Be Happy!

When we look at the attributes of the Lord, we have much reason to rejoice. But that's not all: we can also look forward to the coming of the Lord, which could happen at any moment. We can look forward to what is then waiting for us in heaven. That the Son of GodThe term "Son of God" in the singular always refers to the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, He is the only begotten (unique) and eternal Son of God, who... More Himself has prepared everything for us in the Father's house so that we can spend eternity in this wonderful place. And that He will soon come again to take us to Himself.

And then we will experience eternal joy, eternal peace, and eternal comfort. We will be with Jesus forever with all of God's children. We will see Him in His glory – just as He is now. There is nothing greater!

Paul wishes the believers in Rome that the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace. Not just with some joy, but with all the fullness of joy that He wants to give! This happens when we trust His promises and when the wonderful Christian hope comes alive in our hearts. As it says in Romans 12:12: "rejoicing in hope."

It really is, as an old hymn once said: "A Christian's prosperity is unparalleled. But the question is whether we really realize this, whether we actually rejoice in the Lord, and whether this becomes visible in our lives.

Martin Lloyd Jones once said very aptly: "I believe that the greatest need today is a newly awakened and joyful church. ... Nothing is ... more important than that we free ourselves from a condition which gives other people the impression that to be a Christian is to be unhappy, sad, morbid, and that a Christian is someone who "despises joy and spends his life in toil."... Christians too often seem to be downcast and too often give the appearance of sadness, lack of freedom and lack of joy. There is absolutely no question that this is the main reason why large numbers of people have lost interest in Christianity."

I think there is a lot of truth in that. Of course, joy should not be artificial. It has to be genuine. But it has to do with a decision – the decision as to whether we want to rejoice in the Lord or whether we allow ourselves to be dragged down by the circumstances.