What is the happiest place that you can think of? If you had a choice, what would be your happy place?
I love to play a group game with people (many of you have been part of this in the past). I give people four different locations of places they could go to for their “happy place!” (1) A mountain chalet in the Austrian Alps; (2) A white sandy beach in the Virgin Islands surrounded by blue water and palm trees; (3) A beautiful desert with daily sunshine and mysterious large cactus growing around you and a great skyline from horizon to horizon; (4) the 50th floor of a gorgeous apartment overlooking Central Park! (I do this for the city folks!)
Which one would you choose as your happy place? Then there would need to be a follow up question… “Doesn’t God want me to be happy?”
Have you ever had that question proposed to you? Have you ever ask God that before?
Well… it goes without saying that we all would MUCH rather experience a happy place and a happy day than a sad day or a difficult location. It’s funny to me though that when we have a great day or a great ‘happy’ vacation week, we then begin to believe that somehow life is always going to be that way and we deserve it —- that is until its not! — Until the ‘shoe drops’ and there is difficulty, pain, sadness — mourning.
We are in the middle of a series of messages this year called “Creation to New Creation.” And right now, we are learning some of the attributes of God; or maybe better put “who is this God?” This Sunday we are going to examine the Scripture in especially Psalm 30. I challenge you that before you join your church family in worship this Sunday that you spend some time reading and meditating on this great Psalm. You will need to notice that this Psalm is reflecting some very tough times, but it then states that “weeping may be overnight, but JOY comes in the morning!” (Psalm 30:5). How can this be?
The answer to this is in the truth of who God is — and this Sunday we will learn about the God that is JOY.
I’m honored to bring this Scripture to us as a church family this Sunday!
