Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous
in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your
livestock and the crops of your land.
The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he
delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his
commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
–Deut 30:9-10
Command those who are rich in this present world not
to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to
put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our
enjoyment.
–1 Tim 6:17
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD), a Christian
theologian and philosopher wrote, “Every man, whatsoever his condition, desires
to be happy.” But from where does this
happiness come? How can we find such
happiness? Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892),
an English Baptist preacher explained, “Those who are ‘beloved of the Lord’
must be the most happy and joyful people to be found anywhere upon the face of
the earth.”
Desire of Happiness
Thomas Boston (1676–1732), a Scottish theologian and
philosopher remarked, “Consider what man is.
He is a creature that desires happiness, and cannot but desire it. The desire of happiness is woven into his
nature, and cannot be eradicated. It is
natural for him to desire as it is to breathe.”
In Jeremiah 15:16 it’s written that to be called by your name, O Lord
God of hosts gives joy and delight to our hearts.
George Whitefield (1714–1770), an English Anglican
cleric questioned, “Does [Jesus] want your heart only for the same end as the
devil does, to make you miserable? No,
he only wants you to believe in him, that you might be saved. This, this, is all the dear Savior desires,
to make you happy, that you may leave your sins, to sit down eternally with
him.”
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), a British
theologian said, “It is a Christian duty … for everyone to be happy as he
can.” Lewis further explained, “We are
half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when
infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making
mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a
holiday by the sea. We are far too
pleased.”
Believe in Jesus
James 5:11 tells us that we should count those
blessed as the ones who endure like Job.
We have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings because he is full of
compassion and is merciful. Johnathan
Edwards (1703–1758), a preacher and theologian wrote, “There is no man upon the
earth who isn’t earnestly seeking after happiness, and it appears abundantly by
the variety of ways they so vigorously seek it; they will twist and turn every
way, ply all instruments, to make themselves happy men” For Christians the
answer lies with knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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