Happy Is That People
SHEMAIAH GONZALEZ
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“Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” Psalm 144:15 (KJV)
My mother told me my first word was “happy.” I was sitting in my high chair when I said it. My face was covered with a homemade mush she’d made with a food mill. I clapped my hands and declared, “Happy.”
Perhaps I said “happy” because I liked the taste of the baby food. Or maybe I was happy being there with my mother — basking in her attention. Perhaps I was mimicking a song we sang at the little hippie church we attended in Southern California: “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”
Perhaps it means I’m predisposed to joy — the fact that these are the scenes I focus on in a childhood filled with poverty, abuse, and neglect. But more than that, joy is who I am because God's Spirit has marked my heart, embossing me with His love, defining me.
Today I dwell in joy. But it was a long, tenuous road to get here. I spent my teen years desperately attempting to flee my childhood and find a home. When I finally settled down, married, and held the stability and love I had longed for, I collapsed. For the first time, I wasn’t grappling for my daily, basic needs. In a safe place, with my husband caring for and providing for me, trauma overwhelmed me. There were days when I couldn’t leave the house, dress myself, or get out of bed.
In my second year of marriage, I hit rock bottom. Knowing I couldn’t give in to the darkness any longer, I whispered, “Lord, help my unbelief.” It was the only prayer I could truly pray. While I believed in God, I didn’t believe that I would get any better or that He would heal me.
But He did. God is faithful to answer prayers! Slowly, God revealed how much He loves me and how I belong to Him. And somewhere along the way, I started believing Him. I started to accept His love for me. His love was so deep, forgiving, and rejuvenating that I wanted to love Him back. I wanted to live a life worthy of His love, not to earn it but to celebrate the gift.
The words of Psalm 144:15, reflected in the church song I sang as a child, became true for me: “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.”
Joy can follow suffering. We should not live in fear of pain and difficulties. Rather, walking through joy and suffering allows us to see the disparity between the two.
Now I know I am happy — full of joy, even — because I belong to Jesus. True joy comes from knowing God.
Lord, help me to accept Your love. It is a gift You give freely to me. Help me to notice where You are calling out to me in joy, calling me to live a life full of abundance, knowing that I belong to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Join this revolution of joy and learn how to live joyfully every day — in both the mundane and the magnificent — with Shemaiah Gonzalez’s new book, Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight.
ENGAGE
To learn more about living a joy-filled life, visit Shemaiah’s website and get access to a bonus Spotify playlist she created so you can listen while you read!
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Undaunted Joy by Shemaiah Gonzalez. To celebrate this book, Shemaiah’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, August 11, 2025.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (NIV).
Joy is the fruit of knowing God, not just a fleeting emotion. How does this shape your understanding of joy in your own life? In what ways has God cultivated joy in you, even through suffering? Share with us in the comments!
© 2025 by Shemaiah Gonzalez. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Monday, 04 August 2025.
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