Christian Living

Happy On The Way

by J.W. Phillips
01/03/25
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Happy On The Way

Only a day or so earlier, at the precise moment the clock struck twelve, what did people say? HAPPY NEW YEAR!

They said the same thing a year ago, too, but did it turn out that way?

To answer that question, at least for yourself, you’ll need to decide what you mean by “happy”.

For some people the answer might be a better job, a newer house, higher income, and gadgets galore. For less materialistic folks, it might be a blue sky, a warm sun, a gentle breeze while lying spread-eagle on the beach. But is any of that really “happy”?

Responding to this question, William Saroyan wrote, “Only the pigs are happy.” Not knowing the problems we know, these rotund creatures of redicule can slosh around in the mud and have a romping, stomping good time! But is that “happy”?

I’ll never forget an elderly man in a former church I served. When asked how he was doing, Mr. Perkins—a diminutive man, well into his nineties—would always answer with cheer in his voice and a twinkle in his eye, “Happy on the way!” And it was that twinkle, that cheer, that confirmed it was true.

Many people, perhaps most people couldn’t say that. Why? Simply because they’re not happy!

Let me tell you about a man who could say that, and did. In the 26th chapter in Acts, we find Paul on his way to the Praetorium in Caesarea. The setting was this.

Paul had been in prison for two years—and he was there for no good reason! He had already been through four trials, and none of these had established any wrongdoing on his part. But rather than release him, which would have been the right thing to do, out of deference to the Jews, Festus decided to try him again!

But what would the charges be? There were none that would hold up in a Roman court. Festus wasn’t a Jew, but when Festus found out that Herod, who was a Jew, was in town, he asked Herod to help him. Herod agreed to do so by using Jewish jurisprudence.

So now Paul was on his way to the Praetorium.

Were this a movie spectacular, you would see the glitter, the glamor, and the glory of that gala event fill up the screen. Anybody who was anybody was there that night!

In terms of decked-out dignitaries, without question, this was a scene of extraordinary splendor. Scripture says the king and his entourage assembled with “great pomp” (Acts 25:23). The Greek word for pomp, used only here in Scripture, means fantastic, show—there was a parade that day with all the regalia of royalty!

Into the hall then walks this bald-headed, hooked-nose Jew who, were it not for the judicial ambush about to occur, did not belong there!

With that as the background, notice Paul’s first words when called upon to speak. We find them in verse 2, “I think myself happy.”

Pause for a moment and put yourself in Paul’s place. Then ask yourself: After all Paul had been through—a false arrest, a cold dungeon, limited human contact, would you have said that?

This wasn’t just cordial, civil speech coming from a calculating man. Paul meant what he said! This, when you think about it, is beyond remarkable!

Despite all these adverse circumstances hindering his life and work, Paul’s emotional life hadn’t been damaged at all!

Prison, we know, is a place of constant griping, a place where everyone else is at fault but not the prisoner! So one might think that Paul would have come out of there with plenty to gripe about!

For starters, he could have denounced the system, saying you have no right to put me in prison! And no right to keep me in prison! “Get me out of here!”

But he didn’t.

Now, let’s freeze the narrative at this point to ask the question: Would you have been able to say as Paul did, as Mr. Perkins did, that you are happy on the way? Have you discovered how to be genuinely happy during awful, adverse circumstances?

One would think that King Solomon, perhaps the richest and wisest man in the world at the time, would surely be happy. Yet he wrote a book describing the various ways people try to be happy; but after describing each path they took, he said, “vanity and vexation of spirit.” Meaning: It didn’t work! Each path resulted in frustration, not fulfilment.

Exasperation! Irritation! Aggravation! Exacerbation! Plenty of that!

But not gratification.

So, we’re back to square one. According to Scripture, how can one be happy?

Psalm 144:15 answers, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”

You might reply, “But I know a lot of Christians who aren’t very happy.”

Two responses to that.

First, with regard to the more immediate, they would be a lot happier right now if they let God be their Lord. It’s precisely because they removed their life from his control that they ended up unhappy.

Second, with regard to the ultimate—meaning, our eternal state—happiness is secured only if God is the Lord.

Many people aim for immediate happiness and think little of the eternal, ultimate happiness.

To illustrate the folly of that, imagine being a passenger sitting in first-class on a modern train. The scenery outside is pleasant. The service inside is splendid.

Clickety-clack, you’re zipping along in a great mood, sipping your favorite beverage, enjoying all your conversations with a steward nearby ready to attend your every need. Such a wonderful day!

But unbeknownst to you there’s another train on collision course with yours, and in just moments, your life on earth will be over.

Now, when applying happiness to that scene, do you see why the psalmist is right? One’s definition of happiness makes no sense at all unless God is your Lord and Heaven is your goal.

Let’s consider another psalm. Psalm 128, verses one and two, say, “Blessed is everyone who walks in his way … you shall be happy.”

Deep down, we know that if we’ll walk in his ways, we’ll be happy. And we also know that every short-cut we take, every compromise we fake, and every sin selected for self’s sake will end up bringing us grief.

We know that! But we also know we don’t have what it takes to walk in God’s ways, to live a holy life.

Well, then, consider this psalm! Psalm 146:5 declares, “Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help.”

Talk about a messed-up guy, a person who was so full of himself there was just no way he could be happy, let me introduce you to this man, Jacob.

The name Jacob means cheat, schemer, conniver—and he lived that way! But then came that day when God changed his name, changed his character, and changed his destiny.

Wouldn’t you want that kind of help—help from the wisest, strongest, most loving person in the universe?

God is willing to help people who will come into a saving relationship with him by replacing their old nature with a new nature full of divine life. And he’ll do that, not someday, now!

Talk about being happy, consider this prospect: Inside you—instantly! —will suddenly be his love, his joy, his peace, his patience, his kindness and all the other parts of the Holy Spirit’s fruit.

Does the Holy Spirit help you obtain these qualities? No, once you become a Christian, you already have them! Scripture says you are a new creation, not will be (II Corinthians 5:17); and that this new man was created, past tense, not in the process of being created (Ephesians 4:24).

Paul wrote those verses in Ephesians about the new man and he wrote that verse in II Corinthians about the new creation, the new nature! Indeed, Paul not only wrote those verses, he lived those verses! These qualities of divine life were experienced by him—every day! And that’s why he could testify of this astonishing happiness he had that went way past being in a good mood.

Glory! If the God of Jacob helped you in these ways, you would be happy, too! And not just on the first day of the new year, but all year long!

You would be happy on the way! The way being Jesus’ way; for he is the way, the truth, and the life.