Thought for Saturday, June 16th

June 16, 2012

Be Happy – There Is No Good Reason Not To

Some say that happiness is a state of mind.  I’m not sure it is that simplistic but if it were what reason, when you consider how surrounded we are by the beauty of God’s creation, could we possibly have, not to be happy?

Personally, I think happiness goes beyond a state of mind and should for a Christian be a state of the heart.   If you take the context of happiness to that level and you consider that as a Christian you have the very presence of God living within you: do you really have any justification, not to be happy?

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”

Ann Frank

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalms 148:1-14

Whether you think of happiness as a state of mind; a state of the heart; or some other state – remember the joy of the Lord is our strength and when we consider all He has done: all that He is doing and all that He has yet promised to do for us and in our lives – we have a lot to be happy about.

Today’s Prayer

Father, your creation declares your glory and I want to do the same.  I want to praise you in the morning, at noontime and in the evening and even in the midnight hours.  I want to recognize the wonder of all that you are and all that it is which you give me and that you give me so many reasons to be happy.  May I always delight myself in you; in the power of your might and in the beauty of your creation.

“My life is in You Lord
My strength is in You Lord
My hope is in You Lord
In You, it’s in You

I’ll praise You with all of my life
I’ll praise You with all of my strength
With all of my life, with all of my strength
All my hope is in You “

-  Lyrics from ‘My Life Is In You Lord’ by Daniel Gardner