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We’ve all heard and said a lot of “Happy New Years” lately right? Well, what do we mean when we wish someone happiness for the new year?

Often when someone says “Happy New Year,” they mean “Good Luck,” because they see happiness as a consequence of good things happening to you. If you have the good luck not to have health problems, or money problems, or emotional issues, then you will be happy—so they think—and therefore they are wishing you a year filled with good luck, nice circumstances.

Others think of a Happy New Year as one filled with prosperity—you have a good job earning good money. You are successful in your pursuit of financial stability and you have no money worries. To them that would constitute a happy new year. Still others think that a happy new year is one where your internal emotional state is good—you have good self-esteem and you are emotionally strong.

What would be your definition of a Happy New Year? If you could engineer the next 353 days of 2022, how would you design those days to make you happy?

Here’s the truth—you cannot engineer the next 300 or so days. You don’t know what the future holds. Perhaps you’ll have very happy circumstances and life will prove easy and good. But as soon as tomorrow, life could take a drastic turn in the wrong direction and your circumstances could change overnight. We have all lived through that since early 2020, haven’t we?

Your life—and mine—is in the hands of our God. As the old song says, “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.” If you live in 2022 for the purpose of pleasing the Lord, abiding in Christ and trusting the God who loves you, then this new year will bring you joy and contentment and peace—and yes, some happiness.

So, whatever this year holds for you, I pray you will know Jesus better at the end of 2022 than you do now, and you will trust and love him more as you learn how much he loves you. That’s the best year you could possibly have.

If you would like to read the entire week’s message, click here to view/download the PDF.

If you would like “My One Word for 2022” reminder card, click here to download the pdf.