Happy People

“Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
“Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.
“Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.
“Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
“Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
“Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.
“Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me.  Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.
-Matthew 5:3-12

Do you want to know who the happy people are?  Happy people are the people who are experiencing deep inner joy....  because us Jesus.  Happy people are not happy just because they know something or have been taught something.  Happy people are happy because something has happened to them.

A person brings happiness to us.  It is personal.  I am happy because of a person.  That person is Jesus.  I am happy because of him.

But he is not just like any person or like something you put on a shelf, in a drawer, on your dash board, desk, fridge magnet, or bumper sticker.  Unlike every other religion, self-help program, education, indoctrination, boot-camp, or guru; he is a person who is personally involved with each one of us.

The whole thing is that Jesus is savior and Lord.  You don't go to school to get saved.  You can not do independent studies or classroom work to get saved or sanctified or empowered.  It's all personal and relational.  Someone had to die and that same someone calls each one of us to death to our selves.

Happy people are people who recognize the kingdom of God, who see it and respond to it.  Jesus mentioned people being in a negative state like hopeless or poor, mourning or grieving.  Jesus says that these people are happy, because of his kingdom, because of him.

We are happy because of Jesus, because of the kingdom of God in our lives, because we are being saved- saaaaaaaaaved.  A man does not "go forward", or "wave his hand with every head bowed and every eye closed"; and then go back to a life of sin, with "Jesus" tacked on.  Salvation is an event and a process.  It's just like starting over.

In the kingdom of God, every problem comes with a promise – and provision – attached to it; Graham Cooke is fond of saying.  If you are poor, grieved, humiliated, boxed in, or vexed and perplexed; then in your world, God has placed a gift box that has blessing in it.  Find it and open it.