The Jewish Translation I have been reading from for two years now, Psalm 72:17 says, "May all nations call Him happy." Other translations say, May all nations call Him blessed." We are not accustomed to thinking of God as a happy God. We most often think of Him as mad (angry), sad, disappointed, harsh, unapproachable and hard to please. The following is from my spiritual journal, March 2010.
Father, I do not easily see You as a happy God. There is so much to grieve the soul, trouble the mind, poison the body and deny the soul it's soaring on wings of Spirit energy.
This is an important truth to establish in my heart. A HAPPY GOD! I want to know more, so I ask You, Spirit of God, to open my understanding and allow me to live in the vibrant flow of a happy God. What a magnetic drawing to my soul! If it is true that people can bless themselves in God who is happy, my concepts must change to support the blessing. God is not made happy by my doing, (my performance) but by my being in Him.
John Piper writes much about our joyful God. If He is not joyful, He can not be my joy. Bill Johnson often says, "God is in a good mood, always." Then why wouldn't I want to draw close to Him? I know from my experience that God often invites me to come dance, come dine, come join the eternal party. Somehow we have misunderstood the character and mood of our happy God. Could it be because we are looking at God through our filter of personal perception?
When I think about how God feels when He looks at me, my first thought is not a smiling, radiant face, but a sad one, hoping for more and better. Yes, I glow in His grace toward me, but I need to spend more time celebrating the "being of me" that He created for Himself. He is happy over my being, not my doing. I wrongly think I am loved and valued because of how well I perform duties and keep commandments, how I compare with others, how beautiful I look, how much I accomplish for Him. Reputation seems more important than enjoying this happy God. Thus I become either like the prodigal son or the elder son with a bitter attitude. Neither son knew the heart of their father.
NOTE: If God's joyous heart and happy face depends on our good behavior, if He glories in His children, as we think, based on pleasant circumstances and our doing "right", then He could not ever be happy or joyous. Then where would I get the joy and the peace He promises?
Cut off from the Source of all joy and vibranat LIFE, man falls into self-consciousness. What a pit! Let this HAPPY GOD draw you deep into Himself. It will allow you to turn loose of so much that creates misery, depression, disappointment, etc.
Father, You creaated me to be the receiver of Your life flow, Your words, Your peacefulness, Your joyfulness and yes, your happiness, creativity and eternal vibrancy. I think it is time for me to walk into the warmth and safety of Your arms and dance until I can let go of all this junk that makes me sad. You only make me happy.
This is outstanding!
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