One of the most common greetings this time of year is “Happy New Year!” This sentiment has been shared from home to home through greeting cards, telephone messages, facebook and e-mail posts, etc.. Complete strangers passing each other by at the door of the bank or the grocery story will wish one another a “Happy New Year!” How great would it be if this same measure of friendliness were present the whole year round!
A few nights ago, a variety of New Year celebrations took place across the globe: the annual ball drop in Time Square, fireworks displays in China, local media sponsored concerts, etc.. We enjoyed a night of games, treats and a pre-midnight devotional with fellow Christians – a great way to begin a new year!
I want us to spend a bit of time looking at the word “happy.” Though you will not find a “happy new year” greeting in the Bible, you certainly will find several references to happiness which God’s people can and should experience. For instance:
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the LORD his God. (Psalm 146:5)
King Solomon focused on wisdom in Proverbs 3, and made statements such as:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding … she is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her. (Proverbs 3:13, 18)
Elsewhere in the Proverbs, Solomon wrote:
He who despises his neighbour sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. (Proverbs 14:21)
He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. (Proverbs 16:20)
Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. (Proverbs 28:14)
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18)
Often the word “blessed” in the Bible is synonymous with “happy.” This is the case with both the Hebrew אֶשֶׁר and the Greek μακάριος.
David began Psalm 1 with the statement,
Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates both day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)
The thought the Psalmist conveys is that if we will focus on the goodness of God’s law rather than the wickedness of man’s way, we will find happiness.
Psalm 32:1-2 reads,
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Over and over the Psalms of David and Solomon’s Proverbs proclaim the blessedness or happiness of those who serve the Lord.
As we come to the New Testament, consider the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). The word “blessed” in this text could have equally been rendered “happy.” Happy are the poor in spirit (v 3), happy are those who mourn (v 4), happy are the meek (v 5), etc..
Blessing or happiness is declared at both the beginning and end of the book of Revelation. John begins with the statement:
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3)
In the final chapter of the book of Revelation, as he draws the message to a close, the apostle writes:
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
We are blessed or happy if we read, hear and keep God’s commandments. It will bring us happiness in this life, even though we endure trials and temptations (James 1:3, 12), and it will bring us happiness in eternity, for we shall be with the Lord (Matthew 25:34).
Friend, may we decide today that this will be a happy new year – or shall I say, a blessed new year. Not just a year of temporal happiness, but a year rooted in spiritual happiness. May it be our determination that we will be focused on developing ourselves in the faith – becoming what God would have us be. For only in doing so will we find true happiness.
And so with that, I say to you, “Happy New Year!” It is within your grasp to make it so. Go, and make it so!
Links: YouVersion | GROW magazine
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