My dear friend, brother and sister, do you want to be always happy, having fullness of joy? It is possible. Everybody is seeking happiness, even criminals, but they often end up in jail. People go to movie theatres, and they are happy for two hours, but when they come out, the happiness is gone again. Happiness is when you reach your goals. Happiness is when you are successful in your work, in your hobbies, and in your efforts.
A sportsman practices day after day, for months and years. Finally becomes good, and wins the race, or the game, and becomes a champion. Now he has reached his goal and he is happy.
A musician practices every day for years, and one day he is noticed, and he becomes famous; now he is happy, he has reached his goal.
All people are seeking happiness, and they think they know how to reach it. A worldly person will expect happiness in money, riches, fame, success, parties, fun, entertainment, and pleasure.
Some expect happiness in marriage, having a family, and children. A businessman expects happiness in profit and in the expansion of his business. Some expect happiness in higher education, others in the purchase of a house, car, or a holiday trip.
But, what does the Bible say? Where does the child of God find happiness and joy? “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Matthew 5:11–12
We are to rejoice in persecution and be exceeding glad. “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” Luke 6:22–23
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified.” 1 Peter 4:12–14
“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6–7
“I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities.” Psalm 31:7
“As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.” 2 Corinthians 6:10
“These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11
When the martyrs came to the place of execution, they were smiling and praising God, and singing happy songs. They did not suffer. When the Holy Spirit enters into a person, he is happy; when his name is written in the book of life, he has fullness of joy. Our missionary work is to bring joy and happiness to the people who are sad and unhappy.
All these Bible texts indicate that, God’s people can be happy although they are suffering and being hated; Jesus said that we will receive fullness of joy. Jesus also said that there are many things which people expect to give them happiness, but they will not satisfy the soul.
“But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:24–26
The great danger of professing Christians is the love of the world. They are slowly dying spiritually. Jesus saw this happening to the Jewish nation, and there was nothing He could do except weep over them. Also, there was nothing Jeremiah could do except weep over God’s people who were turning away from God.
“For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.” Lamentations 1:16
It seems so often in our world that the evil are prospering and the good are suffering. The righteous and faithful are sighing and crying for the abominations done among the people, in the same way that Jeremiah was weeping for the sins of the people.
Many will be outside with broken dreams, without salvation, without heaven, and eternal life. What went wrong? Today the Holy Spirit’s voice is calling out to everyone. Today Jesus is offering forgiveness of sin, yet many will choose not to repent and forsake their sins. Thus they lose sight of heaven; they cannot see Jesus anymore, and their happiness is also gone.
So many will be outside with a broken dream, without salvation, without heaven, and eternal life. What went wrong? It can happen to anyone. Suddenly they fall, and lose sight of heaven; they cannot see Jesus anymore, and their happiness is gone also.
This happened with Ancient Israel. When they left Egypt there were over 600,000 men 20 years and older besides women and children. Several times many fell into sin and died as a result. Finally, of the over 600,000 men, only two men entered into Canaan’s Land. All the others perished in the wilderness. Now we understand why only eight people were saved from the flood, from the estimated 100 million people living in the time of Noah.
This will happen also in the time of the end. Starting from the year 1844, only 144,000 of those who heard the Three Angels Messages will be saved. Nowhere are there so many broken dreams as among religious people. Jesus said, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:24
They were dreaming of eternal life, of peace and happiness, but in the end they hear the words of Jesus, “Depart from Me.” Matthew 7:23
How often do we see a brother or a sister failing, sinking as Peter was when Jesus had to lift him up from the water. Many who know God and the Bible are drowning in the sea of sin, and we must rush to their rescue and try to save them. This may bring tears to our eyes, like it brought tears to the eyes of Jesus and to Jeremiah. It is love towards them that brings sorrow upon us, as we see them drowning.
It was love that made Moses offer his eternal life for his people. Love makes us sacrifice for others.
It is the saddest love story between Christ and His people. It starts with everlasting love towards His people. “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3
Next comes our response to His love. “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37–38
If we do not love Jesus more than everything else, we are not worthy of Him.
After this comes marriage. Following wedding, everything seems happy and joyful; it is a new experience, a new life with Christ. Then something happens, along comes another lover. Eve loved Adam, but along came the serpent, offering something that Adam had never given her, and that was the forbidden fruit. It is so exciting, something new, and she forgot her husband and went along with the new lover.
Then comes separation: “Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:20
God and His people have difficulties. What has happened?
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Revelation 2:4. When the love is gone, then the happiness is gone also.
How important is love in a marriage? “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
“Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 31:32. The marriage covenant is broken… and then comes divorce.
“Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.” Isaiah 50:1
Then, next comes anger.
“And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.” Ezekiel 16:38
Is this the end of the story? No, this love story has a happy ending. The Lord is not without a bride or a wife.
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remant, we should have been as Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:9
The Lord still has in His church a very small remnant. What kind of remnant does the Lord still have? “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.” Zephaniah 3:12
This is the happy ending to the love story. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Revelation 19:7–8
We all can be happy, day and night, but we must watch carefully that we do not lose our happiness. Adam and Eve lost their happiness. When they were outside of the Garden of Eden, we can only wonder how many times they said, “Why did we do this sin, why did we eat of this tree?”
Satan wants us all to lose our happiness, but we must hold on to it, and let it grow greater and greater. When we are taken into the cloud with Jesus to go to Heaven, we will then be truly happy for all eternity. Jesus is still offering fullness of joy; let us all accept it. Amen.
Timo Martin