Obedience Is Key To Happiness
Praise the Lord! On this past Sunday, I celebrated my spiritual birthday. I have been saved, satisfied and serving the Lord for 24 years. Glory! As I looked back over my walk with the Lord, I can recall times that I was not happy. I look at believers today and I can see that many are not happy.
There is a revelation of a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is based upon circumstances. This is not a bad thing. If you get a promotion on your job, you are happy. If you receive unexpected income in the mail, you are happy. If someone does something nice for you, you are happy. If the sun is shining and things are going well, you are happy. Again, this is not a bad thing. However, what do you do when things are not going well?
Joy on the other hand is a fruit of the Spirit. It is an inward contentment that is not based on circumstances. It is the result of the indwelling of the Spirit which is fueled by the grace, goodness and glory of the Lord. Psalms 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Joy comes from being in the presence of the Lord! Once you have been with Him, you realize that there is nothing too hard for Him because He is more than able to turn any circumstance around!
Now that you see that there is a difference between happiness and joy, I want to show you how you can contribute to your own happiness. Joy is an inside job, but there is one key thing that every believer can do to contribute to his or her own happiness. This key is not some far, out of reach, abstract concept. In fact, all of us have reaped the benefits of it when consistently applied to our lives. The key is obedience.
Obedience is the theme that runs throughout the Bible. In the of Deuteronomy, there are multiple references to obedience. I encourage you to read the entire book and note how many times the word "obey" is mentioned in the New Living Translation. Today, I want to point out just a few verses found in chapters five and six.
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 So Moses told the people, “You must BE CAREFUL TO OBEY all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Deuteronomy 6:1-3 “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. YOU MUST OBEY them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. IF YOU OBEY ALL his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and BE CAREFUL TO OBEY. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
Deuteronomy 6:17-18 YOU MUST DILIGENTLY OBEY the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Note the emphasis in these three verses and the result of obedience. I love how it says if you obey, then all will go well. Doesn't it make you happy when things go well? Now there are many situations and circumstances that are beyond your control. However, think of the times that things were not going well simply because you did not obey.
I trust today's teaching has encouraged your heart. If you are not happy, do a self check and see if there is an area or areas in your life that you have not been obedient to the Lord. Make the mid term corrections and purpose from this day forward to do what is right and good in the Lord's sight so that all will go well with you.
Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven in 2011,
Pastor Sheila
There is a revelation of a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is based upon circumstances. This is not a bad thing. If you get a promotion on your job, you are happy. If you receive unexpected income in the mail, you are happy. If someone does something nice for you, you are happy. If the sun is shining and things are going well, you are happy. Again, this is not a bad thing. However, what do you do when things are not going well?
Joy on the other hand is a fruit of the Spirit. It is an inward contentment that is not based on circumstances. It is the result of the indwelling of the Spirit which is fueled by the grace, goodness and glory of the Lord. Psalms 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Joy comes from being in the presence of the Lord! Once you have been with Him, you realize that there is nothing too hard for Him because He is more than able to turn any circumstance around!
Now that you see that there is a difference between happiness and joy, I want to show you how you can contribute to your own happiness. Joy is an inside job, but there is one key thing that every believer can do to contribute to his or her own happiness. This key is not some far, out of reach, abstract concept. In fact, all of us have reaped the benefits of it when consistently applied to our lives. The key is obedience.
Obedience is the theme that runs throughout the Bible. In the of Deuteronomy, there are multiple references to obedience. I encourage you to read the entire book and note how many times the word "obey" is mentioned in the New Living Translation. Today, I want to point out just a few verses found in chapters five and six.
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 So Moses told the people, “You must BE CAREFUL TO OBEY all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. 33 Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Deuteronomy 6:1-3 “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. YOU MUST OBEY them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. IF YOU OBEY ALL his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. 3 Listen closely, Israel, and BE CAREFUL TO OBEY. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
Deuteronomy 6:17-18 YOU MUST DILIGENTLY OBEY the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. 18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Note the emphasis in these three verses and the result of obedience. I love how it says if you obey, then all will go well. Doesn't it make you happy when things go well? Now there are many situations and circumstances that are beyond your control. However, think of the times that things were not going well simply because you did not obey.
I trust today's teaching has encouraged your heart. If you are not happy, do a self check and see if there is an area or areas in your life that you have not been obedient to the Lord. Make the mid term corrections and purpose from this day forward to do what is right and good in the Lord's sight so that all will go well with you.
Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven in 2011,
Pastor Sheila
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