“It is a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can.” —C.S. Lewis [A Severe Mercy]
“For the Jews it was a time of happiness and Joy, gladness and honor.” —Esther 8:16 (NIV)
“So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.” —Proverbs 23:25 (NLT)
“The happiness Christ gives to His people is a participation in His own happiness.” —Jonathan Edwards
“May your Christian life be fraught with happiness and overflowing with joy.” —Charles Spurgeon
WE WERE CREATED FOR ETERNAL HAPPINESS
“The prospect of righteousness is Joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing” —Proverbs 10:28 (NIV)
“And the more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.” —G.K. Chesterton
“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” —John Piper
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all as vanity and striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. —Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (ESV)
In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you.” —II Chronicles 1:7-12 (ESV)
Biblical Wisdom: The Desire, Understanding, and Ability to Do What is Right (according to God) in Every Situation
Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the LORD, there was no more breath in her. —II Chronicles 9:1-4 (ESV)
“Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom.” —II Chronicles 9:7 (ESV)
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?” —Proverbs 1:20-22 (ESV)
Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. —Proverbs 8:10-11 (ESV)
When He established the heavens, I was there; when He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He made firm the skies above, when He established the fountains of the deep, when He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him, like a master workman, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, rejoicing in His inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. —Proverbs 8:27-31 (ESV)
Wisdom is the principle thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And is all your getting, get understanding. —Proverbs 4:7 (NKJV)
WISDOM IS THE ANSWER TO ETERNAL HAPPINESS
The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. —Matthew 12:42 (ESV)
…behold, the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you —Luke 17:21 (ESV)
“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is say to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” … “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.” —John 4:10,13
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For the Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the Wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. —1 Corinthians 1:20-24
“And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” —1 Corinthians 1:30
JESUS IS OUR WISDOM
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-29 (ESV)