Joy Everlasting

I go east, but he is not there.
    I go west, but I cannot find him.
I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
    I look to the south, but he is concealed.

“But he knows where I am going.
    And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
For I have stayed on God’s paths;
    I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
I have not departed from his commands,
    but have treasured his words more than daily food.
But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
    Whatever he wants to do, he does.  Job 23:8-13

Finding joy.  Sometimes, I worry about my wife.  I will see her, and realize something is not quite right.  Maybe it is something that is bothering her from work, or perhaps there was something I said that has her distant from me.  It is those times where I am most distraught.  However as I give her a hug and we assure each other of our love, I remember what makes our relationship more special than anything else.  We have joy everlasting.  We have been through trials, and even in the midst of the darkest times, we somehow always make it back to that loving embrace that reassures us.  It keeps us moving forward, and makes an overwhelming statement that nothing that God has put together can separate us.

As Christians, we are given an unshakeable feeling of joy.  In reading the story of Job, I am struck with how huge his trials were.  To lose so much had to be overwhelming, and his friends were not always the most supportive in his time of need.  Yet he continued to honor God not because he was happy.  He did so because God was not to be questioned.  Job knew he had followed a righteous path in spite of such grief.  There is very little that is happy about Job’s story, but he had joy knowing that should he follow the path God had laid out for him, God would find him ‘pure as gold.’  He had unshakeable joy in spite of all that he was enduring, and in the end, God rewarded him abundantly.  In this story, we find that while we may not be as blameless as Job and our life may not be what we would have it to be, we have joy through Jesus Christ, who calls us blameless before God.  Like Job, we are to follow the path trusting God and not questioning His judgment.  Instead, we are to seek understanding for as a fellow devotee reminded me this week, we are to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

Joy in knowing who God is and what He has done for us is where we should be in our journey of faith.  A relative reminded me of the words of Paul, where he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV)  Happiness can be fleeting, but joy is enduring.  If we love Jesus as He loves us, we are instilled with His Spirit and with it the strength to endure whatever trials we encounter.  Furthermore through Christ, we are made pure as gold.  So whether you are dealing with trials or in a time of peace, be assured that God is with you every step of the way.  How can you find joy in your times of uncertainty?  Who can you share the joy of God through Jesus Christ with today?  My prayer is that we remind ourselves that no matter what may be happening in our lives, we have joy everlasting.  Amen.

Joy (Always) Comes With The Morning

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
    Praise his holy name.
 For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.  Psalm 30:4-5

My mother celebrated her 80^th birthday yesterday.  Over the weekend, we had a celebration for her, and I heard many stories.  Some of them I had never heard before, and others I had literally lived through.  There was a lot of laughter, and yes, there were tears of happiness too.  It was indeed a joyful day.  Joyful because you knew it would go beyond just the day.  My mother would later say it was the happiest day of her life.  I have at numerous times written about the difference of happiness, which is always fleeting, and joy, which is long lasting and enduring.  Watching my mother over the weekend, I could see that she had truly mastered joy in her life, and from those who were with her, you can tell they had it too.

Joy is a blessing of living a life for God.  In life we have moments of happiness and peace.  Yet, there are times of struggle, challenges, and darkness as well.  Sometimes, these challenges and times of darkness can seem to be unending.  Those are the times where happiness is in a far distant place and peace is but a long lost dream.  However if we focus on joy that comes from the Lord, we can endure through these times realizing that although we have darkness around us, the morning will come.  Yes, there are tough times, but there is a saying that tough times make for tough people.  Tough people understand that you don’t have to see the light to know that it is there, and if we have God within us, there is an undiminishing light shining within us that cannot be denied.  This is the joy we have in God, and if we have built our life on Him, it is limitless.  It never dies.  It never fails.

We are blessed to serve a God of abundance.  If we live with Him, we are given an incredible wealth of gifts which cannot be bought or earned through worldly deeds.  Paul in his letter to Galatians said, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”  (Galatians 5:22-23)  Joy is God’s way of saying no matter what may come or troubles may fall, be not dismayed.  I am here and this too shall pass.  So no matter what darkness is in your life today, realize that the morning is coming!  Know this!  How can you seek the joy of God in lieu of worldly happiness?  How can you maintain joy when darkness comes?  My prayer is that as God’s children we always remember that no matter what darkness comes, joy always comes with the morning!  Amen!

Joy over Happiness

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Psalm 100:1-3 (NKJV)

(This is Pt 7 of 8 – Turning the Tide – Representing God to a World that Misrepresents Him)

Happiness and joy.  These are two words with similar meaning, and in fact, joy in its definition has the word ‘happiness’ in it.  I used to believe in essence they were interchangeable even into my early days as a Christian.  However, that has changed.  One of my Christian mentors taught me that I should strive for joy and not happiness.  I did not understand why then, but today, the difference is clear in my head and heart.  I mentioned in a previous devotion that happiness is the feeling you have when something good is going on.  Joy, however, is lasting satisfaction that is continuous and never ending.  Joy is the knowledge that God is with you always, and happiness is the temporary feeling one has for only a fleeting moment.  Thus, one can still have joy when times are bad but not happiness.

We as Christians should have joy knowing God is always with us.  Today’s verses focuses on the word ‘joyful.’  There is a saying in the church that though we may have darkness in our life, joy comes in the morning.  I never quite understood that saying, but having studied the Bible more, it makes sense.  If Jesus Christ represents light (i.e. The Way, The Truth, and The Light), then ‘morning’ in that phrase signifies light for He said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12b)  The world focuses on the pursuit of happiness, but God shows us there is a better way.  We can have a light within us that cannot be either diminished or taken.  The world’s promises are only temporary much like happiness is.  God promises joy in our lives; a feeling that is everlasting and without fail.

There can truly be no joy without God.  Though there may be times in our lives where we have happiness, joy never ceases.  Milestones and accomplishments come and go, but through Jesus Christ, we are always blessed and thankful of those things that God has brought in our lives.  How can you find the joy that God instilled in you?  How will you seek joy above happiness?  In a world that looks for happiness that is consistently momentary, my prayer is that we focus on the light of Jesus Christ, which will show the world a never ending happiness called joy.  Amen.