By Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Psalm 146:5).
Do you remember the term, “Happiness is…” from the Peanuts cartoon years ago? Linus was one of the characters in the cartoon. Happiness to him was a warm blanket to carry with him wherever he went. That blanket represented security.
Our happiness is not to be based on homes, money, popularity or position. Those things cannot bring lasting security. However, knowing God does give us real security.
Security in God is our true source of happiness. Let us examine why this is true.
When we truly know God we are happy because our search is over. Deuteronomy 4:35 says, “Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.” Recognizing His sovereignty, we seek to meet His requirements cited in Micah 6:8- do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him.
The tendency to trust material things to make us happy fades when we know God. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) Our provision comes from God- the owner of all things. I Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us we are not our own because we are bought with a price. Think about it! God owns everything and we are bought with a price. As God’s children, we know He is going to provide for us. Surely that should lift tons of worry off of our shoulders
Not only do we have His provision, we always have His help. Psalm 40:17 says, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” He constantly thinks about us and is always ready to come to our defense. You see, he wants us to know we are safe in Him. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (I Timothy 1:7)
Knowing God we know what we should be pursuing. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Priority is everything. Our first priority is knowing Him. Everything else will fall into place.
Linus had his blanket. Charlie Brown put his trust in Lucy to not pull the football away from him just when he was ready to kick it. By the way, his trust was misplaced because she pulled it away every time. We have God who is all powerful and all knowing to keep us secure. That is what true happiness is.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 