Walking with the Wise #73: In Pursuit of Happiness

“The hope of the righteous brings joy,

but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

—Proverbs 10:28

The founding fathers of the United States of America enshrined our desire for joy in the foundational document, the Declaration of Independence, in this way,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

God made us to desire happiness and joy. And while there are degrees of happiness that are achieved through the realization of many dreams, hopes, and aspirations, the only true and lasting happiness comes through personally knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is only through knowing Christ that our ultimate hopes can be realized.

God has planted eternity in the heart of man (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:11), which means that there is a vague awareness that time continues after man dies physically. The all-too-unfortunate reality is that many men have put their hope in this life—their achievements, dreams, and pursuits are all rooted in this world—which is fleeting. Only a hope that goes beyond this world, such as that found in Christ, has true and lasting meaning.

Solomon understood that the hope of the righteous brings joy, in that the hope of the righteous will one day be realized in all of its entirety—and that occurs in eternity when Christ will reward all of those who have placed their hope in Him. Not so the wicked. Their expectations and hopes will be dashed before their eyes. They will, like everyone else, die once and then face judgment (cf. Hebrews 9:27). As they stand before Christ, they will bow the knee proclaiming that He is Lord. There will be no going back. No advocate. For those who lived lives of selfish wickedness there remains only judgment.

Joy awaits the believer, but sorrow for the sinner as they play over and over the choices for which their conscience condemned them while they were still living. Which one will you be, my friend? Will you have your hope dashed before your eyes? Or will your hope of everlasting joy be realized in eternity with Christ? If you haven’t already, surrender your life and believe in the Lord Christ. He is the only one who can save you and give you a hope that lasts beyond this world—eternity with Him in everlasting joy. Amen.