The Joy of the Lord

   What is joy?  A lot of times we confuse joy with happiness.  But happiness is temporary, fleeting, circumstantial.  Joy, true joy, is so much more.  Real joy comes from deep within.  It is rooted in an undeniable hope that develops with an unshakeable faith in the goodness of God. 

   Throughout Scripture, there are countless records of God’s goodness, & how He is the source of our joy (particularly in Psalms & the letters of Paul).  Oftentimes, these words were written by men who were enduring terrible situations, hardships, & difficulties, yet they still proclaimed God’s goodness, & still declared their joy in Him.

   How could they do this?  They caught a glimpse of the bigger picture.  Despite their circumstances, they believed in the great, grand design of God – to work everything together for their eternal benefit, because they loved & trusted Him.  They knew, deep within their hearts, that God was the source of all things good & that if they stayed close to Him, no matter what they faced, they would come through on the other side better for it, whether they were on earth or in heaven.

   We need to learn from their examples, & from the examples of numerous other believers throughout the church’s history.  There is so much evidence from them, & even from our own lives, that testifies to the unequivocal goodness of God.  We can take encouragement from these truths, & follow in the footsteps of Jesus as we seek to deepen our relationship with God.  As we do this, we will find that an inexplicable joy will begin to emerge & fill our lives abundantly, no matter what we’re going through.  And the source will be evident for all the world to see – the goodness of our God.

“I will be filled with joy because of You.  I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High.”  (Ps 9:2)

(Psalm 16:11;  Romans 15:13;  Galatians 5:22;  John 15:11;  1 Peter 1:8;  Proverbs 17:22;  James 1:2;  Romans 12:12;  Philippians 4:4;  John 16:24;  1 Thessalonians 5:16;  Romans 14:17;  Proverbs 10:28;  Isaiah 55:12;  Romans 8:28;  Psalm 23;  Psalm 27:13;  Psalm 30:5;  Psalm 31:19;  Psalm 34:8;  Psalm 107:1;  Psalm 145:7;  Psalm 118:24;  Psalm 4:7;  Psalm 126:5;  Psalm 9:2;  Psalm 96:12;  Psalm 100)