Verse of the Week: “And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:8-10)
Truth of the Week: I have often heard it said that God cares more about our holiness than our happiness, but to be honest, I don’t think that the Scriptures agree with this statement. To be certain, God commands that we be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16), but it is equally true that He commands us to rejoice in Him (Philippians 4:4). The good news is that these two commands are not in conflict with one another. On the contrary, they are woven together such that our holiness is directly influenced by where we find our happiness.
The way of holiness that is described in Isaiah 35 is one that is marked by everlasting joy and gladness. It was never intended to be a legalistic list of “do’s and don’ts” that we dutifully and diligently try to adhere to in order to be right with God. Instead, the path of holiness is one where both the person and the promises of God are known and enjoyed. It is a path where God is found to be One so delightful that the fleeting pleasures of sin lose their appeal. True holiness is when we find our greatest happiness in the glory of God.
Holiness and happiness are not at odds with each other, where one must be sacrificed to gain the other; rather, both are the overflow of intimacy with God. If we would be holy and we would be happy, the answer is the same – seek to see and be satisfied with who God is.
Quote of the Week: “The only thing that will guard me from being entrapped by sin is being entranced by Jesus.” (Sam Storms, Pleasures Evermore)
Kathy,
I was going over Ian’s “spiritual building blocks” with him this morning and the question was “in what condition did God make Adam & Eve? Answer “He made them holy & happy.”
I know we will not attain either of these perfectly while here but if this is how God created Adam and Eve is this not what He desires for each of us still.
It is the happiness that comes from knowing Him & being known by Him, which causes holiness, or maybe the other way around or probably a continuous circle.
But as for me I don’t think I will have any true holiness without happiness. Cause I’ll always be too selfish for that! And thankfully I think God knows that and that is why He is what makes us happy!
Amen! Amen! Amen!