A home is composed of individuals, and a happy home is composed of happy individuals. Whatever, therefore, will bring happiness into the heart of each one of its inmates will bring happiness into the home. The Lord reveals the secret to us in:
"Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God." (Psalm 146:5)
David declares that he found this to be true, for he says, "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. ... You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy." (Psalm 16:8-9,11)
He says also that:
"[God is his] exceeding joy." (Psalm 43:4)
Paul tells us: "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17)
Again he says, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13)
Peter adds his testimony in these words concerning Christ: "Whom having not seen, you love, in whom, though now you see Him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:8)
And Luke says that Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them, and the people with one accord gave heed to the words. "And there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:8)
Jesus Christ, then, received into the heart by faith brings into that heart "happiness," "gladness," "great joy," "all joy and peace," and "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Is that in each heart not enough to make any home happy?
But why does God's presence in our hearts bring such joy? Because: "God is love." (1 John 4:16)
And the fruits of His Spirit are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23)
Without the Spirit of God in our hearts it is utterly impossible for us to have a happy home, for the best fruits or works of our flesh are "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like." (Galatians 5:19-21)
With God all things are possible. The most unlikely, gloomy, wretched, sinful home, may be filled with love, joy, peace, light, and righteousness, by letting Jesus in. His light will drive out all darkness, His love will drive out all hate, His peace will drive out all clamor, His joy will drive out all sadness, and His righteousness all sin. In short, the fruits of His Spirit will take the place of all the works of the flesh.
The inmates of that home may thus become accustomed to the atmosphere of heaven, and be prepared to live at last in all the purity and glory of Eden restored.
Oh, shall we not let Him in?--Present Truth, February 1, 1894--Psalm 146:5.