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Where does our Happiness come from?

That is really the question that will determine if we will be able to hold onto our happiness during these difficult days and in the future.

Many would like to think that due to having a vaccine for Covid 19, our days of trouble are over. Unfotunately, that is not true. They are just beginning.

Should we enjoy our “Days in the Sun”? Absolutely! They are a gift from God. 🙂

But we should also prepare for the future. Prepare, Watch and Pray. And one of the steps under “Prepare” is learning where true happiness, the type of happiness that can not be taken from us, comes from 🙂

It comes from God. And that is why it can not be taken from you.

It comes from Jesus. Whose love for us can always be relied upon.

It comes from the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Friend.

It comes in the Face of A Child.

In the hug of a loved one.

In the warmth of a friendship.

In the memory of a wonderful day

In a glimpse of the beauty of nature.

In the sound of a song.

And they are Gifts to us from God 🙂 Both now and in Heaven. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”-Matthew 23:1-3

In the above verse Jesus warns us about hypocricy and real obedience. There is such a huge difference between telling someone the right thing to do and actually doing it! Especially in today’s world.

But in this country, we are truly Blessed. We all have access to a Bible right now. And in it we can read God’s Word and learn for ourselves what He requires.

Don’t rely on people who instruct others on God’s Word, but fail to live it. We need to read the Bible and find out for ourselves what God requires -and then do it! 🙂

Sometimes I pray asking that if I ever fail to hold onto God, He will hold on to me 🙂

It’s a good prayer to pray 🙂

You see, as hard as we try, we are still human. And there will always be times when we fail to hold on to God the way we should, no matter how hard we try. And there will be times that we weaken and sin takes hold.

And so I always pray this prayer:

Hold on to me God, even if I fail to hold on to you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”-Pslam 91:2

So often we hear the words, “Trust God” , and we wonder-How?

Trust is a strange thing. If we don’t use it, we loose it.. And in order to obtain it in the first place, we need to be willing to take a risk.

One way is to be able to have Trust in God is to ask God, in Jesus’ Name, to place that trust in us, for we can not do that ourselves.

Another way is to realize just how much God loves us! Many of us have children and we love them so! We would never let harm befall them if we could help it. How much more does God love each of us!

Yet another way, is to act in service to God and watch the outcome. For if we are acting in the Will of God, there is no safer place we could be. And the outcome will belong to God alone, not us. So we don’t even have to worry about “doing it right”. We just need to step out in faith and watch God work 🙂

Often we are afraid to act in God’s service, especially these days. But courage is not the absence of fear, it’s the facing of it. And with God by our side, we can face any, and all, of our fears.

God is always on time, so we need not fear. He will be there when we need Him. And each time we act, our Trust in God will grow 🙂

“So be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”-Luke 21:36

“Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation, before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you.  Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.  Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”-Zephaniah 2: 1-3

There has been much discussion recently about the “End Times”.  There is no doubt that many of us are thinking of the time of the Lord’s Wrath right now and what will happen when it arrives.  Above are two Bible verses that address that very topic and they seem to indicate that we may be protected during that time.

Only God will be able to protect us during these times. So watch, prepare and pray 🙂

Psalm 20 was written by King David. It’s a great prayer to pray 🙂

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.^[b]
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.
⁹ Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

And God Will. He already did 🙂

My Refuge and My Fortress

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say^[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge^[b]—
¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
¹² On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

In these difficult days, God is the ONLY one who can truly help us 🙂

“Why does kindness seem revolutionary
When did we let hate get so ordinary
Let’s turn it around, flip the script
Judge slow, love quick“

The above verse is from the song, “Revolutionary”. Isn’t that what Jesus would do? I’m not saying that’s easy. It’s definitely not. But it is a worthy challenge and it is what Jesus would do 🙂

There is something else as well. When we see all these riots on TV. When we hear about the police officers who had some type of chemical thrown on them? It’s hard not to wish these perpetrators misfortune. But what we need to do, is pray for them. We are going to Heaven, right now they are not.

If we want to win this war of good versus evil, then we need to do it with God and with Prayer. And let Jesus “pull us up” 🙂