Jan
28
Reflections on Joy -
Written by Bob. Filed Under Spiritual Training
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The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. — Psalm 28:7
Recently I was given the privilege of attending a caregiver conference for chaplains and spouses as a guest. Traveling to the site, I pondered what message might best minister to these chaplains, many of whom were just returning from combat deployments or departing within a few short days. And what message would encourage the spouses of these chaplains so that they could nurture “hope on the home front”? What content, what encouragement, what profound observations would help them put their own trauma, their own challenges, their own compassion fatigue in a broader framework that would put “spring back in their step,” “wind in their sails”. . . . in other words, renewed hope in their hearts?
The answer was JOY. The keynote speaker for the first evening, Dr. Richard Blackaby, was God’s perfect messenger for tired caregivers, simply yet profoundly addressing JOY. While it is so easy to focus on the pervasive pain and daunting challenges of persistent conflict, he focused instead on JOY. Yes, JOY! He brought JOY to life from the pages of Scripture and challenged all of us to have a life of JOY, a home of JOY, and a witness of JOY to others. As I have had further time to reflect on his message, I know that Dr. Blackaby’s topic selection is so very apt for all of our military heroes and their families who are fighting in the global war on terror.
What do you think of regarding JOY? A newborn baby? A restored relationship? A bullet that misses? A sun that rises after a long night of duty in harm’s way? Returning home safely? Forgiveness? Mercy? No doubt you have your own pictures and experiences of JOY—including that of a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
JOY is the essence of the bookends of Christ’s life on earth—Christmas and Easter. At Christmas we sing “Joy to the World, the Lord has come!” Then His upcoming sacrifice and victory at Easter is explained in Hebrews 12:2 in terms of joy: “. . . Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. . .” Truly Jesus is the source and example of a deep abiding, obedient JOY that far surpasses the worldly “happiness” offered by the culture of our day.
JOY is a gift of GOD:
The Old Testament declares “therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of gladness (JOY)” (Psalm 45:7). Also indicative of God’s gift of JOY to us is “In Your presence is fullness of JOY . . .” (Psalm 16:11). After the work of Jesus on the cross and God’s provision of the Holy Spirit, this gift of JOY became even more dynamic in the believer’s life. God’s indwelling Holy Spirit produces fruit in the life of a Christian, including the gift of JOY (Galatians 5:22). This reality is blessedly relevant for those who are downtrodden, hard-pressed, traumatized, tired and slammed by circumstances beyond their control. Dwelling in God’s presence and accepting His bountiful gifts, including JOY, leads us beyond emotional captivity to the circumstances of life each of us inevitably face.
JOY does not depend on CIRCUMSTANCES:
Yes . . . JOY does not depend on circumstances. Consider James 1:2 which even exhorts “Consider it all JOY, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” Clearly this JOY is not in spite of trials, but in fact the result of growth through trials. This is good news, given that those most in need of JOY are those confronting the grueling trials of life.
JOY results from KNOWLEDGE and OBEDIENCE, and results in STRENGTH:
Rejoicing is an act of obedience, and is a physical manifestation of JOY. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” (Philippians 4:4)
Nehemiah also links obedience to JOY. Recall that after the wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt, the people assembled to hear the Word of the Lord: “Ezra opened the book,” (Nehemiah 8:5), and after great weeping and conviction of sin, “the people celebrated with great JOY, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.” (Nehemiah 8:12) In short, JOY was the result of their knowledge of and obedience to the Word of God.
We see this also in the life of David, in wartime infidelity. When David fell into his rooftop dalliance with Bathsheba, he became separated from God. This sin separated David from God and took him away from God’s intimate presence—away from the JOY he had known as a “man after God’s own heart.” In David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51, he cries out for God to “Restore unto me the JOY of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain (strengthen) me.” (Psalm 51:12) We know that subsequently David was restored in fellowship with the living God, and restored in JOY.
Sin does separate us from God, but “He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Hence, knowledge of God and obedience to Him, even in repentance from sin, lead us to JOY and then to STRENGTH. Again, this is good news for many across our land, including the military and their families, who need strength for the long, hard battle which will not end soon.
Perhaps these observations about JOY are the “jumpstart” you need in this New Year. Perhaps you have experienced a season of separation from God or others; or a season of grief, loss, or loneliness; or a season of waiting. Whatever the season, the answer is JOY . . . JOY in the Lord!
Since Dr. Blackaby’s message, I have pondered where my “JOY meter” is at the beginning of this New Year. Where is yours? Despite wars and rumors of wars, may we eagerly open the free gift of JOY from God. May we experience that this supernatural JOY is far above our earthly circumstances. May our knowledge and adherence to God’s Word result in a STRENGTH (and resilience) which results directly from our JOY in the Lord! I cannot think of a more relevant message for battle weary troops and families, for their selfless caregivers, or for each of us at the beginning of 2010!
Questions to Share:
1. Think back to a time when you know that your joy came as a gift from the Lord. Share with each other what was significant about that time.
2. Where is your “joy meter” right now? Is it bottomed out, or pegged high? Spend some time in the Scriptures which are cited in this devotional. . . . and pray for God to strengthen you to know His JOY, in spite (or maybe because) of circumstances!