God's Plan and Promises for His PeopleSmakprov

God involves Himself in our lives, even in the trials of our lives, to bring us real happiness. When we are reproached for the sake of Christ, God's plan is to make us happy. When we are chastened by God's merciful hand, His plan is to make us happy. When we suffer for righteousness sake, God's plan is to make us happy.

It's not easy to comprehend the ways of God, and it's even more difficult to trust them. But God does not lie, and neither does His Word. Amid every kind of trial, our faithful God is working out all things "together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

But God's plan for our happiness runs the other direction as well. It's a two-way street. Not only does He involve Himself in our lives, but His plan calls for us to involve ourselves in His life as well.

The strength and the happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going in that way too.

—Henry Ward Beecher.

How does our involvement with the Lord plug into God's plan for happiness? Well, think about who the Bible says is truly happy.

"Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him" (Ps. 2:12).

"Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" (Ps. 144:15).

"Blessed is the man who fears the Lord"

(Ps. 112:1).

"Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart" (Ps. 119:2).

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You" (Ps. 84:5).

The Bible list goes on and on. For God plans to make us supremely happy by involving Himself in our lives and by making Himself the supreme goal of our lives. And along with that plan are these precious promises:

"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it" (Prov. 10:22). "Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing" (Ps. 34:10).

"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance" (Ps. 89:15).

"Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.... You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.... Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord" (Ps. 128:1-4).

"He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he" (Prov. 16:20).

The fact is, no one can pursue happiness. Real happiness finds us; we don't find it. When we seek God, when we trust Him, when we fear Him, when we obey His Word, when we find our strength in Him, we discover as pleasant by-product happiness that the world never dreamed possible.

Happiness is involving our lives in God's life and allowing Him to be involved in our lives. It is setting God as our goal, walking the path that leads to Him and discovering along the way that we have something that other people don't have. We have the joy of the Lord. 

Augustine, a well-known fourth-century bishop, once said, "Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure, there your heart; where your heart, there your happiness."

If we make it the habit of our lives to take our pleasure with God, to direct our treasure toward God, and to give our heart to God, we will find our happiness in God.

Happiness need not evade your life. If you make God the supreme goal of your life and see His involvement in every detail of your life, you will not search far for happiness. It will track you down because God has a plan for your happiness, and He is both the means and the end of that plan. Besides, His is the only plan that works!God involves Himself in our lives, even in the trials of our lives, in order to bring us real happiness. When we are reproached for the sake of Christ, God's plan is to make us happy. When we are chastened by God's merciful hand, His plan is to make us happy. When we suffer for righteousness' sake, God's plan is to make us happy.

It's not easy to comprehend the ways of God, and it's even more difficult to trust them. But God does not lie, and neither does His Word. In the midst of every kind of trial we find our faithful God working all things "together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).

But God's plan for our happiness runs the other direction as well. It's a two-way street. Not only does He involve Himself in our lives, but His plan calls for us to involve ourselves in His life as well.

The strength and the happiness of a man consists in finding out the way in which God is going, and going in that way too.

—Henry Ward Beecher

How does our involvement with the Lord plug into God's plan for happiness? Well, think about who the Bible says is truly happy.

"Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him" (Ps. 2:12).

"Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" (Ps. 144:15).

"Blessed is the man who fears the Lord"

(Ps. 112:1).

"Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart" (Ps. 119:2).

"Blessed is the man whose strength is in You" (Ps. 84:5).

The Bible list goes on and on. For God plans to make us supremely happy by involving Himself in our lives and by making Himself the supreme goal of our lives. And along with that plan are these precious promises:

"The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it" (Prov. 10:22). "Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing" (Ps. 34:10).

"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance" (Ps. 89:15).

"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.... You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.... Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord" (Ps. 128:1-4).

"He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he" (Prov. 16:20).

The fact is, no one can actually pursue happiness. Real happiness finds us; we don't find it. When we seek God, when we trust Him, when we fear Him, when we obey His Word, when we find our strength in Him, we discover as a pleasant by-product a happiness that the world never dreamed possible.

Happiness is involving our lives in God's life and allowing Him to be involved in our lives. It is setting God as our goal, walking the path that leads to Him, and discovering along the way that we have something that other people don't have. We have the joy of the Lord.

Augustine, a well-known fourth-century bishop, once said, "Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure, there your heart; where your heart, there your happiness."

If we make it the habit of our lives to take our pleasure with God, to direct our treasure toward God, and to give our heart to God, we will find our happiness in God.

Happiness need not evade your life. If you make God the supreme goal of your life and see His involvement in every detail of your life, you will not search far for happiness. It will track you down, because God has a plan for your happiness, and He is both the means and the end of that plan. Besides, His is the only plan that works!