Archive for the ‘Happiness’ Category

29 Dec

Joy In Trials

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Happiness, Joy, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,

We had a good family Christmas. We gathered at Ryan’s house in Neligh. The boys fed us well with steak, lobster tail, and all kinds of other goodies. There were also home-made cinnamon rolls that were to die for. Needless to say, we are in fasting mode the day after.

We are about to enter a new year! 2026 is almost here. The greeting of the week will be “Happy New Year!” We always salute the turning of the calendar to January with those words, but for some it probably will not be happy every day of the year. There will be disappointments, sicknesses, deaths in families and other kinds of personal tragedies. The optimism we have will fade away to reality and we find it hard to be happy all the time.

The Bible speaks of joy. When the angels announced the birth of the Savior, the greeting was Joy to the World! I believe joy is separate from happiness, In the middle of unhappy times, we can still be joyful. The psalmist wrote, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19). In this sense, joy is based on the writer’s relationship with God.

In another psalm we read, “The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy… Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:3, 5). Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

The Lord Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We will not always be happy, but through our faith and trust in the Lord, we will have joy in our hearts.

 “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

Trials will come, but they are not unexpected. The good news is that the Lord is with us in those trials. Joy is knowing we have Him in our hearts in those times.

Have a blessed New Year,

Pastor Jerry

10 Mar

Getting There

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Contentment, Happiness, Planning, Righteousness, Temptation.

Hello friends,
Winter is still hanging around. Our storm last week left us with about four inches of heavy, wet snow. Some areas got less, and others more. it was all welcome moisture and with warmer temperatures it won’t be here long.

In life we are often tempted to take shortcuts to achieve a particular goal. In scripture we read of Jesus being tempted by Satan to short cut God’s plan for Him.

“The devil led Him to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only,’” (Luke 4:5-8).

Pastor J.D. Greear has some thoughts on this topic: “Satan’s offer is Jesus’ chance to avoid the pain of the cross and get there through a shortcut, to walk on a path parallel to the will of God, but not in it.

It’s the temptation to compromise, and we all have had a taste of it in our own lives.

You really, really want to get somewhere, and you think that’s what God wants, but God doesn’t seem to be getting you there fast enough. And so, you are tempted to take a shortcut to get what you think you are entitled to—to pursue a good thing in the wrong way.

When we think this way, we are being tempted by a lie from Satan. This lie starts in the moment when you are frustrated with life, and you think the issue is your circumstance. You think, ‘If I could just get this other thing, then I would be happy,’

At the end of His life, Jesus got all the kingdoms of the earth—because He sought unbroken fellowship with the Father first.

Joy doesn’t come in getting wherever “there” is but in knowing, wherever you are, you are exactly where God wants you to be, doing exactly what God wants you to do. You get there by pursuing God, His Word, and the things He loves.”

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. (Matthew 6:33).

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

7 Aug

Want or Need?

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, Contentment, Happiness, Stewardship, Wisdom.

Dear readers,

Last week was nice, not too hot and with some nice rain. Sunday morning was much cooler; something about a cold front passing through the area. It made me think of fall, but I know this was wishful thinking. There is a very real possibility of a return to summer temps. We made a trip to Grand Island last week. We had been discussing the possibility of putting recliners in the camper in place of the very uncomfortable love seat/hide-a-bed. We made a purchase and of course, there wasn’t one in stock so we will wait a few days then go back to pick it up. Life at the lake is great, but sometimes we seek entertainment in other places.

On the topic of seeking whatever we might see as a need, I have found that needs and wants are two very different things. My life has been littered with things I wanted because I thought I needed them. After obtaining them, reality showed them as merely wants and they ended up in some scrap pile. Money spent foolishly because of a want that wasn’t really a need.

People chase after all kinds of things they think they can’t live without, only to be disappointed in the end. King Solomon in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes had much to say about this. He said this: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:10-11).

Further in the book Solomon continued: “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them (5:10-11)?

He ends the book with these words: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Reflecting on life,

Pastor Jerry

12 Jun

Enjoying Life

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Contentment, Happiness, Praise, Reward.

Dear friends,

We had an enjoyable weekend with Alex, Breanna, and Maria. We were supposed to park the camper on a new concrete pad at their house, but Alex sent a message early Friday morning to inform me they had received heavy rains in the night. This resulted in making reservations at the local KOA, and when I saw Alex’s driveway, I was glad I did. I helped him add handrails on the outdoor stairs and a railing around the landing. It looked nice when we were done, not elegant but functional for sure.

When we got the camper set up, we discovered that some furry rodents had been living in the kitchen drawers over winter. This is not something you wish to find when looking forward to a relaxing evening. There will be some serious cleaning done now that we are home again. There were some other incidents that resulted from my not paying attention, but more on those in another column.

In our recent travels, we have noticed an abundance of yucca plants. They are blooming profusely this year. It is just my thinking, but I wonder if it is because of the drought conditions? Some plants thrive in those situations, including most cactus plants. In areas where there has been rain, the pastures and meadows are doing well also. Rain always improves a lot of things, including the attitudes of farmers and ranchers.

As we travel and observe creation, I am taken to the words of David in Psalm 145: I exalt you, my God the King, and bless your name forever and ever.

I will bless you every day; I will praise your name forever and ever.

The Lord is great and is highly praised, his greatness is highly praised,

His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will declare your works the next and will proclaim your   mighty acts.

I will speak of your splendor and glorious majesty and you and your wondrous works.

They will give testimony of your great goodness and will joyfully sing of   your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love.

The Lord is good to everyone; his compassion rests on all he has made.

All you have made will thank you, Lord; the faithful will bless you.

Psalm 145:1-10).

For more blessings, read the rest of the psalm.

Be blessed,

Pastor Jerry

12 Sep

Chasing the Wind

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Contentment, Culture, Happiness, Peace, Possessions, Trust, Wisdom.

Dear friends,

We are experiencing some cooler weather for a change. As I write this, we have received a welcome rain shower. I show a mere twenty hundredths, but hey, it’s rain! We will continue to pray the Lord will send beneficial moisture. With the summer season winding down, life here at the lake is taking a more leisurely turn. It has been good to see folks enjoying a taste of lake living, especially the families with children.

Now for some devotional thoughts. This is from a few years back, when we were still watching television, but the message hasn’t changed. One of the newer advertisements on the tube was from an automobile company that will remain unnamed. Their slogan was “Dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit!”

One of the hallmarks of the culture of today is that many are dedicated to the “pursuit”, and have no vision of what they are pursuing. After all, I wonder, should there not be something to pursue? Most of us have some goal in mind as we go along our life’s journey. It may be only to provide food and shelter for our families, but there is something we are pursuing. The Bible has quite a bit to say about things that are important to pursue and those which are not worth chasing after.

Solomon wrote that many of the things people seek after are just chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Again he writes, “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his work is pain and grief, even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless (2:22-23).

At the end of the book, Solomon sums it up; “Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13).

Jesus said, “But seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Our slogan could then be “Dedicated to a life of serving God, liberty from the bondage of sin and the pursuit of godliness.”

In summary, God will provide all we need for this life and the next, if we will only put all our faith and trust in Him.

Reflecting on His Word,

Pastor Jerry

5 Sep

Faith and Trust

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Happiness, Peace, Possessions, Trust, Witness, Worship.

Dear friends,

The Labor Day weekend is winding down. A good number of people enjoyed life at the lake over the past few days, and from all indications they had an enjoyable time. It will seem rather quiet here in the neighborhood come Tuesday morning.

I would like to share some thoughts on trusting God in every aspect of our lives. As believers in the Lord Jesus our desire should be to live life by faith. We should be content with what he provides, not envying the possessions or lifestyles of others.

Do we look at a person who does not know the Lord, yet has material wealth in abundance and wish we had what he has? Instead, we should have sympathy for that person, knowing that all his possessions are of no value in light of eternity. When we covet these things, we are in essence saying that we don’t trust God to take care of us. Trust involves letting Him take complete control of our lives—this includes our thoughts, actions and possessions, including bank accounts and our souls—everything.

We are to trust God without reservation. This sounds like a lofty goal, but in His word, He tells us it can be done. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important that food, and the body more important that clothes” (Matthew 6:25)?

Trusting the Lord involves following His commands and letting Him have control. How is your trust level? Can you take time for Him in your busy times? How about letting Him take care of those cows while you attend Sunday worship or take off work early for mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting?

God says he will supply all our needs; does this not mean our time as well as our physical and spiritual needs? Are you trusting Him with the care of a prodigal child or the loved one with an incurable disease? Most importantly, have you trusted Him for your salvation, or are you trying to get to heaven on the merit of your own good works?

Remember, salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the way, the only way.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

10 Aug

On Being Happy

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, Contentment, God's Word, Happiness.

Dear friends,
Warmer temps returned late in the week, but there could be a couple of cooler days before it returns to the nineties again mid-week. Ah, summer! We are so thankful that the Lord led us to this place by the lake, where we can live in relative peace and quiet, yet be part of a larger community. This is contentment.

Speaking of contentment, and being happy with your life, I don’t think I have ever seen an unhappy dog here at the lake. Head out the window, tail wagging, and a big old doggy smile on its face. Most of the human residents and visitors seem to have the same attitude.

True contentment and happiness is not about ‘don’t worry, be happy’, because this attitude denies reality. Not everything is a big party, but it is possible to be happy and content. Not every experience in life lends itself to happiness, but contentment is possible through faith in God. The Bible speaks of happiness, blessedness, and contentment as being connected. In various translations, the words happy and blessed are interchangeable, both being an evidence of contentment.

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live” (Eccl 3:12).
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:13).
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy (blessed) is the person who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
The apostle Paul said, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11-12).

Last word: Keep yourselves free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

We can have true peace and joy, even happiness, if we are willing to put our lives in God’s hands, trusting that he has prepared a place in heaven for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the words of Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:27-28).

Happy in Him,
Pastor Jerry