January 2003 Meditation
"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God." (Psalm 146:5)
Every human being yearns for happiness. Most of us have therefore begun this new year by wishing each other a happy new year. But the very happiness we seek so often eludes us.
Why is this so? Happiness is that state of mind which results from our perception of the happenings in our lives. Consequently, our state of being happy or unhappy is frequently contingent upon what does or does not happen. Hence our lives are so often a roller-coaster ride between mountain peaks of happiness and valleys of unhappiness.
The happiness spoken of in Psalm 146 however, does not depend on what happens! Rather, it is rooted in the knowledge that the God of Jacob is my Helper, and that this God is my God. When a person knows that God is his God, he can deal with unpleasant and painful circumstances. One can then even be happy when there is every reason to be unhappy.
Dear friend, are you acquainted with this happiness? Do you know the God of Jacob, the God of sinners--the God who is very gracious and pardons iniquity? It is this God of Jacob who so loved a world of fallen sinners that He gave His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that whosoever would believe on Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Jacob can also be your God. Only through this precious Saviour can you have a personal relationship with God, for only by believing on Jesus Christ can your sins be forgiven and can you be reconciled with God. And to know that is the real essence of true happiness!
Dear friend, you were created to find your happiness in God. Therefore, as a guilty, needy sinner, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. And then, and only then, shall you be happy. It is my wish that in this sense the year 2003 may be a happy year for you!
Pastor B. Elshout
