What is it we know about joy?
The prophet Isaiah described the joy of those who had been ransomed and freed as everlasting. When we have been caught in something and we are freed, we are joyous. (Isaiah 51:11)
As David and his men returned from a victory over the Philistines, women came out in the cities of Israel singing and dancing. Their joy was so great. When we are spared from ruin we feel joy in our hearts. (1 Samuel 18:6)
When Jesus came to earth as a baby. The angel described the news of that birth as being “good” and “of great joy.” Just think, the knowledge of God coming down to earth gives us great joy. (Luke 2:10-11)
After Nathan told David of his sin, David wanted to “hear joy and gladness” from God. He wanted God to “restore…the joy of (God’s) salvation” God’s forgiveness does bring about joy. (Psalm 51:8, 12)
When we have been going through trials, we can have the joy that our faith is being strengthened and will become more evident and will result when Christ comes again. An author friend equates going through those trials as suffering for Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-8)
We have seen joy in different books of the Bible. We may have seen the joy in our world around us. We hear good news about a friend. We receive a blessing. We get respite from the heat in the summer or from the cold in the winter.
However, due to our humanity, we have times of anxiety and depression enter our lives. These times cause fear and uncertainty for us and for those around us. “Weeping may tarry for the night but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:6)
When we are emotionally down, we need to learn to look for ideas or events that bring out the joy that has gotten hidden by the negative. That joy might be a very faint glimmer of something that brought peace to us earlier. It is those glimmers of joy that help us through the times we are burdened.
I have found that the 'Joy of the Lord' is my strength, even in times of sorrow and anxiety. Knowing Christ gives deep down joy that nothing can take away. We just sometimes forget that it is there...but the Joy of the Lord never truly leaves us.
ReplyDeletePam: Thank you for your wise thoughts.It is the joy of the LORD that gets me through difficult times or times I have misunderstood something. I experienced joy at church today when a friend returned to worship with us. And when a lady who had been ill returned after a long absence. Peace and blessings.
DeleteJoy is a gift from God, actually it is fruit of the Holy spirit in our lives. How wonderful to think that God gives us what we need from His own heart. A great post Cecelia and a good reminder of the devotions in your book!
ReplyDeleteMarja: Thank you for your encouraging thoughts. This year at church our pastor is preaching on the fruit of the spirit, in June, he has preached about kindness. He is linking kindness to the different Bible heroes. Today was about Barnabas the Encourager.
DeleteAnybody can sing when the sun is shining. But our Lord is learning us how we can sing when dark clouds pour out their rains. We will sing in the rain for Christ is with us.
ReplyDeleteThough the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Thank you so much for psalm 30:6
Aritha: Thank you for you warm comment. I especially like this thought:"Anybody can sing when the sun is shining. But our Lord is learning us how we can sing when dark clouds pour out their rains. We will sing in the rain for Christ is with us.
DeleteWe learn how to live when we have those times of difficult times. Peace and Blessings.