“It’s ok to not be ok, but it’s not ok to stay that way.”
Perry Noble
Passage
1Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.”
3As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.
6The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
8I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.
10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
11You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:1–11 (NASB95)
Background
Quote-Perry Noble (born June 24, 1971) is an American preacher, author, and the senior pastor of the Second Chance Church. He founded NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina in January 2000.[3] His weekly sermons were watched by over 32,000 people at 11 satellite campuses across the state of South Carolina with an additional 7,200 viewers tuned in weekly via online live stream. After being ousted from NewSpring church, Perry started a new Church in Anderson in 2018 and opened as a church plant in January 2019 under the name Second Chance Church.
Passage-The genre of Psalms is Songs and Poetry of all kinds. It is written by multiple authors; David wrote 73, Asaph wrote 12, the sons of Korah wrote 9, Solomon wrote 3, Ethan, and Moses each wrote one (Ps. 90), and 51 of the Psalms are anonymous. They were written over the span of approximately 900 years (Beginning at the time of Moses 1440 B.C. and through the captivity in 586 B.C.).
The Psalms include praises of joy, laments, blessings, and thanksgivings. They are directed at God and they help us to express and communicate ourselves to Him. We read about the Psalmist’s emotions from one extreme to another, from praising, delighting in and worshiping God with fervor, to repentance and crying out to Him in despair.
Written by Jay Smith, Biblehub.com
Opening Statement
Life moves through cycles just as the seasons do. One begins as another ends. We should move through things too. Holding on to sadness was not God’s plan for our lives.
Ask: Why do we have to say that it’s okay to be happy? Do people need permission to be happy?
Point: Sometimes they do, yes.
Ask: Why is it “Okay to be happy?”
Point: Because it is a gift of God. Please read the following:
11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;
13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 3:11–13 (NASB95)
Ask: What if we don’t feel happy where we are right now?
Point: There is a time for everything. Please read the following:
1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
2A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.
5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
6A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.
8A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.
9What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?
10I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.
Ecclesiastes 3:1–10 (NASB95)
Ask: How does knowing there is a time for everything help me be happy right now?
Point: It means everything has a beginning, middle, and end.
Ask: So how do I “get happy” now if I’m at the beginning or middle of hardship?
Point: As verse 1 from today’s Passage says, “take refuge in the Lord.” Please read the following:
16Rejoice always;
17pray without ceasing;
18in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not quench the Spirit;
20do not despise prophetic utterances.
21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
22abstain from every form of evil.
23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 (NASB95)
Ask: There are some “do this thing” statements there but I don’t know how to gather the energy to get started. How do I do that?
Point: By doing it instead of not doing it. Please read the following:
8I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8 (NASB95)
Ask: What does that mean, “I have set the Lord continually before me?”
Point: It means following Him. It means studying God’s Word to learn what He thinks we should do.
Ask: What if we already do that and nothing has changed?
Point: We have to listen to what God tells us. Please read the following:
7I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
Psalm 16:7 (NASB95)
Ask: What do we do if we see what God wants us to do but don’t know how to do it even though we want to be obedient?
Point: Understand that it all starts with God first. Everything follows from there. Please read the following:
1Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalm 37:1–5 (NASB95)
Ask: “Okay, so I’ve committed to the Lord. Now what?”
Point: Pray, and listen. Please read the following:
11You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Psalm 16:11 (NASB95)
Closing Statement
No one ever said life would be easy. But, we have an Advocate. We have a Friend. We have a Confidant who understands what our lives are like because He came to earth and lived as a man of flesh and blood. Because we know He came to earth as a person, we can trust Him when He tells us things. He didn’t say we would always be happy but He did say He would always be with us and that presence can be a comfort if we are willing to go where it leads us.
Questions for the Week
Question 1 Are you in a happy or sad season right now?
Question 2 Do you see an end to either?
Question 3 Evaluate your answer to question 2 in this light: Is the change, or lack of change, a visible part of God’s path for your life?
Question 4 If you said yes, map out on paper what steps are coming and a timeframe for those steps. If you said no, put your trust in God and pray asking Him to show you the path.
Question 5 Make a list of things you enjoy doing.
Question 6 Do one or more of the things on your list this week and invite a friend.
Definitions
happy
hap-ee
adjective, hap·pi·er, hap·pi·est.
1. delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: I'm so happy to see you!
2. characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy: a happy mood; a happy frame of mind.
3. willing to be helpful, as with assistance, a contribution, or participation: We’ll be happy to bring a couple of salads to the party.
4. favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky: Our home country is a happy, fruitful land.
5. (used as part of an expression of good wishes on a special occasion):Happy Valentine’s Day to my husband. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
6. apt or felicitous, as actions, utterances, or ideas: Their collaboration was a happy accident.
7. obsessed by or quick to use the item indicated (usually used in combination):He was a trigger-happy gangster. Everybody is gadget-happy these days.