Deuteronomy 26:11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

In Deuteronomy, “rejoice” is essentially the same as “celebrate.” Thus, Moses is saying that when you have a party, be sure to invite the people who don’t have resources to throw parties for themselves. That is certainly worth noting, but the central point is that we are to recognize God’s blessings to us, acknowledge them publicly before Him, and be happy about it. America is an incredibly blessed nation, on the historical scale and also in comparison to other nations in the world. That’s why the current government’s threat to not buy the goods of other nations is having such an impact, because American consumers have more buying power than any other group of people in the world. Even so, some people engage in “victimhood competition,” seeing who can lay claim to being wronged to a greater degree. That is the opposite of what Moses is laying out here. Psychologists disagree on a lot of things, but they show remarkable unanimity in saying that gratitude is probably the most essential element of happiness. Everyone wants to be happy, but if we refuse to recognize and be grateful for what we have already been given, we certainly aren’t going to be happy. God doesn’t tell us to praise and worship Him because He’s narcissistic, it’s so that we will realize how good He’s been to us and be happy about it. When we really grasp the character of God and how He relates to us, gratitude, and thus happiness, becomes automatic. As Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) Who wouldn’t be happy about that?

I was raised with essentially this understanding of the world and how it works, and as a result, I think I have had a remarkably happy life. As an introvert, I’m not really big on parties as such, but I recognize that there’s a lot to celebrate. Next Sunday afternoon this church will be having a BBQ party in our parking lot. For myself, I would just as soon not be involved, but I recognize that this is a real opportunity for outreach into our immediate community, and I’m happy about that. I’m not to focus on the work involved, but rather on God’s grace to us that we can do it, and let His grace flow through me to the people around me. From past experience, there is a real danger that I will be a “grumpy old man,” and that would benefit no one. I need to accurately reflect the character of my Lord, and so draw others to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me not focus on “I don’t like parties,” and rather focus on gratitude that You are enabling us to do this, to draw people into Your family for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!