Choose Joy! Series

BARNEY ELLIOT WARREN, WROTE THIS HYMN IN 1900: “I HAVE FOUND THE PLEASURE I ONCE CRAVED; IT IS JOY AND PEACE WITHIN. WHAT A WONDROUS BLESSING! I AM SAVED FROM THE AWFUL GULF OF SIN… IT IS JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY….”

IT TRULY IS DIFFICULT TO PUT FULLY INTO WORDS THE BLISS OF EXPERIENCING TRUE AND EVERLASTING JOY IN JESUS CHRIST. JOY THAT CAN ONLY COME FROM SURRENDERING TO, ABIDING IN, AND LIVING FOR JESUS CHRIST. JOHN 15:11, “I HAVE TOLD YOU THIS SO THAT MY JOY MAY BE IN YOU AND THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE COMPLETE.”

JESUS HAD JUST FINISHED TELLING THE PARABLE OF “THE VINEYARD.” JESUS SAID (JOHN 15:4) “REMAIN IN ME, AS I ALSO REMAIN IN YOU. NO BRANCH CAN BEAR FRUIT BY ITSELF; IT MUST REMAIN IN THE VINE. NEITHER CAN YOU BEAR FRUIT UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME.”

JESUS WAS EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ABIDING WITH GOD IN A LOVING, INTIMATE, AND OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP. THIS IS WHY JESUS CONCLUDED HIS VINEYARD PARABLE BY SAYING “I AM THE VINE AND YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.” JESUS INVITES US TO LIVE THIS CONNECTED AND ABIDING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

JESUS MAINTAINED THAT HIS OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF HIS FATHER WAS THE BASIS OF HIS JOY. IT IS NO DIFFERENT FOR US. WE MUST MAINTAIN A LIFE OF OBEDIENT LOVE WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. NO RELATIONSHIP? THEN, NO JOY!

THE GOOD NEWS FOR US TODAY IS THAT JESUS WANTS TO GIVE US THIS COMPLETE AND FULFILLING JOY. HE KNOWS THAT APART FROM THIS DEPTH OF OBEDIENCE, WE DO NOTHING MORE SETTLE FOR NOTHING MORE THAN THE UNFULFILLING STATE OF FLUCTUATING AND UNSETTLED EMOTIONS.

THE JOY THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS THERE TO EMBRACE IF WE WOULD COMMIT TO SURRENDING TO JESUS, LIVING ACCORDING TO GOD’S COMMAND, AND STRIVING EACH DAY TO FORSAKE OUR FLESHLY DESIRES THAT CRY OUT TO BE FULFILLED WITH INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

JESUS NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT JUST GETTING BY BEING BOARD AND MELANCHOLY. HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT JUST LIVING DAY AFTER DAY IN A NUMB EXISTENCE AS WE WAIT TO GO TO HEAVEN. THAT’S WHY I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOY AND HAPPINESS.

HAPPINESS IS FUELED BY A DEPENDENCE UPON WHAT WE EXPERIENCE EXTERNALLY ON THE OUTSIDE. EVENTS SUCH AS A BIRTHDAY, SUNNY DAY, A DAY OFF, OR A FESTIVE HOLIDAY.

JOY COMES FROM DEEP WITHIN ONES HEART AND SOUL. JOY IS THE DIVIDENDS THAT ONE RECEIVES WHEN THEY ARE WILLING TO INVEST THEMSELVES IN A LOVING, INTIMATE, AND OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

ALTHOUGH SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, THERE REALLY IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE JOY IS PERMANENT AND A STATE OF BEING WHERE HAPPINESS IS MERELY A FLEETING AND PASSING EMOTION.

THIS IS WHY I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE WEARING THEMSELVES OUT TRYING TO NOT ONLY BE HAPPY BUT STAY HAPPY. THERE ARE MANY WHO THINK THAT MAINTAINING HAPPINESS REQUIRES A LOT OF CONSECUTIVE GOOD THINGS TO “HAPPEN” IN THEIR LIFE.

IT IS THIS TYPE OF MENTALITY THAT MAKES ONE DEVELOP THE NOTION THAT HAPPINESS IS FUELED BY A BOTTLE, A DRUG, A BIGGER HOUSE, HIGHER INCOME, FAME, FORTUNE AND HAVING A COMFORTABLE LIFE FILLED WITH MATERIAL POSSESSIONS.

SEEKING PLEASURE OUTSIDE OF JESUS LEADS TO A LIFE THAT BECOMES AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF DIGGING AND CLAWING AFTER THINGS TO SATISFY “SELF” AND STAY CONTENT AND SATISFIED. MARK 8:36, “FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?”

JOY, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOESN’T EVEN NEED THINGS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THOSE WHO HAVE JOY KNOW THAT IT IS SUPPLIED INTERNALLY AND ABUNDANTLY BY GOD THROUGH AN INTIMATE AND OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON JESUS.

THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE JOY HAVE LEARNED THROUGH EVERY POSSIBLE KIND OF SITUATION (WHETHER GOOD OR BAD) THAT JOY CAME BY THEIR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD THROUGH THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON JESUS. FAITH. TRUST. OBEDIENCE.

IN OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE TODAY THIS IS EXACTLY THE PRESCRIPTION GIVEN TO LAND OF JUDAH. THEY WERE TOLD THAT IF THEY WOULD SIMPLY TRUST IN GOD AND KEEP A STEADFAST MIND THEIR TRUST WOULD SOON BECOME THEIR SONG OF VICTORY.

NOT ONLY WOULD THEY HAVE A SONG OF VICTORY, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING THEY DRASTICALLY NEEDED FOR THEIR WAR-TORN LAND – JOY AND PEACE!

THEY WOULD HAVE JOY AND EVERLASTING PEACE UPON THE SOLID ROCK OF THE LORD GOD. IT WOULD ALL BE THEIRS IF THEY WOULD HAVE A STEADFAST MIND AND TRUST IN GOD.

SO, IN THE PURSUIT OF AN EVERLASTING JOY WITH A PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO HAVE A “STEADFAST MIND?”

STEADFAST COMES FROM THE HEBREW TRANSLATION THAT MEANS “TO SHAPE,” OR “TO FORM.” IT ALSO MEANS TO HAVE A “DEPENDENT ATTITUDE.” IT IS LITERALLY SAYING, “THE ONE WHOSE MIND IS FOUNDED, FORMED, FIXED, AND SHAPED ON GOD WILL BE KEPT IN PEACE BY GOD HIMSELF!”