There is a “Happy Chapter” in the Gospels. It’s Luke 15. Reading that chapter in the NLT, I found numerous ‘Happy Words’—joyfully, celebrate, happy, along with multiple occurrences of rejoice and joy. That really presents an interesting spin on a chapter that is often called the “Chapter of the Lost.”
There are three parables in that chapter, the Parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. Maybe they should be renamed the Parables of the Found Sheep, the Found Coin, and the Found Son. It seems to me that the main thrust of those parables is not how they were LOST, but how they were FOUND!
Happiness and rejoicing abound in that chapter. Not just the happiness of the Shepherd, the Woman and the Prodigal’s Father, but also the rejoicing and happiness in heaven. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” [vs 7 NLT]
There is a celebration – a party – in heaven every time a lost sinner is saved. I can just imagine the angels dancing with delight and the saints of all the ages singing and shouting. Even the LORD God Almighty gets into the fun. (If you believe that God is too dignified to do that, you need to re-read Zephaniah 3:17.)
“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” [NLT]