Do you believe that God is good and every good gift, every perfect gift, comes from above (James 1:17, CEB)? If you have hard time believing this, you need to know Daniel’s secret to a happy life.

Do you remember why Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den? Because he prayed and praised God three times a day, also when it had been ordered that no one should pray to any god but the king Darius.

You could ask “Where was the good Lord when Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den? Doesn’t God take care of his children?” Yes, he does. But it does not mean that bad things would not happen to them. But it does mean that he will be with us through thick and thin. Nothing will separate us from him.

How did Daniel survive the lions’ den? The same way he lived: by trusting God with his life. And God closed the mouths of the lions and Daniel was able to testify of his living God.

We can rest assured that God will take care of us, too. That does not mean that our life would be easy. But that does mean that whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. And when our hope is in him our future is secure no matter what happens.

The secret to a happy life is not in buying more stuff or becoming successful or escaping troubles. Daniel knew the secret and practiced it well.

Daniel knelt down, prayed, and praised his God three times that day, just like he always did. (Daniel 6:10, CEB)

The secret to a happy life is in knowing the Lord, conversing intimately with him, and thanking and praising him all day long.

If you still have hard time in believing that all the good things come from above, start writing lists of blessings. Sometimes we get so crazy-busy that we don’t recognize God’s presence in our lives anymore. Counting blessings make us open our eyes to God in our lives. And when you start seeing God’s tender loving care in your life, don’t forget to thank the good Lord for them. Because that’s the secret for a joyful and happy life.

 

Gracious God,
Without you we are empty.
Without you we are nothing.
Without you our lives don’t have meaning.
Without you our lives have no purpose.
Come and be our King!
Come and be our everything!
Fill us with your Spirit.
Help us to see you around us.
Give us thankful hearts.
Show us the way to a happy life
and enable us to always practice it.
Because you are our salvation.
You are our rescuer.
You are our hope.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Have you learned the secret for a happy life? Do you practice it?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you practice the secret to a happy life!

Image courtesy of Jeremiah Bauer. Linking up today with Thought-Provoking Thursday, Faith-filled Fridays.