We’ve complicated life so much that we have missed the most obvious things. Jesus wants you well! And He wants you full of joy! HE wants you happy. And let’s not over-spiritualize how joy is spiritual and eternal, while happiness is unspiritual or temporal. Happiness was God’s idea.

“Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” (Psalm 144:15)

I believe God uses the word: “happy” here, for a very important reason . . . He means it! Haha ☺

“You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” (Psalm 128:2)

“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.” (Psalm 146:5)

There is no higher or deeper desire in the heart of mankind than happiness. It is the single most intoxicating emotion that drives every decision and pursuit in all of our lives. The tragedy of man’s search is NOT that he cannot find happiness, but that he searches for it in the wrong places.

If you think about it, everything we do in life boils down to these two words: pain and pleasure. Every good thing we do is to alleviate pain or obtain pleasure, and every bad thing we do is for the same two reasons!

If we can tap into the cure of these two primary forces in life, we will be well on our way into the perfect will of God! And while that’s a process, the sooner we start, the better! And it starts with the presence of God.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

Your breakthrough to healing and joy begin at Jesus’ first entrance into this world. It’s at His birth where unhappiness and pain began to finally meet their match! As soon as Jesus came to this earth, the verdict was in—“Sin, sorrow, pain, unhappiness: your rule over mankind is coming to an end!”

And everywhere He went, He brought joy and healing. In His presence is fullness of joy.

“And His presence melts the mountains of pain like wax!” (Psalm 97:5)

The world was a miserable place before Jesus was born. It was full of darkness and sin, even though it was full of religion and rules.

Religion makes men miserable, but God’s grace makes men glad.

“’Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,’ which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:23)

I’m so glad God didn’t give Jesus the name, “God watching us” or “God judging us” or “God kind of near us.” With the religion and belief I grew up with, God was distant, far from my everyday life. But the truth is: God’s not out there somewhere. (Well, He is “there”; He is “here”; and all at the same time.) When you’re going through your darkest moment, God is with you; and in your brightest day, He is the light. He is with you always. His presence makes the difference in our lives. He intends to walk with us, for us to feel He’s with us all the time.

He is with us. The word “God” means: the Creator and the Father of Humanity. “With”—means: in our midst. “Us”—we are not alone.

THIS AWARENESS OF HIS PRESENCE BRINGS US JOY AND HAPPINESS.

It’s not just the awareness that there is a God. It’s the awareness that God is with you.

And here’s what we need to understand — none of us have more of God’s presence than anyone else! Once you’re born again, He lives inside of you. You’re as close to God as I am. I’m as close to God as you are. So what’s the difference maker in our “joy-quotient”? It is the awareness of God’s presence.

You don’t have to worship harder or pray harder to get into God’s presence. You simply need to become more aware that you’re already in His presence by the blood of Jesus.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest [place] by the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)

His presence gives you victory.

His presence gets you through the fire.

He is with you. He will never forsake you.

This awareness of God’s presence delivers you from all fear, pain, and unhappiness. Through the blood of Jesus, you are instantly in God’s presence, and God’s presence is in you.

I break this down more in my recent message. Check it out below! You can also read more about this in my latest book: The Cure

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