Teague Bible Church

“Are You Ever Happy About Anything?”                                          1/12/2021

The recent and rare snow reminded me of days of old in North Texas as a kid. There we got snow about every 4 years or so. Rarely was the snow over 4”, but sometime we had more. It did not matter the amount. If it lasted into the next day then we did not sleep that night!

With 20 beagle dogs about the place we carefully avoided the yellow snow and would build our snowmen, and scoop up our ample portions to make snow ice cream. You poured the milk, mixed with vanilla and sugar, over the snow and gave yourself brain-freeze.

We put on dad’s boots and made gloves from the sock drawer. Dad would come out and watch 6 kids having the time of their lives. Even through his particularly life-hardened face you saw, if only for a moment, a kid’s face. He was remembering such days in which He himself enjoyed those rare occasions. It made me happy to know he once had some happy moments from his terrible childhood.

This recent snow made my heart so joyful! I have been sick of late, but it could not suppress my joy. God showed me the timelessness of such moments. Think about that a moment; “the timelessness of such moments.”  That is when a temporal moment mimics an eternal truth. God has just about freed me from the disease of, “ I will be happy when,,,,” syndrome. What do I mean?

I decided to get on social media that day that the snow fell. That was my first mistake. Someone mentioned how wonderful it was that we had snow. Immediately someone commented that it was not the kind of snow they liked because it was too wet. Someone else was correcting someone’s spelling. Really? Another commented that it sure made the roads dangerous and I hope everybody is careful. That is code for, “I must be the only person who really cares!”

That brings me to this. “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection  of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining at the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. ” I Peter 1: 3-9.

Talk about happy? WOW!   As the hymn says,“ Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, oh what a foretaste of glory divine.” Those timeless moments down here are trying to communicate with you about a permanent situation to come. But no; not you.  No, everything has to be just right for you to be happy. Then you will never be happy!     

I knew after this wonderful snow event was spoken about on Facebook, it would not take long till some shriveled soul would say, “Yea, that’s good, but what about this situation we have right now in America?”  And that complaint could be about the year 2020 A.D.,  or the year 55 A.D. , or any year you chose.

That brings me to this; there is no way, even God, could make such a person happy. That person needs a new heart. Only Jesus can give a new heart. You cannot build one on your own, because something will always come along to spoil it; and the spoiling, because it has no firm, unmovable foundation, as the one Peter spoke about.

That brings me to this: Could not God just let everybody go to heaven? He could, but it would become hell in a short time. You have to have a new heart, only given by Christ, to enjoy heaven. Grumblers over some imagined better snow, and many other topics, need not apply.  Are you ever happy for long about anything? JWP