the joy of the Lord

April 21, 2021

Words carry all sorts of connotations based on our experiences, our upbringings, and even our geographical locations. What comes to mind when you think of the word joy? As a whole, based on the small amount of people I've asked, it seems we tend to equate joy with happiness. In fact, Webster defines joy as "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." Recently I've been reflecting on the Biblical understanding of joy.

This all began with a study I am working through and was prompted to ask a friend, "do I seem joyful to you?" What a question, right? This was a moment of complete vulnerability, no doubt.

In studying Scripture and thinking of my own experiences, it seems that joy and happiness are not one and the same. Consider with me the following:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." James 1:2

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

"For the joy set before him he endured the cross." Hebrews 12:2

How can we consider trials a joy? How can we rejoice all the time? Let us not forget that Paul was in a Roman prison while writing this exhortation. How can I just be joyful? How could Christ have joy in going to the cross? From a human perspective these are not logical thoughts, so it must go beyond that. Where happiness is contingent on our circumstances, joy is not. Joy is a choice. Joy is a command.

We know that words in the Bible also carry different connotations since it is a translation. In looking up the Greek word for joy, chara, it "describes a feeling of inner gladness, delight or rejoicing." In exploring it further, "joy in the New Testament is virtually always used to signify a feeling of happiness that is based on spiritual realities and independent of what happens. It is a part of God’s very essence and His Spirit manifests this supernatural joy in His children. Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord."

Yes. This hits the nail on the head. This is why we can have joy in the most difficult of circumstances. This is why Jesus could go to the cross. Joy is not something we feel, it is something we do. It is something we know. My heart can be glad because of who He is. And He is I AM. And I AM is living on the inside of me.

Does that resonate? I mean, wow. Chills down my spine. I looked up some definitions of Biblical joy and one stated that joy is a deep abiding. The more I intimately know Him, the more I will experience this joy. This is why I have hope. It's all pointing to an eternal glory that far outweighs the circumstances of this life. Again, it's not a feeling, but an awareness of who He is. And nothing (no thing, no one) can take that away.

Friends, I've been to the pit. To what felt like the lowest point imaginable. And you know what I found? I found the peace that surpasses all understanding and the joy of the Lord right there with me. Sometimes I get trapped in the lie that people don't care or are sick of hearing about it. Or even that people have harsh judgments, criticisms, or believe it's all for show. I can get caught in the idol of what other people think. This is another thing the Lord has been teaching me. An idol is anything that gets in the way of God, whether that is a person, a thing, a thought, an opinion, or even an expectation. I don't want anything to get in the way of His calling and purpose for my life. I know and have confidence in what Christ has done for me, in me, and through me. And for that reason, I cannot not proclaim HIM to be good, to be faithful, to be true.

Maybe this doesn't feel personal to you. Maybe it even makes you feel sad. I have been there. I have been in the place where God felt silent and life felt hopeless, because I had given up in a lot of ways. But you know what is beautiful? He says, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." "The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you" (Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, 2 Chronicles 15:2). It's all throughout Scripture. If you look for Him, you will find Him. That's a promise. And you will find everlasting joy and peace in Him.

I'll leave this with another definition I found that says it so well. “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” Father, YOU are joy, in all things, all of the time. May we praise you in the mountaintops and in the valleys. May our confidence be in You and You alone.