JOY over YOJ
Joy has been on my mind. Pastor Ben's message on Sunday inspired me to explore the joy we have in Jesus a bit extra this week.
What is joy?
"A quality or attitude of delight and happiness, which is ultimately grounded in the work of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Among the many situations in which joy is experienced, Scripture recognizes as supreme being accepted in the presence of God." - From the Dictionary of Bible Themes
Joy is all over the Bible
God is our source of joy (Psalm 37:4). He rejoices when people are restored to him (Isaiah 62:4-5). Where God is, there is also joy (1 Chronicles 16:27).
Luke, in his first chapter, discusses the joy Zechariah and others will experience due to the influence of John the Baptist's life (Luke 1:14).
Matthew implies deep joy, a meaningful life, and much more within the famous, all-encompassing blessings from Jesus' Beatitudes in Chapter 5.
In the first chapter of Mark, we see that God is pleased with the Son. It's an event witnessed by people who heard God's voice at the baptism of Jesus. The Son surely is always filled with great joy since he perfectly knows the love of the Father. Our one God in three persons is perfectly joyful within the Godhead. We're so blessed He didn't keep his love and joy to Himself!
In the Gospel of John's first chapter, what could be more joyful than being given" the right to become children of God!" Provided that we receive Jesus and believe in his name, we have the greatest possible reason for joy.
The early church in Acts chapter 2 received their food with "glad and generous" hearts. Attending the temple, taking the Lord's Supper, and eating meals together were great causes for joy in the ancient Jerusalem church.
Paul begins his letter to the Romans by addressing the church in Rome. Paul describes the church as loved by God and filled with people called to be saints (as all true believers in Jesus are saints). This joyful call is for all who believe in Jesus' name everywhere in the world. This is affirmed again in Paul's greeting in 1 Corinthians!
At the end of the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul states that he is working with the Corinthians for their joy in the faith.
Galatians affirms that joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Here, we see that joy is a fundamental and universal Christian virtue.
Ephesians is excellent fuel for joy. In the first chapter, we see that God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing. This unimaginably generous and tremendous blessing certainly includes the fruit of the Spirit. One of the many spiritual blessings we have access to in Jesus is joy.
Colossians, in its first chapter, connects endurance and patience to joy.
Paul's glory and joy were the Thessalonian believers.
Those references are really just scratching the surface, there are so many things to be said about joy in the New and Old Testament as well. If you want to hear God's word on joy for your day, consider reading the Psalms.
Jesus, Others, Yourself
While reading Can I Have Joy in My Life? I found a helpful acrostic for the heart of joy. It appropriately uses the letters J, O, and Y in that order. Joy is about Jesus, Others, then Yourself in that order. How true it is. Like all of us, I have struggled to keep the order "joy" instead of "yoj."
Affliction and persecution can't kill joy that's safe and secure in Jesus. God's word ties our joy to God, not to our circumstances.
Let's keep our eyes and hearts fixed on Christ; his joy will follow through the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
References
Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 314.
Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).
Can I Have Joy in My Life?
R. C. Sproul, Can I Have Joy in My Life?, First edition, vol. 12, The Crucial Questions Series (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2012), iii.