The thing that makes us happy is the thrill of going, the surprise of arriving, and the relief of leaving.
Psalm 102:25-28
Think of these three words:
“When I get…”
If you’re like me, it’s difficult to do without trying to complete the sentence.
We say things like, “When I get that new car, I’m going to be happy!” Or, “When I get that big promotion, we’re gonna be on Easy Street.”
So, what happens next?
Well, we get it and find out, once again, that the new car on Easy Street has turned into an old jalopy riding on a street full of potholes.
Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. quote points out that we rarely, perhaps never, remain satisfied with things we buy or achieve in life.
I suppose that’s the good news as well as the bad news.
It’s good because it keeps us pushing yet it’s bad because it steers our mindset into thinking that we can create our own happiness.
But that’s not how God made us.
Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. Bible verse comes from a time when Jerusalem was in ruin. They had fallen away from a reliance on God by following their own passions. They wanted this or that – always something besides God that they felt would make them happy. But soon, the walls came tumbling down and they cried out to God for His mercy and deliverance.
As I read the Old Testament and think about how God’s chosen people kept falling away from God, even after being picked up from the ashes so many times, I can’t help but wonder, “Why didn’t they get it? Why couldn’t they see that faith in God alone was the only way?”
Then I remember, the Evil One knows our weaknesses and uses them against us.
You might be thinking, as I am: “Are we any different than them?”
I’ll answer that by making this statement: If they were looking at us, they’d be wondering the same thing.
So, that would be a “No.”
Today’s Tiny Words. Big Life. takeaway is this: Pray to seek happiness in the fulfillment of God’s plan for your life. Pray to enjoy the blessings that God gives us but don’t allow them to be the source of joy and contentment. Pray to be content with His plan and will for your life, regardless of the things we have.
And the next time you walk out to your driveway and see that shiny new car, think about the incomplete sentence and fill in the blank with an eternal destination…
“When I get… to heaven.”
What’s it going to be?
Streets of gold or potholes ??
Psalm 102:25-28
25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you.”