Category: Happiness

A Life that Is Rich

Most people want to be rich and yet our values define our riches. If our values are worthy then we will be rich in what matters, but if our values are worth little then we may be rich but our riches will only make us poor in the true riches of life. The end result will be emptiness and poverty with little satisfaction.

Matthew 16:26,27 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.

You may gain the world but you lose your soul. What will a person give in exchange for his soul. He would give everything…or would he only give everything when he realizes it is too late? The Lord says that this life is a test of our faithfulness and obedience to Him, which is an expression of our relationship with Him.

Luke 16:10,11 He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?

If you are rich in good deeds then you are rich indeed and your payment will come later when the Lord comes and renders to every man according to their deeds. Our good deeds are an expression of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He says that if we know Him then we will give to others, for in this way, His love is expressed to the world.

I John 3:17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Has the Lord entrusted much to you? Then much is required of you.

Luke 12:48b From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

The Lord has given us clear instruction on what we are to do with what He has given to us. The Lord is the One who gives and He is the One who takes away. Give back to Him while you have the opportunity for earthly riches are not forever.

I Timothy 6:17-19 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy doing good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

The Lord has told those whom He has blessed with earthly goods, and we have all been blessed with something to share, to enter into the joy of doing good and to be rich in good works. He wants us to be generous and ready to share and in doing so we will be storing up for ourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future. Doing so will also allow us to take hold of that which is life indeed. The Lord came that we might have life and life is not hoarding up for ourselves, for He Himself has said that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Acts 20:35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Have you ever noticed that when you lose $20.00 you have a sick feeling about it every time you think of it? However, when you give $20.00 to someone in need then every tine you think of it you have a good feeling? Either way, you are out of $20.00 but one situation brought life to your soul and the other brought death to the soul. The Lord wants you to give so much that He has always put the needy in our lives so that we will never have an excuse for not doing good.

Mark 14:7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.

The Lord says that He will judge us on the good deeds that we have done for others. There will be no excuses because God in His wisdom has always had the poor with us. Are you unhappy and life is “all about you” then find someone needy and meet that need. You will find that those who give are the happiest people you will know.

Matthew 6:3,4 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

There is only one time in the Bible where the Lord says that He will be a debtor to man. Listen to what He says. We do not give to others so that we can receive but the Lord certainly keeps His Word and pays back more than enough. Lend to the Lord and let Him repay you.

Proverbs 19:17 One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his good deed.

One last warning about giving, the Lord says that those who give to the rich will come to poverty. Again, the Lord’s wisdom is so wonderful. He knows our hearts and they are deceitful. He does not want us to give to the rich for they do not need neither do they appreciate our gifts. When we give to the poor it is giving to the Lord and it is to be done in secret. Follow His instructions and let Him bless you.

Proverbs 10:22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.

When Jesus comes again then He will judge the world. The non Christians will be judged for their lack of trust in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the things they did openly and in secret that are against His commandments. The Christians will be judged for their faith and faithfulness to Him shown by the deeds that they did. May He find you faithful.

 

 

 

A Life that Is Full of Wisdom

If you really want to live life to the fullest, and it is possible, then you desperately need wisdom. We all need God’s wisdom and wisdom is His instruction on how to live well. He came that you might have life and might have it abundantly but we sabotage our own lives by not knowing His ways and not living according to His wisdom. God’s wisdom is His ways.

John 10:10b I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Even though Jesus is the Son of God, He still needed to learn God’s ways and the wisdom from above. Jesus was full of wisdom but He had to be taught just as we need to be taught God’s ways.

Luke 2:40 The Child continued to grow and become strong, becoming full of wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Jesus learned the Word of God and lived according to it. This is what it means that God’s grace was upon Him. God’s grace enabled Him to grow strong and full of wisdom.

Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

The Lord will also give us His grace to live according to His ways. Just as Jesus increased in wisdom, we too, are to grow in wisdom.The Lord promises to give wisdom to anyone who will ask Him. He gives it without reproach, which means, He does not say “I told you so” rather, He is waiting for you to ask so that He can help you live life without needless pain.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

God’s Word is the source of wisdom.

Proverbs 4:5 Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

If you want to become full of wisdom then you must become full of God’s Word and be filled with His Spirit. As you seek to obey the Lord in what He says in His Word then He illumines your heart by His Spirit and fills you with His insight and wisdom.

Psalm 119:98,99 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.

You must love God’s Word, live by God’s Word, dwell in God’s Word, meditate on God’s Word and devour God’s Word. If you will do this then you will see the quality of your life greatly improve and not only will you be blessed but you will be a blessing to others.

Proverbs 3:13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding.

Measure your life by God’s Word and see where you are in His wisdom. Are these the qualities that characterize your life?

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

Wisdom will illumine your face and you will be a light to the world.

Ecclesiastes 8:1 Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.

God’s wisdom will give you insight and you will be like the stars that shine.

Daniel 12:3 Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Jesus was full of wisdom and He wants to fill you with His wisdom. He has made this offer of wisdom to all but it is only those who seek Him who will find and discover His wisdom. Much of the pain we go through in life is not knowing His wisdom. He has given us many gifts but if we do not have His wisdom then we never experience the joy of His blessings, rather sadly, we experience much sorrow because we don’t know His ways.

Proverbs 10:22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.

Let Him make you rich in good gifts rather you becoming poor with much sorrow because you don’t have His wisdom. Let Him make you rich with a loving spouse and loving children. Let Him make you rich with a clear conscience rather than poor with shame and compromise. Let Him make you rich in the things that really make life rich rather than you becoming poor with the cheap substitutes that are only counterfeits to the real gifts of life. The Lord is good and wants to give you good gifts that will bless you.

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Last of all, if and when you become a mother, one of the greatest gifts that you can give to your children is to teach them God’s ways so that they will be full of His wisdom beginning at an early age.

 

 

 

A Life Filled with The Word

If you will fill your life with the Word of God then your life will overflow with great joy, peace and thanksgiving. You will see the Lord in everything for all of life is an expression of His Word and who He is. The whole world is full of His glory. Your eyes will be opened and you will see His glory. As His promises fill your life then you will see His love for you in a thousand different ways.

II Corinthians 1:20a For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes;

There are over 5,000 promises in God’s Word and it is impossible for God to lie. You can depend on His promises and they are your greatest treasure if you are one of His children. The Lord is unchangeable committed to His Word and His promises will never fail.

Hebrews 6:17,18 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

The Lord has given you the inheritance of His promises and He wants you to take refuge in Him so that you will have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

His Word is God’s language and when you speak His language then He hears you in a special way and will fulfill the promises that you pray back to Him.

Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

His Word is truth. The more you learn to pray His Words the more assurance you will have that your prayers are being answered.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

Just as each one us delights in hearing our names spoken and our language spoken so also the Lord delights in the prayers of His people when they pray His Words.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

Your life will be full of life when it is full of God’s Word.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God’s Word is what will cleanse your heart as our heart is deceitful but God’s Word is like a mirror that when we look into it then we see our heart as it really is. If God’s Word is in your heart then the mirror will continually be before your life so that you will not forget if you just heard the Word and did not put in your heart. If your life is filled with God’s Word and you do what it says then the Lord says that He will bless you in whatever you do. A really amazing promise to the one who will do exactly as He says.

James 1:23-25 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Is your life filled with God’s Word? Is His Word within your heart so that you can do exactly as He says and not forget it? How does a person know if God’s Word is in their heart? If it is in your heart then you will talk about it. You will not be able to contain it within your heart but when you open your mouth you will speak what is in your heart.

Luke 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

You will not merely be a hearer of the Word but a doer and you will be blessed and you will be a blessing to many.

 

 

A Life of Generosity and Joy

Generosity and joy go hand and hand. The Lord Himself said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving gets your eyes off of yourself and your interests and needs and causes you to become aware of the needs of others around you. The ore yo give, the more your cup of joy will overflow.

Acts20:35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Giving gives you a heart for the Lord, for where your treasure is there will your heat be also. Your heart will follow your treasure. Time and money are two of your treasures that you can give away.

Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The generous person will be prosperous or successful.

Proverbs 11:25 The generous man will be prosperous,

Give to those who can not pay you back. The Lord says that even sinners give to those from whom they will receive something back. When you give to the needy of His people you are giving to the Lord.

Matthew 25:35-40  For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

The person who gives to the rich will come to poverty. Give to a person in need and they will give you their heart.  When you meet the need of the needy then you are removing the obstacle in their life so that they can hear the Gospel. You are allowing them to see the love and truth of God so that they can hear the love and truth of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

Give to the poor and the Lord says that He Himself will pay you back. It is the only time in Scripture where the Lord says that He will become man’s debtor. His payment is in full and more. He remains no man’s debtor.

Proverbs 19:17 One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord,  And He will repay him for his good deed.

Give to those who have helped you spiritually.

Galatians 6:6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

Your cup of joy will overflow as you give to the Lord by giving to His people, the needy and to reach others for Christ.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”