An Unexpected Key to Happiness

There was a king who had a trusted counselor whom he took with him on many occasions. This counselor had the habit of always saying, “It’s good,” no matter what would take place. Once on a hunting trip, the king fired his rifle, but because of a defective bolt mechanism, his thumb was blown off. Right on cue the counselor said, “It’s good.” The king was not amused and threw his counselor in prison. Much later the king went on a safari in Africa and was captured by a tribe of cannibals. As they prepared to roast him, they noticed that his thumb was missing. Not wanting to dine on a less than perfect specimen, they released the king. When he returned home, he immediately released his counselor from prison and brought him to the palace. The king admitted that the accident which removed his thumb had indeed been a good thing because it saved his life. He asked his counselor to forgive him, but the counselor said, “Don’t worry, king. It was a good thing that you threw me in prison; otherwise, I would have accompanied you on the safari and would have been eaten.”

This servant understood one of life’s most important truths.

God sovereignly works all things out for our good and his glory.

In other words, God superintends all things, making sure his ends are achieved, no matter what. It is impossible to foil God’s plans. I often remind myself and others of the following Bible verse.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Acknowledging God’s loving sovereignty is a key that unlocks happiness and faith.

If we love God and follow Christ, this verse is for us. God is continually working everything out for our good, even what seems bad, confusing, and evil. If we believe the Bible, we should believe this promise.

If you want people to think you are crazy, try sharing this truth with someone who is going through a very difficult time and does not yet understand the concept. Acknowledging God in all things and believing that he is working out even the most difficult circumstances for our good seems like foolishness to the one who is in the middle of pain, confusion, or loss. It sounds like one more irritating pious platitude that has no connection to the “real world.” Ironically, it is grounded in the greatest reality there is: God loves us and is faithful to his promises.

We thank God for even the most difficult things in life, not because they are good in themselves, but because God is working or will work them for our good.

Joseph learned this most important truth during his extended trial of faith. He was betrayed by jealous brothers, sold as a slave, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and seemingly forgotten by God and men for years on end. However Joseph never gave up his faith in God. He hung on to the promises God had given to him that one day he would be elevated to a position of prominence and authority. The psalms say this about his situation.

Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character. Psalm 105:19 (NLT) —

Clinging to our faith in God’s character during a severe test, rather than succumb to the temptation to malign or mistrust him, is a test of our character.

After God elevated Joseph to Pharaoh’s second in command over all of Egypt, he was able to declare to the brothers who committed treachery against him.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 (NLT) —

The practice of giving praise and acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all things also brings glory to the Lord.

If we choose to declare that God is great and lovingly working on our behalf, even when things look just the opposite, it is what the Bible calls a “sacrifice of praise.” (Hebrews 13:15) One of our greatest tests comes when God seems to have forsaken us or does not seem to care what is happening to us. Will we panic, become depressed or angry, or will we make the decision to believe God’s promise to always be there and care for us? If God is true to his word, and he is, we can always trust and give him praise. Doing so when things go “south” can be our greatest moment.

Can we see God’s loving smile behind the obscuring clouds of whatever has happened or is happening to us?

According to Solomon, the wisest of kings, the essence of wisdom is the ability to trust in God even when we do not understand the reason behind things.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. 6 Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NET1)

We cannot foresee the future or always know how God is working out our present circumstances for our good and his glory — but he is. Either he is sovereign or he is not.

We must decide what we will believe – our perceptions or God’s promises.

If we routinely complain, get depressed, or become angry, we probably have chosen to go by our own view of things, rather than live by faith. Faith not only “believes,” it acts. Faith-filled (faithful) people will choose to praise God when things are difficult. This choice will produce the fruit of peace and joy in the midst of adversity.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NLT) —

The choice to praise God by faith is part of what it means to be an “overcomer,” someone who experiences God’s victory no matter what.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (ESV)

The choice is ours, and which side we come down on will greatly determine our present and future happiness.

When Caesar decreed that the Israelites must return to their home cities to enroll in his census, it must have seemed to Mary and Joseph that this was terrible timing. Mary was due to give birth any day and the trip was very hard on her. It was not as simple as getting in a car and driving. Mary may have ridden on a donkey. Joseph probably walked. In addition to this, it totally interrupted their lives, and all because a despised Roman government wanted it so. But – and God works in the “buts” of life – God used this difficulty to make sure his Son was born in Bethlehem to fulfill Micah’s prophecy! (Micah 5:2) It was not until much later that the significance of this trip came to light. That is how it often is: we do not understand what God is doing in our circumstances until much later. By then it may be too late to glorify God by faith.

We can always praise God in hindsight, and we should, but how much better it is when we praise him without yet seeing how he is going to work things out!

Faith believes and receives now what God has promised, even before it is seen or understood. Paul wrote the following important exhortation.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

Acknowledging and praising God in all things – the good, the bad, and the ugly – is a very important key to happiness and brings great glory to God.

It’s an easy concept to grasp, but more difficult to practice. When we are in the midst of great difficulties and pressures, usually it is not our first inclination to praise the Lord and declare his sovereignty over the situation. But this is when we must reign in our fears and doubts and choose to glorify God, regardless of how we feel.

When we choose to praise God by faith when we don’t feel like it, our souls usually get in line and begin to feel much better. It’s a wonderful process. Praising God by faith leads to peace and joy.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your promise to work everything out for my good. I ask you to glorify yourself in my current situation. (Now is a good time to name that difficult situation you face.) Father, I trust you to work this for my good. I choose, with your help, to maintain an attitude of trust and praise. Open my eyes to see things from your perspective. Work all of this out for your glory. Amen.