God loves us and wants us to be happy.  Psalm 136:1 says “Give thanks to the LORD, forgod is good he is good.  His love endures forever.”  This idea that God is Good and that his love lasts forever is repeated often in the Psalms (100:5, 107:1, 118:1).

In the New Testament we are reminded of God’s love for us in verses like John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…”, Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”, 1 John 4:7-12, “love comes from God – God showed his love by sending his Son – God so loved us” and many other verses.  God’s grace and mercy flow from his great love.  We take in that love and are happy.

What is our good and proper response to God’s love?  To love God and others. The Great Commandments. We reflect God’s love back to him and to others.  To show grace and mercy to those around us, to our neighbors, enemies and the “least of these, my brothers and sisters” are signs of our love for God (Matthew 25:40).

Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).  Blessed is often translated “Happy”.  It is a happy thing to reach out and take the  good gifts from the hands of God our loving Father, and from those around us.  But we are happier when we give.

There are three primary things, or categories of things that God gives us, and that we in turn are to give.  We take from God’s generous hand Beauty, Goodness and Truth.  We see those things in Creation and in the Word of God.  We give those to our world.  We imitate God by Making Beauty – Gardens, Paintings, Music, etc. We Do Good – helping orphans and widows, feeding the hungry and standing up for the oppressed, etc.  We Share Truth.  All truth is God’s truth, but primarily we share the truth of the Gospel, the Good News that God brings hope to the hopeless, new Life to the dying, rescue to those in peril, through the incredible gift of Jesus, his work on the cross and his resurrection.

This is Kingdom stuff.  God’s Happy Kingdom.  His Kingdom is a happy one in heaven; No pain, No crying, No suffering.  Just lots of joy and gladness.  Why?  Because his Happy Will is done.  His Will is that all his children be happy.  Jesus taught us to pray “Your Kingdom come, your Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  He give us his Word, the Bible, the Truth, so that we know what to believe and what to do to be happy.  Primarily, Make Beauty, Do Good and Share Truth.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.  His love endures forever.

 

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