The dictionary says: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires, the expression or exhibition of such emotion, a state of happiness or felicity, a source or cause of delight.
This sounds pretty good. The pursuit of joy sounds like a worthwhile endeavor. While considering this I realized how much we long for joy. We seek it out along so many different avenues. Where do I find joy? Where do you find joy? Where does the world find it?
Winning a sports match. Watching a sports match. Eating an incredible meal. Drinking an ice-cold drink after a long, hard day in the sun. Receiving a gift. Taking your honeymoon in Hawaii with your new bride. Getting a raise. Getting your tax rebate check in the mail. Getting your vacation check. Gambling and winning a bet. Drinking to get a buzz. Taking drugs to get high. Feeling loved. Being cared for. Surfing. Boating. 4-wheeling. Motorbike riding. Fishing. Camping. Blogging. Video games. Movies. Hanging with friends. Money. The list can go on and on.
But each one of these (and I dare say any) joys is fleeting, temporary, and ultimately unfulfilling. I don't think I can think of anything on this earth that brings unending, constant joy. ...or is there?
You probably know where I am going with this. Don't the self-help books tell us how to find it, get it, and keep it? We call it different things (abundant life, a purpose driven life) but a life of joy, peace, happiness, and contentment has long been the desire of mankind. We have searched high and low for true joy. Our search has netted us countless activities, pleasures, and pursuits...all hoping to grant us joy. And we can even ask ourselves: Hasn't God provided all these pleasure and joys for us? Aren't we meant to participate and enjoy whatever joys we find on this earth?
Many arguments, philosophies, and movements have spawned from these very questions. (Epicureanism, Stocism, Health&Wealth, Name-it-and-claim-it, modernism, meditation, free love, et. al.) I choose to ignore them and focus on the aforementioned query: Is there anything on this earth that brings unending, constant, and all-pervasive joy? Because, to be honest, that is the kind I want. I have dabbled in the weak stuff, the stuff that doesn't last. My understanding of God has led me to know that He loves me and wants what is best for me. A joy-filled life definitely fits the bill.
As with all questions of life and living, it is probably best to go to the Lord Creator of this earth for wisdom and understanding...and maybe even an answer! "Joy" (as the great Pollyanna once noted) is mentioned 158 times in the Bible (...by contrast, "misery" is noted merely 9 times). "Blessed", or happy--327 times (..."pain", or suffering--35 times). "Love"--362 times (..."hate" 86 times). "Servant"--514 times (..."Master" 187 times). "Heaven"--532 times (..."hell"--32 times). This simple word search in and of itself reveals quite a bit about God's priorities. A reading of each and every one of the above cases will leave you astounded at how far wrong our views of what our lives are supposed to be like have become.
But I digress...back to joy. Deuteronomy 28 revelas a list of blessings and promises for obeying and observing God's instructions. The blessings listed would not only come upon them but overtake them. Sounds like a pretty joyful existence to me!...overtaken by God's blessings! Wow. Of course, there were consequences for not obeying: Curses would overtake them, "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything" (Deut 28:47). Serving God with joy and gladness of heart. How does one serve God with joy and gladness of heart? How does that joy get there?
- Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Sounds straightforward.)
- Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (David had gotten a sampling of God's joy by the work of the Holy Spirit in his life...and he was hooked! He wanted more! The man who was King, the hero of Israel, the defeater of Goliath..this great man who seemed to have it all counted it as nothing. He wanted more of what God offered. That was the joy he pursued...salvation.)
- Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah spends considerable time in his entire book trying to draw our attention to the fact that Salvation is coming and when it does our hearts will be filled with joy because of it. We know that the Salvation he spoke of was the Messiah--Jesus the Christ, the Son of God!)
- Isaiah 60:1-5 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. (The coming of Jesus was to be a monumental, world-encomopassing event. Israel was blessed to be the nation by which God had chosen to save the world.)
- Hab 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Further affirmation of true joy...salvation.)
- Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people!" (The twelve words of Christmas...Louie Giglio is right on...the great joy prophesied of by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Habbakuk, and the other prophets had come to pass there in Bethlehem.)
- John 15:11 These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (What things you ask? These things..."This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15;12-13. A basic reiteration of Deut 28...We will be overtaken by Jesus' joy if we follow Him and His example.)
- John 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. (This joy of salvation from Jesus supercedes anything that may trouble us in our daily existence. This is the great Hope. We will see Jesus and we can rest joyfully in that promise; even during the hard times we may experience here on earth.)
- Act 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (You see...there can be joy. There should be joy.)
- Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (We who are in the Kingdom do not rate our joy-status on any scale the world has come up with. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives produces joy naturally. Galatians 5:22. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.)
- Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (This nicely sums up much of what we have already seen.)
- Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Interesting...we are Jesus' joy. That is almost shocking to me...I am His joy. Wow...He really loves us.)
- James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Further comfort that present sorrows wane when compared to the eternal joy set before us.)
- 1Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
My prayer for you and myself is that our lives begin to reflect the inexpressible joy of salvation that should be residing within our hearts. May we draw closer to our Lord and Savior and realize more and more what He has done for us, what He is doing for us, and what He has promised to do for us. I don't expect this to happen overnight. Faith is a journey full of little steps. Abraham didn't become the great father of faith in a single moment. His was a life-long journey of growing faith and trust in God. Read about it in Genesis and Hebrews. See what the Lord wants to teach you. I want to learn at His feet. I want to be filled with His wisdom, His love, His peace, His joy. I want to be overtaken by Him. Don't you?
