January 30-31.2010
Read Psalm 4 from the English Standard Version
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The Big Idea
I've never been known as a cheerful man. I've found that happiness is often over-rated, and yet we seem to pursue it with a hyper-focused devotion. The problem with happiness, is that it is purely circumstantial--if what happens is good, I'm happy. Anything goes bad, well, I'm unhappy.
By this point in your life, you've had days, weeks, and even years that gave you a ride on the roller-coaster of circumstance and emotion. It was Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip, who observed: "Happiness is a Warm Puppy." Yes, but eventually, warm puppies turn into large, soggy, smelly dogs (at least once in a while). Maybe your mental state and your overall attitude needs something deeper and more lasting than "happiness." Meditation
The key words here are Joy and Peace. Now, I'm the first to point out that you can't push the Christian faith by promising people anything like "peace, joy and a fulfilling life," but God does promise those things, not as selling points, but as the outcomes of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
People might think they are seeking happiness, but they are really loving vain words and seeking after lies. When you Know God, that doesn't guarantee happy circumstances. It guarantees that you have a place to go, regardless of the circumstances.
God does not promise happiness. He promises his people peace and joy--and few words have ever been more misused and misunderstood.
Peace, or Shalom is wholeness and a restored relationship with God (on the vertical) and with other people (on the horizontal). Because God redeemed me, I can love God, and because God redeemed me, I can love others regardless of their attitude toward me or toward God. The Cross of Christ, with its vertical and horizontal beams, is a good visual representation of Older Testament Shalom.
Joy is the overflowing life that comes from those restored relationships. Everything I do is the result of my new-found relationship with God, or the love I have for my fellow travelers.This weekend, take time to ignore your circumstances, and look at the difference that real Joy and real Peace have made (or could make) in your life. The redemption that Jesus Christ brings must transcend your circumstances. God made you for more than the meager diversions of happiness. Praying With This Psalm
You can pray scripture prayers for yourself or for others.
- Father God, may _________ know the richness of what it means that you are the "God of my righteousness."
- May ______ cry out to you in distress, with the confidence that you will be gracious and hear their prayer.
- Almighty God, may ______ have your heart for people who reject you. May they share your desire that lost hurting people would come to you and be set apart with the Godly as your people.
- Lord God, give _____ anger over injustice, the delusion of happiness, the constant desire for the favor of others. May they not sin, but ponder the fact that despite all these things, you are still at work.
- Lord Jesus, fill ______ with your joy when their tendency is to look for short-term happiness. Give _____ your peace/shalom so they can find true rest in you.
Related Scriptures and Scripture Prayers
- Romans 1:25. No more pursuing lies...
Father God, if ______ is trading your truth for lies, draw them back to you as creator. May they see themselves as your creation, lovingly made; may they see that you are ready to save them from the lies and dead-end things that they have been pursing.
- James 1:19-20. Angry good or Angry bad...
Lord Jesus Christ, may _____ understand the human anger does not lead to the righteousness that God requires.
- Philippians 3:8-9. Righteousness, not happiness...
Almighty God, may ______ abandon trivial pursuits and "rule following" for the righteousness that comes from you. May they know the freedom of faithful obedience, not relying on their own efforts, but relying on Jesus Christ.
(Some Rights Reserved, CC-BY-NC, 2010). L. J. Sam Helgerson, PhD
