Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. {Philippians 4:4}
Choose to be happy – because what else is there? If we don’t choose to be happy, the alternative isn’t much of a good choice. Yes, there are circumstances in this life and people in our lives that might cause us to be unhappy, but that doesn’t mean we have to allow them to make us unhappy. Happiness is a choice. Feelings will follow after we make that choice. We don’t decide one day we’re going to be a teacher or a musician or an artist, and overnight we are. We choose to be that person. We choose to be a teacher or a musician or an artist and then we work on it. We go to school, take the classes we need and pass the exams it takes to be what we want to be. Likewise being happy is a choice. There might be circumstances in our lives that may cause us to be heartbroken and unhappy, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stay there and be miserable for the rest of our lives. We continue to choose to be happy. We continue to work on that path to happiness.
Take King David for example, he had a lot to be unhappy about. First of all, he was the baby of the eight sons of Jesse. His brothers didn’t think much of him, neither did his father. So much so that when Prophet Samuel came to tell David’s father Jesse that he was there to anoint one of his sons to be the next king after King Saul, Jesse never even thought of bringing David up as one of the choices. He had his seven sons line up before Prophet Samuel and didn’t bring David in. It was a good thing God didn’t judge by the appearance of man but by his heart, or else He would’ve chosen the first son of Jesse who impressed Prophet Samuel very much as someone that should be king. The Lord rejected all the seven sons of Jesse until finally Samuel asked him if he still had another son, because surely the Lord didn’t make a mistake telling him to go to the house of Jesse and anoint one of his sons to be the next king. Sure enough Jesse remembers David and he was brought in from the field. The Lord then tells Prophet Samuel that it was David that He had chosen, and to get up and anoint him to be the next king. Amazingly enough David was taken from the field because his job was being a shepherd boy. It makes you wonder how undistinguished this job must have been if none of his older brothers would take it. But David took it and it seems to me did it well. He loved his sheep and cared for them so much that we find out later on he killed a lion and a bear to save his sheep. This is how we ended up with Psalm 23: The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want chapter. David composed this song out of his experience of being a shepherd boy. He turned a humble job to something we can all appreciate today. How many times has this chapter of Psalms uplifted so many of us because of the words? If David didn’t have the right attitude in spite of his lowly job we would surely have missed out on the beauty of this psalm. Where would be many of us without this beautiful psalm?
But that’s not the end of David’s miserable life. After he was anointed he went back to becoming a shepherd boy again. Later on when we see him join the army of King Saul (because he had killed Goliath), Saul somehow figured out through the grapevine that David was the next king God had chosen. Saul then never ceased to torment David and tried to kill him numerous times. Finally David had to flee to a foreign country so that Saul couldn’t torment him anymore. This created such a miserable life for David. He was basically a fugitive for the rest of his life until the Lord finally took King Saul and his sons out of the way, and placed David to be the next king. David did not become king for at least fifteen to seventeen years after he was anointed. And then, even when he was anointed king in Judah, the rest of Israel wouldn’t acknowledge him as king until seven years later. All the years of David’s life were filled with battles after battles to save God’s people from their enemies. Not to mention his own son Absalom came against him with a throng of his own people and David again had to flee for his life, his wives and the rest of his children in tow with him. And yet, in the midst of all this unhappy and challenging circumstances in David’s life, David chose to give God the praise and the glory. He chose to be happy and thankful. The Bible tells us that one time when a group of his own people wanted to stone him, David chose to encourage himself in the Lord. The Bible tells us,
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. {1 Samuel 30:6}
From this scenario alone we can pretty much sum up that David didn’t like staying miserable. He knew how to choose happiness and where to find it. This is what David tells us about his reason for choosing God to turn to when he’s miserable:
{To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.} I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. {Psalm 9:1-10}
So you see, being happy is a choice. You can either choose to stay miserable or choose to be happy. And with God on our side and available to us twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty five days a year, we have no excuse not to be happy. Choose to be happy. Choose God, because when we choose to be happy and when we choose to look to God, our happiness is guaranteed. We cannot stay miserable. The law of nature and the law of God will be aligned for us to accomplish joy and happiness in our life. It’s a win-win situation. Whatever we focus on, whatever we think about will be brought about in our lives. Remember what the Bible tells us, whatever we think about we will become. {Proverbs 23:7} Sure we will have circumstances in this life that will try to derail us on our road of happiness, but so what? What are our problems compare to God who creates everything out of nothing? All He has to do is speak the word and it is done. We can do the same thing through the power of His name. What are our little annoyances in this life compare to how big our God is? When we choose to be happy and grateful and thankful, believe it or not we are actually choosing God. But when we choose to be unhappy and ungrateful and complaining all the time, we are choosing to reject God and not believe in Him.
So which will it be: Happiness or misery? I say happiness, because all things are possible to those that believe. And if you believe that being happy is possible, then that is what you will get. Choose to be happy. Choose God.
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. {Mark 9:23}
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. {Matthew 17:20}
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: {Jeremiah 32:17}
For with God nothing shall be impossible. {Luke 1:37}
As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. {2 Corinthians 6:10}
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. {Psalm 5:11}
I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. {Psalm 9:2}
Prayer
Father, I am so grateful and thankful to You because happiness is possible with You. I thank You because Your desire is for me to rejoice and be glad always. You wouldn’t have died at the cross for my sins to save me and to make it better for me in this life if You did not want me to be happy. I thank You because all things are possible in my life if I believe in You. Thank You with all of my heart Lord Jesus for You. Thank You because nothing is too hard with You.
I pray Father that You will please continue to help me and encourage me to always find You for my strength in this life. Help me to always choose to focus on You and in Your goodness rather than my miserable circumstances. Help me to find my strength in You. Help me to always choose to be happy. I love You Lord and I have no other help in this life but You. I pray for more love for You Lord, in the days to come, in Your wonderful name, Jesus. I pray. Thank You, Father. Amen.
