Choose Joyنموونە

DAY 12 – THE HAPPY GOD

Reflection: Often in the Bible, God declares blessing over people, but only rarely do we see God himself described as the one who is blessed – twice in Paul’s first letter to his disciple Timothy, in today's verses and 1 Timothy 6:15.

It’s the same word Jesus used in the Sermon on the Mount, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ (Matt 5:3-11 NIV). The Greek word used in Paul’s letter and elsewhere is makarios, which most commentaries define as ‘happy’, ‘blessed’, ‘fortunate’.

Translating today's verse as ‘… glorious Good News entrusted to me by our happy God’ doesn’t sound quite as religious as ‘blessed God’, does it? But that is good news, because it helps us relocate our thinking about God.

Remember Nehemiah? When the Israelites were mourning and weeping as they heard the Law? He tells them to stop because the day is holy to God, and the better response is to celebrate because God’s joy is their strength.

Remember Zephaniah? He tells the broken nation of Israel that their sadness will end as God sings over them joyfully.

Remember Jesus? He promised that as we obey his commands, we will be filled with his mature joy.

No wonder Paul points Timothy, who seems overwhelmed by his duties to the point of illness, that our mission is good news from a happy God!

Choose joy: Make a decision today to not take yourself too seriously. That thing that has you all worked up, well, let it go. But be very serious (with a smile) about making room for the glorious good news of our happy God in every part of your life.