, one with a sense of meaning and contentment.”

Through Bible Hub, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, we read this definition of happiness: “experiencing the effect of favorable fortune, having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment, enjoying good of any kind, such as peace, tranquility, comfort, contentment and joy.”

In Scripture, the Hebrew word, escher, is translated: happiness and blessedness. The root word is ashar, meaning: happy and blessed.

‘Blessed’ in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as: enjoying happiness, having pleasure, contentment, or good fortune. Scripturally, it means highly favored or fortunate, a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness. (Wikipedia.org).

Palm 144:15b states very emphatically, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!”

“The happiness that God wishes to bless us with is rooted in God’s vision for our lives.” (Christianity.com)

Happiness will always first be found in knowing God and obeying His Word.

Psalm 1:1-3 reads, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

‘Blessed’ in verse one is translated from the Hebrew word, esher meaning : happy or blessed. ‘Delight” means pleasure. Then in verse 3, saleah, the word translated ‘prosper’ means: make prosperous or bring to success.

Both the Greek (makarios) and Hebrew (esher) word for ‘blessed’ also means : happy, prosperous, successful, right, and contented. Also, according to Wikipedia.org, “Scripturally, ‘blessed’ means highly favored or fortunate and a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.”

In Luke 11:28b, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” In this verse, makarios, translated “blessed” means supremely blessed, a condition in which congratulations are in order. It is a grace word that expresses the special joys and satisfaction granted the person who experiences salvation. (Word Wealth in the New Spirit Filled Life Bible). Looking deeper into that verse, we find that the word ‘hear’ (akono) means to perceive, comprehend, and understand. The word ‘keep’ (phylasso) means: to guard, to take care not to violate. It is not enough to just hear the Word of God disconnectedly or aimlessly. To be blessed, we need to read the Word seriously, perceiving and comprehending it (our help in this comes from the Holy Spirit) and then, take care not to violate it.

There are a number of Scriptures that explain what makes us happy and blessed: I am sharing the verse then writing it again with the Hebrew or Greek meanings added.

Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Happy is the man who makes the Lord his refuge, confidence, and security, and does not turn to the defiant or proud for help or companionship, neither does he turn to lies or deceptive things.

Psalm 112:1, “Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.” Happy and blessed is the man who honors and has reverence for the Lord and takes exceeding pleasure and delight in His Word!

Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.” We are blessed and happy because our guilt has been taken away and our sins concealed.

Psalm 89:15, “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.” We are happy and blessed when we have learned to worship with joy. We enter into Your very presence!

We learn that generosity toward the poor causes happiness!

Psalm 41:1-3, “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.” When we give attention to those who are weaker or in poor health, we are delivered from bad, unpleasant, evil days. He will keep, guard, protect, restore, and revive us! We will be made happy and blessed! Then, from verse 3, we learn that God will sustain, support, and strengthen us during times of sickness.

James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” Happy and blessed is the one who endures and bears bravely when he is enticed to sin. With his faith being tried, when he has been approved, he will receive the blessedness which will be given, as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ. That is, real life after the resurrection (eternal and immortal life).

Victory over our flesh and enemy is always a reason to celebrate!

There are so many wonderful scriptures which have been given to us through the unction of the Holy Spirit. They reveal the Lord’s desire for us to be blessed and happy. It is difficult to end this post and yetimpossible for me to include them all.

I love this quote by Elisabeth Elliot, “The world looks for happiness through self- assertion. The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment.”

The Sermon on the Mount or Beatitudes gives us a wonderful overview of God’s blessing and happiness which come to His children for living a life of obedience to Him.

Matthew 5:3-12a, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,”

I will close today by sharing this quote from Christianity.com:

“We become deeply and unshakably happy because we know that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38 and 39).

Hallelujah! Thank You Lord!

All Scriptures were taken from the New King James Version.