If you're happy and you know it clap your hands... if you're happy and you know it stomp your feet... If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it, if you're happy and you know it say, "Amen!"

Old Bible school song

Every year the small church that I preached at has Vacation Bible School. The main attraction, the Gospel Chariot, is a cut-down cotton trailer that is pulled through town by an old tractor. While we typically have a half a dozen or so grade-school kids in our regular Bible classes, the Vacation Bible School with it's Gospel Chariot multiplies our classes by ten-fold or more. It is not at all unusual to see the Gospel Chariot arrive back at the church building with 60 to 70 plus grade school kids, and we always sing the "If You're Happy and You Know it" song, complete with hand-clapping, foot stomping on the metal chariot floor, and high decibel "amening" to bring the song to it's roaring conclusion.

Now, I don't want you to get me wrong. Our Bible classes are headed by dedicated Bible teachers who make sure that the kids go home with something far more than the memories of an out of tune preacher, but we do have a good time. I like seeing these kids with unrestrained smiles lighting up faces that are clearly filled with a pure and unbridled joy. 

Personally, I think we could use more joy in this world.

Have you ever noticed how the joy that once came so easily seems to fade as we grow older? Maybe it's because we find that life is harder as the years go by and, while for some that may be true, I think that it is something far deeper than just adding a few years. I believe we lose our joy because we lose sight of the source of our blessings. And, once we have taken our eyes off of God, we tend to slip into a kind of desperate pattern of life. That pattern often consists of reluctantly getting out of bed for a job we really don't like. We slog through our days, wondering if we will ever get off of work, and then we go home to an unhappy and unfulfilling pattern that usually involves useless electronic consumption, and well as the overindulgence of food and drink. Then we go to bed and get up far too early to do the same thing over, and over, and over. Add a spouse and kids to the mix and we sometimes become overwhelmed with the responsibility and challenges that come along with a family.

Yuck! If this describes you more often that you would like to admit, then maybe you could consider this admonition from a man who experienced similar problems:

Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun, during the few days of life God has given him - for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them,

to accept his lot and be happy in his work -

this is a gift of God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, NIV (1978)

Now that is living. But what is the difference between the man who is unsatisfied with his mundane existence and the one who finds his life fulfilled and full of excitement? It is that one man doesn't realize who he is, nor what he is here for, nor from whence his blessings flow. The other man... does. And, he is happy!

Here is an undeniable truth that is worthy of our consideration: God loves us, and has put us here, in part, to see if we love Him enough to serve Him with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength. Those who do are generally going to be happy, while those who have no desire to serve will generally become self-centered and dissatisfied with the state of their life. Which man are you? If it's the happy one, why not say a hearty "Amen!", sprinkled generously with a thank you or two to the One who gives your life meaning and joy!

It's okay to be happy, just as it is okay to not always be caught up in the problems of life. It is true that problems have to be honestly addressed, but it is also true that God has given us the great gift of happiness, if we will only be smart enough to accept it. After all, if you're happy and you know it... 

If someone you trusted told you that for every dollar you gave them they would give you at least ten dollars in return, would you do it? Well, to be truthful, we would all probably meet this offer with a healthy degree of skepticism, but if we really trusted them we would probably at least give it a try with at least a dollar or two. If they met their end of the deal, we would probably risk more if they made the same offer at a later time. If they repeatedly made good on this same agreement, we would eventually be risking every dollar we could afford because, frankly, we would be foolish not to. Now, consider this:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is pure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 

More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 

Moreover by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalms 19:7-11, KJV

The 19th Psalm doesn't get enough attention. Maybe it's because it is "crowded out" by what most to be the greatest of all Psalms, just four chapters later. Maybe it's because it is so old, or maybe because people just don't read the Bible much anymore. Whatever the case, it is a Psalm we should pay attention to because it will help to make you richer than you could ever hope to become in your wildest dreams.

Or perhaps I should say that the principles contained in this Psalm can do that, for the truths contained therein have within them the inference that the whole of God's Word will have to be read in order for us to obtain these vast riches. And reading God's Word takes time, something that most people feel that they do not have. That's why God reminds us in His Word of the great reward guaranteed to those who will first find and then keep His words.

It must be repeated that such wealth will take time, so why don't we consider the value in giving Him that time and then go ahead and get started? This time is, after all, His in the first place. Furthermore, the return on investment for the time you give in seeking His will is far in excess of anything we can imagine. Why, we would be foolish not to take Him up on His promises, wouldn't we?

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for at as for silver,

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:1-6, NIV (1978)

It's a pretty good deal, wouldn't you agree?

If these verses and thoughts have helped you, please consider liking and sharing this article. It will help as many as possible have the opportunity to think about these great treasures found in God's Word.

Nassim Taleb tells of a story of the turkey. The turkey has been fed by the farmer for 1,000 days. When it is cold, the turkey has a place indoors, provided by the farmer. When sick, the farmer nurses the turkey back to health. The turkey concludes that the farmer loves him.

One day, the farmer shows up with a truck and the excited turkey hops in for the ride of his life. In fact, it is the final ride of his life.

Now imagine this fictional story. It is about a group of a people's leaders who were working on a plague in a far away land. An identical plague begins in this same place, but the leaders of the people who developed the plague tell the people it wasn't their plague that is reeking havoc. Just a curious coincidence. Further, the leaders who developed the identical plague that was definitely not the one that  is now infecting the people have come up with a plan. They want to lock everybody up for a while, but they will give them money. The people conclude that their leaders love them. 

One day, the leaders show up with a cure, and the excited people hop on the bandwagon for the ride of their lives.

Silly stories, aren't they? But as silly as they are, it shows how important it is to have something in your life that doesn't change. This is what Christ offers:

For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8, RSV

We live in a confusing world. I suppose most of that confusion is created by the prince of this world, Satan, who is also called the father of lies. The Bible reveals that the devil hates us and desires our destruction. However, so many who live in this world have bought into the lies of the devil and those who follow him, and they choose to enjoy the life of sin for a season. They enjoy it so much, in fact, that they conclude that whoever or whatever is the source of this sin must love them. The ironic thing is that most of those who follow the devil's path do not even believe he exists.

But they are being set up for the slaughter, and must wake up before they get taken for that final ride of their lives.

Now, back to the stability and certainty that is available only in Christ. It is true that those who follow Christ will have bad things happen to them from time to time and some will give up following Him for that very reason. The ironic thing is that Christ is not the source of the bad things, but the cure. Still, many reject God's purpose and will abandon the One who has the cure, for the one who does not. 

It is very true that this life comes with tests and trials of many kinds, and no one is exempted from some hard times. The question is do we want to go through these hard times with the help of our loving Father, or do we want to try and handle them on our own?

Again, we live in confusing times. Many people are divided as to who and what the source of our problems are, and will often rely on the ones who appear to love them, and they will lash out violently at anyone who challenges their notions of that love. We turn on the news and see wars and riots and people spewing hateful speech at one another. It seems we cannot even have rational disagreements anymore, for every scrap of information that challenges our understanding is viewed as a challenge and a threat. Families and friends are being divided, with these precious relationships often being permanently severed. 

So, what is a person to do? People are genuinely asking us that very question and we need to be able to give them a solution that really works. So, what is the answer? It begins with the verse above, with the realization that Jesus will never change. For those who decide to follow His unchanging standards, there is hope... and this world needs hope!

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

and hope does not disappoint us,

because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given us.

Romans 5:1-5, RSV 

Take the case of a forty year old man who has been going to the doctor for years with the concern that he has a fatal condition. After being reassured each time that he is perfectly healthy, he finally hears the doctor speak those words he has long been fearing: "I am sorry", the doctor begins, "but you are dying. I regret to tell you that there is nothing I can do."

The man is stunned. He leaves the doctor's office in a fog and moves throughout the next few days as a man who is sleepwalking. It suddenly dawns on him that he forgot to even ask the doctor how much time he has left, so he rushes back to his office and asks that fateful question. The doctor looks at him, curiously half amused, and has him sit down. He looks at the man and tells him the following, "I can't be sure exactly how long you have, no one can do that. It could be days, but..." "But what" the man demands, "can't you give me a reasonable estimate?" The doctor then says this: "My best estimate for a man of your age and condition is somewhere between thirty and forty years, maybe more if you are fortunate and take care of yourself."

Do you see the point? While we don't want to make light of the fact that many people do have serious conditions that suddenly tear their remaining years from them, the fact is that we should all be living our lives as if each day were exactly what they are: A precious gift from God that should be accepted with gratitude and then lived with purpose. In the only Psalm attributed to Moses, the prophet of God said this:

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."

Psalms 90:10&12, KJV

We all struggle with thoughts that we or our loved ones could somehow leave this earth far too soon, but when we do that we cheat ourselves out of the rich blessings of the present. We often spend so much time fretting over days gone by or worrying about what the future might surprise us with that we forget to live, to really live, in the here and now. As the good doctor in the fictional account above pointed out, no one on this side of Heaven knows how long we have. Since that is the case, wouldn't we do well to live as best we can for now. 

Questions concerning our salvation (are you saved?) and the salvation of our loved ones should be not only asked, but answered with a knowledgeable conclusion. This can only be done if we are familiar with the Scriptures, so we better be reading God's Word on a regular basis. We need to determine to the best of our ability just what God expects of us, and what preparations must be made to meet those expectations. We need to be serious about our service to God but, having done that, we need to trust in Him enough to know that He will take care of everything we cannot.

So, relax. Take a deep breath and start to enjoy these days that God has given to you. They are a gift, so view them in that manner. Pray with thanksgiving for those things that only God can supply, and then get to the fruitful and pleasant work that God has for you. This can be a very good life here on earth for those who are living as servants of God, but remember this: We were created for Heaven! This is the goal, so do not fret that you might reach it earlier than anticipated. Of course we have people here that we need to help, and we don't want to leave those responsibilities early, but trust God for that part.

If you have been worried that your life may somehow be cut short before you are ready to go then   start   preparing    now!    Having done that, trust in God to do the right thing. He always has, and He always will!