Where's Happiness?

Paula Williamson guest writer

Have you ever looked at your life and realized you never intended to be where you are?

Maybe it’s a failed marriage, an abusive relationship, an addiction, unmet expectations, a foolish decision, or the death of a loved one. Maybe you see a pattern of poor choices—or perhaps you’re living with the consequences of someone else’s.

Scripture never promises we will be exempt from trouble. It does promise that He will walk with us through it.

But after all that has happened, will we ever be happy again?

It Is Written

Psalm 40:1–3“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear [with great reverence] and will trust confidently in the Lord.”

His Plans Are Good

Right now, may feel like the pit. The miry clay. The place where your footing is unsure and your song is gone. But you are not in the final chapter of your life. A lot can happen in just a few pages. Every meaningful story has unexpected twists and turns. The difference for us is this: we know the Author, and the Author is good.

We may not know what the next page holds, but we know who holds the pen. We can trust Him. We can praise Him in the waiting. And sometimes, praise comes before the new song.

Prayer

Lord, I feel like I am in a horrible pit of miry clay. I believe You can lift me out and set my feet upon a rock. I believe You can steady my steps. I believe You can give me a new song.

Help me trust You while I wait. Help me choose hope before I feel happiness. I place my future in Your hands.

Takeaway

Happiness is not the absence of hardship. It is the decision to trust the Author while the story is still being written.