If You're Happy And You Know It

“This is the day the LORD has made. Let's rejoice and be glad today!” Psalm 118:24

I remember well the song from my childhood and continued to sing it right on into my adult life. If you weren’t blessed to sing this song, the lyrics go like this.

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it.

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

The verses continue with, not only clap your hands, but stomp your feet and shout hooray! Now that’s some joy down in your bones. I think we might need to drag out the band instruments and sing a little childhood song, because somewhere along the way, we have lost our happy. We have every reason to be happy, but we have allowed the circumstances of life to rip it right out of our hearts.

Because things are so somber in our world these days, there is almost a resistance to being happy. Our faces have been masked and distances set between us. A new panic and fear presents itself daily. Sickness, death, anxiety, evil, strife and discord are real. But we are not talking about being happy because circumstances are good or perfect. No! But as followers of Jesus Christ, we can be happy just because we know Him, are loved by Him and have been called by Him. We are supremely blessed by Him and have reason to be happy.

Will somebody please clap your hands!

I’m convinced some joy and happiness need to gush into our world like a mighty rushing river. Not a little trickle, but a powerful force. I’m talking about that which is propelled by the power of the Holy Spirit. Not just a cute child’s song, but true happiness in our hearts. Can we push aside the ache for one minute and remember that we are the blessed, happy people of Mighty God?

A deep study of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5, has re-introduced me to this kind of happy. Each of the eight declarations made by Jesus begins with the word “Blessed.” The Greek word for blessed is “makarios.” It means fortunate, favored, fully satisfied, and yes, happy! Jesus taught that these are the characteristics of kingdom people who live by kingdom principles. We are kingdom people and we carry the Good News of Jesus Christ. Yes, good news!

I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t need some Good News. Let’s wake up and remember that we don’t belong to this world. We belong to the Kingdom of God.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” Colossians 1:13

We are Good News people in a bad news world.

If you’ve lost your happy, it’s because you have forgotten the Good News! Tune your instruments. Sing to yourself and then take that mask off and show your happy face and happy heart to a desperate world in need of Good News. I think I hear some hand clapping, feet stomping, hooray shouting right around the corner. Let’s link arms and sing a new song declaring the Good News of Jesus!

I would like to invite you to join me for a summer series titled, “Living the Blessed Life". This will be a study of the beatitudes found in Matthew 5. You can join me Live on Facebook on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 or you can find the messages on our YouTube Channel.