True Happiness
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10
Read Luke 2:8-13
There are many things that make us happy. We might enjoy good health or friendships. Maybe you are engaged and are making wedding plans. Perhaps you are doing well financially. All these things may give us temporary happiness. They are legitimate, good things which we may enjoy in this life, yet there is one thing that exceeds all of the above. That is what the angel declared in his surprising greeting; the great joy of which he spoke is God’s answer to our great need and misery. To the degree that we learn the latter, the more we will appreciate the former. We need the Holy Spirit to give us the joy of God through Christ and to truly enjoy our everyday blessings. God’s mercy is rich, and He is moved with compassion toward us. He declares this to all people. In fact, it is couched in a personal address: Unto you is born this day.
What else can the Lord do? How could He make His invitations more personal? How could the Lord humble Himself more deeply? In what better manner could the Lord assure you of His grace? This message reveals how deeply God has humbled Himself; this ought to humble us. Only then will we be truly happy. The Lord Jesus left the glory of heaven to be born in a cattle shed. When Jesus enters a ‘cattle shed’ of a filthy heart, He cleanses it so that it becomes an increasingly fit place for Him to reign. Do not be satisfied with the superficial happiness of this world. It will pass away. But listen carefully to the message given from heaven, which is also personally addressed to you. Do not fear; the Lord is willing to give you the true happiness which is to be found at His feet, at the manger of Bethlehem. Realize that the Christ who came to this world as a Sovereign is most fitting for people who have been humbled before Him.
Thought: When does happiness become an unspeakable, wonderful experience?
Psalter 29:1 (based on Psalm 16)
To Thee, O Lord I fly And on Thy help depend; Thou art my Lord and King Most High; Do Thou my soul defend. I praise the Lord above Whose counsel guides aright; My heart instructs me in His love In seasons of the night.