True happiness is to be found only in the Lord Jesus Christ, and feeding upon Him through the Word. A Christian is the only one who has the right to be happy and surely he should be happy. Then why do we find so many Christians with sad faces? It is because Christ is not the object of their hearts, and they are not casting all their care upon Him, relying on the assurance that He cares for them.
There are some people who think that Christians must be very somber, that what they call being religious is to be always associated with gloom, so they go about looking sad—as if they had not a friend. But Jesus is their Friend. He has shown such wonderful love in giving His life for them, and He is concerned about the smallest trials and will carry all for them if they will let Him.
By word and action we are called upon to make known the good news of God concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord to weary, sin-burdened hearts. By feeding in our own souls upon the love of God, the beauties and glories of Christ and the wonderful blessings which have been bestowed upon us, our faces will not look sad, but a deep peace, a calm joy will possess our souls. We shall not be self-occupied, but our shining countenances will show that which will be to His glory, and we shall think of the good and needs of others. We shall visit the sick and poor to inquire into their needs and minister to them, and seek out the desolate and oppressed to tell them of the consolations of Christ. We can show that precious sympathy for others which the blessed Lord Jesus so delights in and so deeply proved when He was here upon earth among men.
Fellow believers, you may be very sure that those who are most like Him in this, as well as in other respects, do more to commend the gospel of the grace of God than those who speak of it and yet act as if there was no happiness connected with accepting Christ as Savior.
The last words of Moses in Deut. 33:2929Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places. (Deuteronomy 33:29) are, "Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, o people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency!" It is really only saved people who can be truly happy. A shield protects and a sword is for offense. Saved ones are protected and they have the Word of the Lord to use both inwardly and outwardly. It is a two-edged sword.