Happy New Year. That’s a phrase we’ll be hearing a lot over the next few weeks. If you really stop to think about it, that’s a lot to ask. Is it possible to have a whole year of happiness?

It’s a nice sentiment, but there’s a good chance that there will be things during this coming year that aren’t happy at all. Perhaps your marriage will hit bumpy times; or maybe you’ve worked for years at a job but suddenly the company is downsizing and your job is in jeopardy. What then?

These things aren’t things that make up a happy new year. Instead of wishing to be happy for the entire year, it might be better to resolve to take life on a day-by-day basis.

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD” (Lamentations 3:22-26).

Every single day the Lord is faithful and our hope is in Him. Hope doesn’t mean that you cross your fingers wanting something to happen. Instead, hoping in the Lord means to rest assured that He is faithful and will see you through everything that comes your way.

Each day is filled with choices. Do I choose to sin or do I choose to follow God’s word. If you choose sin for that day then you choose to not have a happy day. We can look back into Biblical history and see from the experiences of the heroes of old that they were much happier when they chose to follow God. For instance, the Israelites chose to not trust God and enter the Promised Land; and that caused them to wander for 40 years in the wilderness.

After Joshua finally led the Israelites into the land that God had promised them, he told the tribes of Israel that they had a choice to make. They could serve heathen gods or they could follow the one true God.

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD“ (Joshua 24:14-15).

Joshua made the right choice and led his family in the right path. He said “… choose you this day whom ye will serve,“ and we need to make that choice daily too. If you choose to serve the pagan gods, which are demons, then you choose to be against God. Whatever pleasure you may think you find in sin, it’s always temporary and only brings heartache. Sin comes from Satan and his demonic horde; and you can find no way to have a happy day or year by serving pagan gods.

Looking at what others have can cause you to be unhappy with what you have. Every day will be happier if you choose to thank God for what He has provided for you instead of envying what others have. Envy isn’t a new problem for people. Asaph, who wrote many psalms, said he was envious of others who seemed wicked but who also prospered:

“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked“ (Psalm 73:2-3).

There will always be someone who seems to have more than you. It’s easy to be unhappy when we dwell upon what others have, or seem to have. Does someone have a big, beautiful house while you live in a small cottage? They also have a big, beautiful mortgage. The same goes for a fancy car or other material possessions. Happiness comes when you’re content with what God provides for you each day. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a nice house or car, but allow God to provide rather than running ahead of Him and getting yourself in debt. God will always see that you have the means for you to afford what He provides.

Asaph was envious of others “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end“ (Psalm 73:17). 

The wicked people around us may have worldly possessions, but that’s where their treasure is; they don’t have salvation. Asaph knew how to find peace with what God had given to him rather than looking at what wicked people seemed to have.

The Holy Spirit indwells Christians and it’s easy for us to talk to Him every day. Tell Him about your concerns but be sure to listen to what He wants for you. You’ll be much happier day by day if you live within God’s will for you.

“Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory…My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever“ (Psalm 73:23-24, 26).

It’s also important to thank Him for what He has provided, including your salvation. When you’re thankful for His daily provision for you, you’ll find that you’re content.

Problems will always come along, but we need to choose to be content in the Lord. Even Paul had bad days. He was beaten, jailed, shipwrecked, and faced many other problems. He had some unhappy days, but he didn’t trust in his own strength.

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead“ (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).

Paul knew where his strength was; and even when his life came to the point of despair, he looked to God. If you’re down and feel despair, talk to God. You can also talk to someone who loves you. God has given us family and Christian friends to talk to about problems. He gave us voices to talk with and arms to hug with. Why, then, do so many people opt to get advice from Facebook or other social media?

When I was young, my mother was my best friend; I could talk to her about anything and everything. She was also a devout Christian, so when she gave me advice it was based upon God’s word. Today many people take to social media and are given (and give) all kinds of ungodly advice. Feelings are put out for the public to see and then emotions spiral downward. This causes all kinds of unhappiness on a daily basis. Why not choose to either get off of Facebook, or instead of posting “Oh poor me, ” maybe look back on your day and post about how faithful God was to see you through.

If you do that every day, you can look back at the end of the year and see that each day offered something to be thankful for and happy about. Instead of being pessimistic about having an empty glass, see the promise of fresh water.

“He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he“ (Proverbs 16:20). 

For the Christian, faith will carry us through the good days, bad days, and into eternity. Although life can throw some problems our way, the Lord is there for us to lean on. Every day when we wake up, our prayer should be that we will glorify God in all things and that we’ll see His guidance in our life.

A happy new year is made up of 365 contented days. Let God be your daily source of happiness and you cannot go wrong.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

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The Prophecy

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6.

This verse is a prophecy regarding the birth of Jesus Christ. In all of history there has never been a more important birth nor a more miraculous one. Jesus Christ was born of a human mother but was conceived by God. This fact is impossible for us to wrap our human understanding around and the love that prompted God to become human is also impossible for us mere mortals to fully understand. The child born in Bethlehem was human but the Son that was given that day was God. Jesus had two natures: He was fully human but also fully God.  

 When Adam sinned all of creation fell. His sin made it impossible for us to commune or have fellowship with God. The only way to temporarily cover the breach was through a blood sacrifice. God never requires a human sacrifice, which is just one reason we can be sure that Jesus was much more than just a man. For many years animals were sacrificed but their blood could never be pure enough to take sin away. “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4.

From the very beginning God knew Adam would sin and that He would need to step into His creation and shed His pure blood, untainted by sin, and become our once for all sacrifice. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:11-14. The only way for our sin to be taken away was for God to become human and shed His own blood for our redemption.

Our Redeemer had to be God in order for His blood to not be tainted by sin, but He also had to be human in order to be our Kinsman. How could this be? “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14.

A human woman who was a virgin would give birth to Immanuel, which means “God with us”. When the time was right, God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman named Mary. She had found favor with God and Gabriel told her that she would conceive and have a son. Mary couldn’t understand how she could become pregnant even though she wasn’t married and therefore was a virgin, so she asked. “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Luke 1:34.

Mary is such a good example of how we should trust God even when our human understanding cannot grasp His ways. Mary didn’t hesitate but simply asked how. With God all things are possible, and the answer was simple. “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke1:35.

Mary didn’t argue or doubt. She knew that Gabriel was an angel from God and when her question was answered she submitted. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:38. Can you imagine how many great things we could accomplish for the Lord if we would just submit. Because Mary was willing, prophecy was fulfilled. Because she was willing, Jesus would be born of a virgin and be fully human.

 Jesus was also fully God. The Apostle John describes Jesus as the Word of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4.

Jesus’ life didn’t begin in Bethlehem, but He was in the beginning. He created all things and spoke them into existence. You can read the account in the book of Genesis. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.

He was God and had all the wonders of Heaven around Him, yet He chose to take on human form in order to shed His blood for our redemption. He is our example and we need to learn to be more like Him. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8. Most of us have trouble with humility. It’s hard to say “I’m sorry” or to ask for help to accomplish a task. These verses describe the greatest act of love and humility when Jesus chose to become human so He could die on the cross to purchase our salvation. This is perfect love.

 Why did God become man? He had to in order to be our Kinsman Redeemer. This law of redemption is found in Leviticus and all of the book of Ruth is about the kinsman redeemer. “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.” Leviticus 25:25.

Adam sold Paradise and humanity to Satan. When he chose to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit a barrier came between God and humans called sin. All of creation fell and we have lived with sin, death, and separation from God ever since. That’s where the kinsman redeemer comes in. When Jesus became human it was to redeem what Adam forfeited. “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in  things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Hebrews 2:16-18.

Jesus chose to be our Kinsman Redeemer. Only a human could be a kinsman of fellow humans and only the pure blood of God can redeem us. If a human child hadn’t been born on that night so long ago and if God hadn’t given His only begotten Son there would have been no Kinsman Redeemer to redeem what Adam forfeited.

 Much of the world will soon take time to celebrate the birth of the King of kings. Too often that all important event gets lost in the festivities of the day…friends and family visit, gifts are exchanged, and too much food is consumed. Take time during this busy time to remember Jesus. Think about the birth of the King, but also take time to ponder upon the deeper meaning of His birth. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. God gave us a gift, but like any gift it has to be accepted. If you have never repented of (changed your mind about) your sin then now is the time to do it. Repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness. Faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the only way to live eternally with Him. Accept His gift today.

Mary gave birth to a child but God gave the most precious and valuable gift ever given…His Son. Share that gift with others.

God bless you all,      

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know.