Billy Graham - The Enduring Classics of Billy Graham

The Enduring Classics of
BILLY GRAHAM

The SECRET of HAPPINESS
HOPE for the TROUBLED HEART
DEATH and the LIFE AFTER

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The Secret of Happiness
1955, 1985, 2002 by Billy Graham

Scripture, unless otherwise indicated, is from the Authorized King James Version. Those marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission. Quotations marked AMP are from The Amplified Bible, 1965 by Zondervan Publishing House.

Quotations marked TLB are from The Living Bible, 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. 60189. All rights reserved.

Death and the Life After
1987 by Billy Graham.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version of the Bible, published by the Zondervan Corporation, 1973 by the New York Bible Society. Used by permission. Those marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971 by the Lockman Foundation. Those marked KJV are from the King James Version. Those marked TLB are from The Living Bible, 1971 Tyndale House Publishers. Used by permission.

Excerpt from Lament by Edna St. Vincent Millay. From Collected Poems, Harper & Row. 1921, 1948 by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Reprinted by permission.

Hope for the Troubled Heart
1991 by Billy Graham.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Those marked ASV are from The American Standard Version of the Bible, published 1901. Those marked KJV are from the King James Version. Those marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Those marked PHILLIPS are from The New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips, published by The Macmillan Company, 1958, 1960, 1972 by J. B. Phillips. Those marked TLB are from The Living Bible, 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission.

The Enduring Classics of Billy Graham

ISBN: 978-0-8499-1821-6 (HC)
ISBN: 978-0-8499-2048-6 (SE)

Printed in the United States of America

07 08 09 10 11 BVG 6 5 4 3 2 1

THE
SECRET
of
HAPPINESS

BILLY
GRAHAM

To my mother and father,
whose dedicated lives taught me
The Secret of Happiness

Contents

I SAT DOWN to write a book on The Greatest Sermon Ever Preachedthe Sermon on the Mountbut I got no further than the eight Beatitudes. The more I read them, meditated on them, and studied them, the more I realized that Christ was giving a formula for personal happiness that applied to anyone, no matter what his race, geographical situation, age, or circumstance! I have based my comments on the beautiful and beloved King James Version of the Beatitudes, although I follow the suggestion of scholars and many modern Bible translations who use the word happy for blessed since it suggests joy in the midst of real life.

When trying to put these thoughts on paper, I consulted with other writers. In these few statements Jesus shares almost the whole depth and scope of His teaching. As someone has said, The character which we find in the Beatitudes is beyond all question, nothing less than our Lords own character put into words. It is a description set side by side with an example.

The Beatitudes are revolutionary! Startling! Deeply profound, and yet amazingly simple! If applied on a universal scale, they could transform the world in which we live.

If you apply these simple formulae in your own personal life, you can never be the same!

As I have restudied the Beatitudes to prepare for this revised edition I have been amazed again at the timelessness and universal nature of these teachings of Jesus. I have sensed afresh the depth and challenge of these brief words of our Lord. In this revised edition I have made numerous minor changes to bring the book up to date and make it practical. I also have included some additional insights which I have gathered since the first edition was published in 1955. But the Word of God does not change, nor does its power to change our lives. Just as Christ brought hope and new life to those who first gathered in Galilee to hear the Sermon on the Mount, so He can bring hope and new life to us today as we understand His truth, commit ourselves to it, and live each day in its light.

In the first edition, my friend and assistant Lee Fisher was a tremendous help. In this revised edition, my wife, Ruth, my daughter Gigi Tchividjian, my able research assistant Dr. John Akers, and Word editor Al Bryant have been indispen sable. I am deeply grateful also to my administrative assistant Stephanie Wills for her invaluable counsel, advice, and for keeping us on track.

It is my prayer that as you read this book, and as you meditate on the Beatitudes themselves, you will realize that these ancient truths are as modern as tomorrow. They can change your life and point the way to true and lasting happinessbecause they will point you to Christ and His timeless principles for living.

One final note: I have used the word man in this book, along with the appropriate pronouns that follow it, in the generic sense of the term, to mean the human race in its most inclusive sense.

Billy Graham, Montreat, NC
August 1985

SINCE ITS FIRST publication almost fifty years ago, Dr. Billy Grahams The Secret of Happiness has offered inspiration to thousands in pursuit of this elusive goal. The eight guideposts Dr. Graham points to have helped us through decades of war, turmoil, and world change and have shown us how to maintain genuine happiness in their midst. While some world situations and statistics have changed since the books most recent revision, our need to know the secret of happiness has not. Thomas Nelson is pleased, therefore, to join Dr. Graham in reaffirming the timeless truths found in the Beatitudes by republishing this devotional classic, as revised in 1985. May you be blessed as you continue your own search for true contentment and joy.

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually
prosperouswith life-joy and satisfaction
in Gods favor and salvation, regardless of
their outward conditions) are the poor in
spirit....

Matthew 5:3 AMP

CHAPTER ONE
The Search for Happiness

A FRENCH PHILOSOPHER once said, The whole world is on a mad quest for security and happiness. A former president of Harvard University observed, The world is searching for a creed to believe and a song to sing.