God’s people should be a happy people, a joyful people.

The Lord Jesus Christ wanted His people to be happy.

All the beatitudes encourage happiness, and yet so often we look miserable and sad.

C H Spurgeon was teaching a class of students on the importance of expression, He said, "When you are speaking about heaven, smile, let the joy be seen in your face, when you are speaking about hell, your normal face will do just fine!"

Happiness is contagious, we should all be carriers.

Someone has said, "Happiness is found in having something to do, someone to love and something to hope for."

As saved, redeemed children we have all three:

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Are you happy dear Saint of God?

The Christian should be happy, when I looked on Easter Sunday at 1 Cor.15 we discovered this:

If Christ be not risen then we are the most miserable people on planet earth. But what does Paul say?

We should be happy, the fruit of the spirit includes joy.

Do you feel happy? Do you know any thing about the joy of the Lord?

Let us begin by saying where joy, happiness and gladness are not found. That is with the unbeliever.

• Their joy is limited to this life.

Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

• Their joy is very short.

Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

• Their joy is uncertain.

Eccles. 7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

Job 21:13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

Acts 12:22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

Isaiah 5:12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.

One man who had all of these and more was the rich farmer in Luke 12.

Luke 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

Oh what sadness, what torment, what suffering lies ahead if you continue without Christ.

J Mc Auley took a class of young Christians to see a wealthy estate. As they viewed the treasures that had been accumulated, they left with a song in their hearts:

The psalms have instructions for the happiness of the believer. Do you feel sad and very unhappy? The Lord has a word just for you.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

The psalms begin with the word blessed, which is a plural word, it means happy, happy or happy, very happy. Here is God’s word on the matter.

The Lord gives us firstly the negative, where happiness is not found.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.

Nor standeth in the way of sinners

Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

True happiness is found in separation from all of these.

But how can the child of God be happy?

If how happy you feel is proportional to the amount of time given to the word of God, how happy are you?

Looking to the scriptures.

Loosed from our sin.

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. [2] Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

David writing this, after his confession and repentance in Psalm 51, where he said.

I will use my experience to teach others about the dangers of sin, and the joy of forgiveness, this is the result Psalm 32.

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. [2] Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

If we have unconfessed sin in our lives it will rob us of our joy.

Are you happy? Or have you neglected the scriptures? Is there sin in your life?

Spurgeon remarked that these three Psalms that begin with blessed follow a pattern:

In Psalm 1 we have the word of God revealing our condition.

In Psalm 32 we have our sin dealt with.

In Psalm 41 we have the outworking of that salvation.

Psalm 41:1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

I quite simply put it like this; happy is he or she who is concerned about others.

A self-centred believer will not be a happy believer.

Blessed, happy, very happy are those who will show real love to others.

When we come to Psalm 34 we find many reasons why we should be a happy, very happy people.

How could David say, "I will bless the Lord at all times?"

This Psalm was written at a low point in David’s life and yet he could praise the Lord at all times.

No matter what the situation his praise shall be continually in my mouth.

King David realised that God was in control and he makes no mistakes, God truly is sovereign, He is in control we should be happy, very happy.

Fear of age, illness, and loneliness. Has fear gripped your heart?

He delivered me from all my fears, the Lord is able to settle us and remove our fears.

Psalm 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

They could look and feel no shame; their sins were dealt with.

The Lord is round about his people.

Genesis 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Acts 18:10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

Exodus 13:21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Deut. 1:30 The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;

John 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

Exodus 14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

The Lord surrounds us, should we not be happy?

Psalm 34:9-10 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. [10] The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, my God shall supply all your needs.

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalm 34:22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. [29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Nothing can ever take away our salvation, should we not be happy, very happy?

When we think of someone like Fanny Crosby who was blind, this is what she said:

Are you happy?