Open Secrets What Makes Us Happy Religion Essay

Once upon a clip a immature miss is going with her parents by auto. They pass by a fast-food mercantile establishment offering a Happy Meal. She asks, “ Oh, can we halt I ‘d be so happy if I had a happy repast. ” Her pa says, “ Would you truly? ” “ Yes, ” she says, “ In fact, if we can halt for such a repast I will ever be happy – ever be content – I ‘ll ne’er inquire for anything of all time once more. ” Truly? ” asks her pa. “ Yes, truly and genuinely. ” So they stopped for the repast.

And you know something. She was happy for the remainder of her life! She ne’er complained of all time once more. Never asked for anything. When she grew up and married, her hubby left her. When she was old her kids put her in a place and ne’er visited her. But she was happy. She would sit at that place believing about that Happy Meal – she was content.

It does n’t work that manner does it? And we all know that from experience.

What is it that genuinely makes person happy? Let me inquire you that inquiry. What do you believe would do you happy? If we opened up this broadcast and took telephone calls and hold different people respond to that inquiry, we ‘d acquire a batch of different replies.

But that ‘s truly non what I ‘m looking for. I ‘m non inquiring intellectually what would your response be. But instead, every twenty-four hours of our lives we answer that inquiry by what we live for and by how we live our lives. We are making what we think will finally do us happy.

That ‘s what I ‘m truly inquiring. Each twenty-four hours as we live our lives, what do we believe will do us happy?

Some people think it ‘s money or material things, and that ‘s what they live for. That ‘s

their passion. That ‘s what they give their lives to. Now, that can be person who does n’t

hold any money, but they ‘re convinced if they had money they ‘d be happy. Or it can be

person who has tonss of money, but they ground if they merely had a small spot more, so possibly they ‘d be more happy. So they buy all sorts of material things.

They say things such as: “ Money is n’t everything but it can give you a better category of wretchedness. ”

Brenda

There ‘s a expression: “ Money does n’t convey felicity, but it enables us to look for it in more topographic points. ”

Derek

So true! Or maybe it ‘s success. Some people are looking for something down that path to

do them happy. They will be happy if they achieve something with their life.

Brenda

Colonel Saunders of fast nutrient celebrity got it right when he said: “ There ‘s no ground to be the richest adult male in the graveyard. You ca n’t make any concern at that place. ”

Derek

For others, it ‘s a relentless chase for pleasance. It ‘s being convinced that somehow that ‘s traveling to take to happiness.

For some adolescents, in their head it has to make with popularity. It has to make with adjustment in. They ‘re convinced that if you were popular, if you merely suit in, that it would do them happy. And some adolescents are willing to make merely about anything in order to suit in.

For some it ‘s a relationship. Some people are convinced that if they had a different spouse they ‘d be happy. Some individual people are convinced that if they had a spouse, so they would be happy.

THE PSALMIST UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES US HAPPY.

He wants to do it an OPEN SECRET.

He ‘s non composing about theory ; he ‘s composing about what he has experienced and puts it into the words of the Psalm.

Psalm 84 is a Psalm with beautiful imagination, and we truly have to take out the images to understand the Psalm.

Brenda

I gather that Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great British sermonizer, called Psalm 84 one of the choicest Psalms of the aggregation.

Derek

The look ‘selah ‘ interruptions up the text – it literally means, ‘think a batch about this. ‘ And if we will I ‘m certain it ‘s traveling to assist us detect a deeper felicity than is on offer because we get a few nice things in our lives.

Cipher truly knows what the background of the Psalm is. Most likely it has something to make with going to Jerusalem, to the temple during one of the annual festivals in order to come in into the presence of God. You have to understand that in the Old Testament yearss the presence of God dwelt in the Tabernacle, or the temple in the instance of this Psalm. Specifically in the Holy of Holies.

So they literally went to a geographical country to see the presence of God. It appears that is truly the background for the authorship of this Psalm.

There are three ‘bless ‘ statements. Verses 4, 5 and 12: “ Blessed is the adult male — or the individual – who ” — and so it finishes that statement.

When we see that word blessed, it ‘s non the typical Hebrew word barak that means God blessing His people or a male parent blessing his kids. This is a different word than that.

This is a word that means to be happy, but it ‘s non a fiddling, silly-type of felicity. It ‘s a

felicity that is deep, rich and fulfilling. A type of felicity that would be similar to

what we would name “ joy ” . It ‘s something that ‘s truly deep and meaningful, which finally

fulfils and satisfies us.

That ‘s truly what this Psalm is about, and the remainder of the Psalm wraps around these three statements.

Brenda

The first blest statement is in verse 4: “ Blessed are those who dwell in your house ; they are of all time praising you. ”

Derek

Do we desire to be truly happy – truly content?

We lose happiness because we lose purpose. To happen felicity we must bury it. It ‘s a byproduct of a relationship with God. Paul put ‘s it like this: “ The fruit of the Spirit is joy ” – among other virtuousnesss. We do n’t hold to seek around seeking to happen felicity. We do need to take at turning our relationship with God and it will happen us.

Make you cognize what that means?

IT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO CRAVE AFTER GOD.

When the Psalmist negotiations about brooding in God ‘s house, you have to understand that this is a image of God ‘s presence. Reading through the Psalm, it ‘s obvious he ‘s non hankering for a edifice but the really presence of God. He wants to be with God.

I ‘ve stayed in a batch of motels and hotels in my life. They are topographic points where we visit. A topographic point where we halt on the manner through. You do n’t believe, “ Oh, I must name in the interior designers and acquire a quotation mark to alter the decor. But our place is where we dwell. It ‘s where we live and it ‘s where we do our life. That ‘s the significance of this word dwell.

It means to populate with God and to do a life with Him. It goes far beyond merely sing God every now and so.

Sometimes in my travels I get to remain in a place. There have been occasions when I have been told, “ Derek, delight do yourself at place. ” I appreciate that attitude and understand the desire to do me loosen up and experience at place that it communicates. However, I ne’er ‘make myself at place. ‘ You see, ‘at place ‘ I feel free to walk into any room and unfastened any cupboard – I would ne’er make that in another individual ‘s place. At place I feel free to snog the lady of the house – I decidedly would n’t make that in another individual ‘s place! So you see what it means to truly be at place with God – truly and genuinely at easiness with Him and He with us?

The God of the existence, the Lord over all things chooses to brood among us on Earth. So imagine this journey that they ‘ve made to Jerusalem, to the temple in order to see the presence of God. The psalmist is conceive ofing what a beautiful thing it is that this huge

God of the existence would brood among us that we could see His presence.

He says: “ My full individual – all of me longs to be in the presence of God. ” He craves it.

Brenda

He even faints for it – he ‘s so emotionally involved.

Derek

Yes — He ‘s shouting out for the life God.

The word for ‘cry ‘ describes a conflict call when they would travel into conflict. It was besides used to depict a kid who would shout out when hungry.

Brenda

And this vocal is set to guitar music.

Derek

Well — the ‘gittith ‘ was an eight-string instrument really much like a guitar. But it ‘s non a soft tune to direct us to kip. It ‘s heavy. It ‘s rhythmic. It ‘s traveling. It ‘s the thought of a call that comes out the bosom. This yearning to pass clip in the presence of God.

This is really passionate linguistic communication. As a affair of fact, it ‘s the linguistic communication that would be used to depict how one lover longs to be in the presence of his or her spouse. It ‘s non unusual for this linguistic communication, this yearning of one lover to another, to be used in the Bible to depict our relationship with God. It frequently uses the linguistic communication of lovers, a hubby and a married woman, and speaks in footings of familiarity.

That ‘s what the Hebrew means here when it talks about a passionate yearning to be in the presence of God, as a lover would hanker to be with his or her spouse.

Make you cognize what I think? Most Christians do n’t see this sort of passion for God. We understand that Jesus died on the cross for our wickednesss and we trust Jesus as our Saviour.

We know we ‘re traveling to heaven. We come and we serve as best we can, and we try to populate a

good life. But deep down, there truly is n’t that passionate relationship with God. The

hungering that one lover would hold for his or her spouse.

But that ‘s what this Psalmist is speaking approximately. He ‘s stating that the ultimate secret to felicity is truly that sort of a yearning — that sort of a passion for God.

A Christian mystic by the name of Thomas A’Kempis put it like this: “ Seek God non happiness. ” Normally we do the contrary.

The psalmist looks up into the pillars of the temple, and he sees some birds at that place. A sparrow and a sup. And he becomes covetous of them.

Brenda

“ The sparrow has found a place, and the sup a nest for herself, where she may hold her immature. ”

Derek

Now retrieve that this is person who has travelled a long, really hard journey to

enter into the presence of God. He is at that place with this passion, as one lover who has met his

spouse. But he knows that shortly he ‘s traveling to hold to travel back place, and he ‘s traveling to

hold to go forth the presence of God. He looks at the sparrow and he says, “ I wish I could be

like the sparrow because the sparrow lives here. The sparrow has made his place here in the pillars of the temple. I wish I could populate here and ne’er have to go forth. ”

Symbolically, the sparrow in the Bible normally refers to the least of God ‘s animals. That ‘s how Jesus talked about the sparrow. He said that even if a sparrow ( the least of God ‘s animals ) falls to the land, God knows that. So how much more will He take attention of you.

The psalmist is looking at the sparrow and stating, “ You know, even the least of God ‘s animals get to merely remain here — acquire to populate here — acquire to brood here. I wish I could be a sparrow. ”

Then he looks at the sups. In the Bible the sups are frequently symbolic of restlessness. Watch a sup and you understand that they merely go all the clip. They ‘re a really ungratified bird. The lone clip they truly come to a halt is when they build a nest and the female sits in the nest in order to put her immature. That ‘s what he sees — The sups have made their place in these pillars near the communion table. They ‘ve made a nest and she is traveling to put her immature at that place. He looks at that and says, “ I wish I could be like the sup. This ungratified bird that has found a topographic point of resting in the really presence of God. I wish I could be a sup. ”

Through old ages of observation I can state you this. The lone topographic point restless people will happen remainder is in God. Jesus spoke about it when he said: “ Come to me. . . I will give you rest. ” Those are non mere words. God wants to give us rest.

Are n’t these great images? He longs to ne’er hold to lose the presence of God. Just to remain in it all the clip. Never holding to travel place.

And you know what ‘s truly fantastic about that imagination is that the really thing that the psalmist longed for is the really thing that we have through Jesus Christ. These people in the

Old Testament literally had to go this long, hard journey to see the presence of

God. But because of Jesus ‘ decease on the cross and His proviso of redemption, Jesus now

dwells within us. No longer in a temple made by custodies, but within our Black Marias.

We have the presence of God within us. He will ne’er go forth us nor abandon us. We have precisely what the psalmist longed for.

Brenda

In Ephesians, Paul said, “ Let Jesus brood in your Black Marias. ”

Derek

It means to allow Jesus come in and populate at that place. Let Him re-model. Let Him renovate. Let Him make whatever is necessary to make the proper environment that we might populate with the presence of God in our lives.

Jesus said that ‘s the really intent of our redemption.

Brenda

“ This is ageless life, that we may cognize Him. ”

Derek

And the phrase, “ That we may cognize Him ” is a term of familiarity. It means that we may be intimate with Him, and that we may cognize His presence invariably with us.

We take for granted this astonishing truth that God dwells within us if we ‘ve trusted Jesus as Saviour.

When I was a Church curate and a twosome came to me for pre-marital guidance, there are some things we did n’t hold to even speak about. If I was run intoing with a twosome whose nuptials was merely a month off — I ne’er had to sit down with that twosome and state, “ You know, I ‘ve been believing we need to work on some things in order to do this matrimony work. One of the things I want you to make every twenty-four hours is to seek every bit difficult as you can to believe about your spouse. Just possibly make a note to seek and believe about your spouse each twenty-four hours. And if you can work it out, every now and so, pass a small clip together. ”

I ‘ve ne’er had to hold that treatment, because that ‘s all they do. They think about

each other when they get up in the forenoon — all twenty-four hours long – and when they go to bed at dark. And they ‘ll make whatever they need to make to rearrange their agenda in order to pass clip together. They are passionate for one another, and they ‘re hankering for that clip when they will be married and brood together as hubby and married woman.

That ‘s the passion that the psalmist has for God. He is stating, “ That ‘s truly what I want. I have this craving for God. I merely want to be with Him. I merely want to see the presence of God — because I know that ‘s finally what makes me happy. ”

Happy is the individual who CRAVES to remain near to God.

Brenda

The 2nd thing he says is in verse five, “ Blessed are those whose strength is in you. ”

Derek

Do we desire to be truly happy?

CRAVE AFTER HIM – but most likely you wo n’t desire to make that if we do n’t see that it ‘s worthwhile. And it is!

So — BE CONFIDENT IN GOD.

Although it was a actual long route they had to go for their pilgrim’s journey to Jerusalem — Ultimately it was a main road of their Black Marias. Because finally you could be every bit heathen as a rock and walk that main road. What truly caused you to see the presence of God was puting your Black Marias on acquiring at that place.

It was a tough and hazardous journey. No air conditioned coach as I had when going throughout Israel. They had to believe earnestly about whether or non they were traveling to take that hazard to go those countries in order to acquire the Temple Experience.

He uses that as an imagination when he says, “ You know, that ‘s the manner it is. Even in the main road of our bosom there are vales that we pass through. ”

There were springs in the Valley of Baca. The fall rains cover it with pools. He likely means: “ You know, I look at those pools of H2O and it reminds me of my cryings, my crying because of the vale experiences I ‘ve had. The down in the deepnesss experiences inquiring, will I of all time acquire up to mountain top experiences of all time once more.

This vale was so hard to go through through. It was a vale of crying. But because their strength and their assurance is in God, they make it a topographic point of springs.

Now notice it does n’t state God turns it into a spring ; it says they turn it into a spring. Because they have put their assurance in God, God turns that topographic point of crying into a topographic point of growing. Into a topographic point where there ‘s a spring. And they experience growing in the presence of God along the journey — so much so, that God responds by conveying the fall rain of God ‘s approval.

You need to hold lived in this portion of the universe to truly acquire the approval in fall rains. We do n’t hold a dry season and a rainy season. But in states where they have a really distinguishable dry season and rainy season, it would be really unusual to hold any rain at all during the dry season. So they ‘re going through this vale of crying in this really dry and bare stretch. In the thick of that, because they put their assurance in God, it turns to a spring and God brings His approval — this early rain — this unexpected rain. God meets them at that place.

Brenda

“ They go from strength to strength. ”

Derek

Like a soldier traveling from conflict to conflict – from triumph to triumph. As God meets them there in the vale of crying and brings these approvals, He strengthens them, and they go from these moments-to-moments on this journey “ till each appears before God in Zion ” – Jerusalem.

Remember, that ‘s the finish. That ‘s the end. They are seeking the presence of God. The psalmist is stating that even though they go through some really hard times, even in this main road in their bosom, they do hold to travel through the vale of crying. But because they trust in God and He is their strength, He will run into them there and do certain that every one of them gets to Zion. None of them will decease along the route. None of them will decease short of the end.

Make you cognize what that means? That means there is nil that stands between us

and felicity. Nothing! Because if we CRAVE for it the manner the psalmist negotiations about it, even in those vales of crying. We can be CONFIDENT God will run into us at that place if we trust Him as our strength and our assurance. And He will acquire us to the finish. He will acquire us into His presence where we see felicity, fulfillment and satisfaction.

I know it ‘s easy to state, “ Well, I could be happy if I had a different spouse. ” Or, “ I could

be happy if this ” – Or, “ I could be happy if that. ”

The psalmist is n’t purchasing that. You know, if we ‘re traveling to specify the manner to happiness God ‘s manner, it ‘s available to everybody irrespective of our fortunes.

Person says: “ But I have this disease. ” God will acquire you at that place! God will acquire you at that place even through the vale of crying. If we ‘re willing to set our assurance in Him, irrespective of our fortunes, we can, today, experience this sort of felicity that ‘s merely found in God.

Brenda

You ‘re listening to Word Alive with Derek Stringer and I ‘m Brenda Critchley. Today ‘s subject is the first in a series from the Psalms Derek is naming – Open Secrets – and today ‘s subject is about How To Be Happy. If you ‘d wish a free transcript of Word Alive merely inquire us. We ‘ll merrily direct it to an electronic mail reference. There will be Cadmiums of the set you can purchase. I ‘ll give you our contact inside informations at the terminal of the broadcast.

Let ‘s travel on to the 3rd statement with the word ‘blessed ‘ is in Psalm 84, and it ‘s verse 12: “ O Lord Almighty, blessed ( or how happy ) is the adult male who trusts in you. ”

Derek

‘Trust ‘ is built on what we know of God. It comes as we look back and see we can set our assurance in Him. We can seek and observe His presence. Brenda!

Brenda

Well, in her book – Finding Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner, Wendy Blight faces up to sadness.

She writes:

“ Have you of all time felt your life whirling out of control, and you did non cognize if you would last another twenty-four hours? A Like all you had in this universe was ripped off? Have you experienced a physical or emotional hurting so deep that nil could blunt the injury? A A

One hebdomad after my college graduation, an unknown armed assailant broke into my flat, held me confined, stripped me bare, stole my perfect life, and walked off ne’er to be seen again.A I lived for old ages cocooned in a prison of fright, desperation, and hopelessness.A A A I searched urgently for replies but found none.A I vividly remember one despairing dark sitting on my bathroom floor, cradling a Bible in my weaponries, and shouting out to God: A If this Book is true, if You love me, if You want the best for me, if You have a program and intent for my life, so You have got to demo me.A Because right now, I ca n’t swear You, and I do n’t believe in You.

From that incapacitated topographic point, something new began.A Little by small, God spoke powerful truths into my life.A And though many of these truths answered my inquiries and healed my injuries, I still lived with the practical worlds of being afraid.

I was so tired of being afraid.A I had lived with my fright for over a decennary, and I knew now it was maintaining me from a deeper, richer walk with God.A Tears poured down my cheeks, and I prayed, but this clip alternatively of inquiring God to take away my fright, I asked Him to assist me get the better of my fear.A Taking away my fright meant inquiring God to make the work for me.A I knew God was naming me to be an active participant in the work He was approximately to make in my life.

Over the following months, God took me to a powerful Truth about fright: “ For God has non given us a spirit of fright and timidness, but of power, love, and self-denial. ” The Spirit of the Living God lives inside of me, and in Him there is no fright! A

This poetry leapt off the page: A “ He will screen you with His wings! A They will shelter you.A His faithful promises are your armour.A Now you do non necessitate to be afraid of the dark any more, nor fear the dangers of the twenty-four hours ; nor fear the pestilences of darkness, nor catastrophes in the forenoon. ” I feared the dark.A At dark, incubuss flooded my mind.A I awakened terrified, to the full anticipating to see the cloaked adult male standing over me.A I feared the day.A Should I acquire in the lift with that adult male? A Should I park that far off in the parking batch? A Can I allow the overseas telegram adult male in? A I was fearful 24 hours a twenty-four hours.

I took these poetries and began praying them back to God.A My hubby left for a concern trip.A I was once more fighting with passing the dark alone.A I called my friend to pray for me and forced myself into bed. I lay at that place in silence, waiting… waiting for the fright to come as it had done for 15 years.A It ne’er did.A Alternatively, I felt an overpowering sense of peace and security! A A feeling so foreign that I could non even retrieve the last clip I felt it.A In that minute, I had a vision of a wall of angels environing my house.A After more than a decennary of life locked inside a prison of fright, in one individual minute it was gone!

Remember I had called a friend earlier that dark? A I felt compelled to name her and portion my miracle.A When I finished telling my narrative, there was complete silence on the other end.A I did non understand.A Finally, she spoke and her words brought me to my articulatio genuss — literally.A She said that after I had called, she and her hubby instantly prayed for me.A He specifically prayed for a wall of angels to environ my home.A I was astonished! A His supplication was my vision.A God wanted me to cognize that He and He entirely was the ground for my freedom — no logical explanations.A God and God entirely accomplished this fantastic work in my life.A His goodness, His Word, His Truth, and His power put me free! ”

Derek

So, DO WE WANT TO BE HAPPY?

If we truly are CONFIDENT in Him we will speak things over with him in supplication. And that ‘s precisely what the Psalmist does praying for the ‘anointed 1 ‘ – that ‘s the male monarch. He was to be the shield around the people as they made their unsafe journey. His function was to be a defender, a defense mechanism for them so that they could do this really hard journey in comparative safety into the presence of God.

But the male monarch was ever symbolic of The Anointed One. Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the universe, who would go our shield, our defense mechanism, our defender, the One who would do it possible for us to come in into the presence of God.

And one twenty-four hours with God is better than a 1000 elsewhere. That ‘s really easy to state but non what we ‘re ever committed to.

It ‘s because we truly do n’t believe it ‘s true. We do n’t truly believe that one hr at the threshold of God ‘s presence would convey us more felicity than a 1000, or than seeking anything else that this universe has to offer. We do n’t truly believe that, and that ‘s why we pursue the things we do.

The psalmist says all it would take is one hr. One hr at the threshold of God ‘s presence and we could ne’er once more settle for anything else this universe has to offer.

Brenda

“ For the Lord God is a Sun and shield. ”

Derek

That ‘s an interesting statement. This is the lone topographic point in the Bible where God is of all time called a Sun. The ground is likely because all the heathen faiths worshiped a Sun God. So the authors of Scripture were really careful to remain off from that. But in this peculiar Psalm, when he refers to God as a Sun – He ‘s speaking about the glorification of God. As you ca n’t gaze into the Sun, you ca n’t even truly gaze into the glorification of God. It ‘s excessively glorious.

He says God is besides a shield.

Brenda

And because “ The Lord bestows favor and honor ” on us we can be certain of this. “ No good thing does He keep back from those whose walk is inculpable. ”

Derek

Yes — nil we need for our felicity will He keep back for those who trust Him. for those who are committed to maintaining in measure with Him, life in unity – there ‘s existent happiness right at that place.

So Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘s trust Him.

CRAVE after Him – do n’t allow anything acquire in the manner of cognizing Him.

Be CONFIDENT in Him – He wo n’t allow us down.

He ‘ll be with us through the vale experiences and can even turn them into approvals. Through the tests, through the jobs it makes us make out more to Him. In happening Him we find a greater intent for life.

No 1 in infinity will state: “ What a cockamamie thing to make. Spend clip on God ‘s things instead than other things. ” No-one!

DO WE BELIEVE THE PSALMIST IS RIGHT?

Do we believe what he is stating is true? Do we believe that one twenty-four hours in God ‘s presence could convey us more felicity than a 1000 yearss anyplace else? Do we believe that there ‘s a felicity found when we dwell in the presence of God that ‘s beyond anything that this universe has to offer?

Let ‘s think of it this manner. What if we had a camera covering our last 30 yearss. Everything we did in populace and in private, and every idea that went through our caput. What if we played it on a public screen. It would n’t be difficult to find what we think will do us happy. It would be really, really obvious.

My inquiry is this: Does it line up with what the Psalmist said? Would it line up with person who has this deathless passion to be with God? That ‘s finally where we ‘re

traveling to happen felicity.

We may necessitate to do some alterations. We may necessitate to do some re-alignments. I would promote you non to run off from God but to run to Him.

One twenty-four hours in God ‘s presence will be better than anything we can see in this life. That is the secret to happiness!

Brenda

Derek Stringer is the wireless ‘voice ‘ for Word Alive – a Good News Broadcasting Association production and Phil Critchley is our Manufacturer.

Derek

My thanks to Brenda for her aid today. And we ‘ll be back once more following clip with another programme in the series Open Secrets – where we look into out what the Psalmist says about subjects relevant to our lives.

Today it ‘s been about Happiness and how to happen it. My supplication for you is that you will cognize the deep felicity of God ‘s approval in your life.

Good-bye for now and God bless you.