Today Daily Devotional

This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

— Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Sometimes we think that people with more resources have the clear path to happiness. That is why famous artists, actors, athletes, and other celebrities have a large number of followers. We imagine them with the world at their feet and a smile on their lips.

The writer of Ecclesiastes, who probably was King Solomon, dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of happiness. He was the richest, most famous, and most sought-after man of his time. Without limitations, he sought happiness in wealth and the pursuit of pleasures (see Ecclesiastes 2:1-23). He amassed great fortunes and took on great building projects, but all of his money and influence could not bring him true happiness. He sought happiness in the pleasures of wine and feasting and love affairs, but not even a great harem could provide satisfaction.

Ultimately, he sought happiness in fame and success. And the only thing he got at the end of his pilgrimage was a feeling of emptiness.

In the end he found that the object of his long search was actually the Lord, whom he had pushed aside! The happiness he sought in things and in adventures was in God, “for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”

Lord, it is a frustrating and useless task to seek happiness apart from you. It’s like chasing the wind. There is only happiness when you are at the center of our lives. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

— Psalm 33:12

Is happiness found in social and economic policies? Or in educational and cultural programs? These things can be good and helpful, but a nation can only find true happiness when its people recognize the Lord. This occurs when hearts transformed by the grace of God seek to do his will.

In our pluralistic world today many people claim that all religions are equal and that all paths lead to God. Many national leaders today don’t even recognize the Lord.

Is there any nation that serves the Lord today? Not truly. While some nations may claim to trust in God, their actions show that they follow the ways of the world. Even if they do some things right, their leaders seldom give credit to God. We should not be surprised, then, to see a moral and spiritual vacuum in so many places. Wickedness leads to perversion, and ungodliness leads to immorality.

Within every nation, though, there are people who say, like the psalmist, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” These are the people of God’s kingdom, and they know true happiness is found in Christ. They share his love with others, and he says to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant[s]! . . . Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).

Lord and God, you are the solution our nations need today. Help us to honor you and seek to live your way for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

— Matthew 5:8

Faith is not disconnected from happiness. If you imagine the Christian as sullen and gloomy, that is not what God has in mind. Happiness is a matter of the heart, and it has to do with holiness and purity.

As Psalm 24 says, those who have “clean hands and a pure heart . . . will receive blessing from the Lord.” They will be able to stand in the holy presence of the Lord. Or, as Jesus put it, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Yet we cannot be pure in heart without the saving work of Jesus. As Proverbs 20:9 makes clear, “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?” Only Jesus can say that, and only he has made it possible for us to be purified so that we can live in the presence of God.

If we think that happiness lies in the pleasures that the world offers, we are mistaken. The attractions of the world may give pleasure for a moment, but they do not satisfy the heart forever. The blessed are not people who give free rein to their passions. The blessed are those whose hearts are made pure through the power of God in Jesus Christ.

Indeed, they are abundantly blessed because God is the one who purifies them. They are truly and eternally happy!

Majestic God, you are the only source of true happiness. I ask you to purify and renew my heart in holiness. In Jesus, Amen.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.

— Psalm 127:3

If you have been blessed with children, do you see them as God sees them? In your struggles and challenges in raising children, do you look for encouragement in the Word of God so as not to give up in the task? Psalm 127 declares that children are “a heritage from the Lord,” and happy is the one “whose quiver is full of them.”

Children are a gift from God. And we do not generate children for ourselves; God gives them to us so that we may raise them to know him. Our children need to know that, like us, they are called to live for God and to serve him. God gives our children life and many good gifts so that they can grow to know and learn what their calling in life will be. Their calling might be different from ours, and it might be very different from what we expect. But we can trust that God will guide our children so that their lives will glorify him. After all, God is their Creator, and they are his. They belong to him, body and soul, just as we do.

Our children are a blessing, not a problem or an obstacle in our lives. And as a part of God’s family, they may help us when we are in need, just as other family and community members do.

We are called to love our children and raise them “in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). As God’s gifts, they bring happiness and joy.

Father, help us to find happiness in the children you have given us. May we raise them to know and serve you faithfully. In Christ, Amen.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

— Philippians 4:11

A prison would surely seem more like a cage than a classroom. But some of God’s faithful servants landed in prison, and they learned precious lessons from their time in captivity.

The apostle Paul, for example, waited in a Roman prison for two years to appeal his case to Caesar. And during that time he was able to share the good news of Jesus with many people who visited him (see Acts 28:16-31). Paul had been through many trials and hardships—all related to sharing the gospel of Christ. And he gave thanks that even “the whole palace guard” had learned why he was in chains (Philippians 1:13). Instead of allowing bitterness to fill his heart, Paul wrote, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Happiness is not a reality that is outside of us; it is an attitude that flows from within us. There are people who seem to have everything—and yet they have nothing. There are rich poor and poor rich. Though a person may be in chains, their heart can live in paradise. Others may tread on velvet carpets, but their soul can be in the torment of hell. Happiness is not automatic; it involves a learning process. We are happy when our source of pleasure is in God and not in material things, when our soul delights in the provider and not in the provisions. God is the source of our happiness, not things!

Great God, source of all good, when the satisfaction of our soul is in you, we can have joy, whether we are poor or rich or somewhere in between. In Jesus, Amen.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

— Acts 20:35

As the apostle Paul states here, quoting from the Lord Jesus himself, there is more joy in giving than in receiving. Jesus, of course, knew all about giving. He gave up his glorious life in heaven to become one of us and even to die for our sake, so that we can live with him forever. And he has returned to heaven to rule there and to prepare a place for us. Think of all the amazing blessings that Jesus has made possible!

Money and material goods can be a blessing or a temptation, and that’s why God urges us to be good stewards of all that he gives us. In addition, good stewardship is not only about what we give in church; it’s also about the generosity we show to people in need. Generosity is not an occasional activity but a lifestyle founded on the gospel: “Freely you have received; freely give,” says the Lord (Matthew 10:8).

We are happy not when we accumulate treasures on earth, but when we gather them in heaven; not when we keep everything for ourselves, but when we give freely for the good of our neighbor.

Happiness is not in how much we have, but in how much we share. Is there someone in need near you whom you can bless with your generosity today?

Give me, O God, a merciful heart, willing to share with people in need. Remove selfishness from me so that I may be a generous giver. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

— Psalm 122:1

Have you felt the same emotion that the psalmist expresses here: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’? In Psalm 84:10 we find a statement that aligns with this joy: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. . . .” Today, wherever believers can gather for worship, that place can be called the house of the Lord. There we meet as brothers and sisters in Christ who gather to worship the one true God.

Around the world there are many different church buildings designed to be places where believers can gather to worship God. The King of the universe is not limited to a particular space or building. But a specially designed space can help us contemplate the Lord “in the splendor of his holiness” (Psalm 96:9). In the house of God—that is, in a place of worship—we can gain a clearer understanding of the transience of life and the need for God’s grace and forgiveness. And in the presence of God we are filled with joy to sustain us in the many challenges of our lives.

As the psalmist says, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” (Psalm 84:4).

O God, my sin and self-pity try to keep me away from you. But draw me into your presence, meeting with others to worship you so that we may be renewed with joy to live for you each day. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

— Revelation 1:3

Have you ever had the opportunity to read the book of Revelation? It is not an easy book to read, although many people are attracted by the astonishing events and mysterious characters on its pages. Focusing on things like the dragon or the beast or Armageddon can create fear and uncertainty in the hearts of many people. But the opening verses of this book give us the guideline on how to read it.

After a brief introduction we read, “Blessed [or happy] is the one who. . . .” And this is not a coincidence. We should not be surprised that a book described as “the revelation from Jesus Christ” should include these words. The Lord Jesus often taught his followers with words of blessing, known as beatitudes (see Matthew 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-23).

We are the Lord's church, and as the opening verses show, the book of Revelation is written for God's people. In fact, we who are God’s people receive not only the book of Revelation but also the entire Bible as a letter from God.

Though the book of Revelation can be challenging to understand, we can trust that we are safe in the arms of Jesus, who has saved us to live with him in the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21-22). And our calling is to live by his Word, showing his love to everyone around us each day.

Lord and God, the greatest happiness is to be a part of your people, knowing that we will live forever with you, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

— Psalm 119:92

Happiness is not just about avoiding the way of wickedness and folly. And it’s not about staying away from people. The life of the monk or the hermit is not the ideal of the Christian faith, as some early Christians believed. Christianity is distinguished by a lifestyle in tune with the will of God.

How can we know what God’s will is for our lives? Psalm 1:1-2 answers, “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”

The Word of God is our source of joy and happiness. We are encouraged to meditate on it daily. We must fill our minds with God's truth. We must feed our hearts with the promises that come from the Word of God. His Word is better than refined gold and sweeter than honey. God’s Word restores the soul and gives wisdom to the simple.

In this time when so much garbage circulates on the internet and other media, the Word is bread that nourishes and water that purifies. Through it we keep our hearts pure, and we triumph over the enemy.

Today and every day, remember to feed on God’s Word and to enjoy the nourishment that sustains us, heart and soul, on the way to full life.

Lord and God, guide us in the way of wisdom and life through daily meditation on your Word. Thank you for the joy that comes from being in communion with you. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. . . .

— Psalm 1:1

Happiness includes having the courage to avoid destructive situations. We can draw the line in uncertain friendships. We can walk away from compromising situations. We can say no to opportunities that could lead to wrongdoing. This is how God describes his followers who seek to honor him and to live by his Word. When we are supplied with wisdom from God, we can avoid misfortunes, regrets, and many troubles by learning to say no before it’s too late.

Rather than walking in step with the wicked, “those who belong to Christ Jesus” can “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25). In Christ, we are given new life and “called to be free” (5:13). But that doesn’t mean we are free to follow our old sinful nature. Rather, we are called to “serve one another humbly in love” (5:13), following the whole law of God. If we walk in the way of the wicked, stand proudly with sinners, or sit dutifully among mockers, we will be just like them, and we will not enjoy the happiness of life that God wants for us. We will be blown away like dust in the wind, for “the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

Psalm 1 is often described as teaching about the two ways: the way of godly wisdom, and the way of foolish wickedness. “Blessed [or happy] is the one who . . .” avoids the way of wickedness but delights in the way of the Lord.

O God, free us from sinful, foolish ways and guide us by your wisdom for living, in line with your law of love. Amen.