As I began to study JOY, one question kept coming to mind – what is joy? The more I researched…the more frustrated I became. Oh, there is LOTS of information out there about joy. Most of the information is very vague and I wanted concrete.
Then I stumbled across Rick Warren’s definition of joy:
“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.”
I love that! Joy is a ‘settled assurance…a quiet confidence’ in God. Lexham’s Bible Dictionary defines joy as “a natural result of having received salvation. Joy comes on account of what Christ has done, irrelevant of whatever circumstances are happening in one’s life”.
Psalm 92: 4 (NLT) puts it like this,
You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
When I recall all He has done for me, I can look forward to what He will do with assurance and confidence. I trust Him. That is true joy. According to Matthew Henry, “From a joyful remembrance of what God has done for us, we may raise a joyful prospect of what He will do.”
As I continued to think about what Christ has done for me, two things came to mind:
- He has given me a future
- He has given me hope
Jeremiah 29:11 (HCSB) states “I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope….”
And Psalm 16:11 (HCSB) says “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.”
Happiness is often associated with joy. Joy is so much more than being happy. Happiness is a temporary emotion while joy is an attitude, a state of being. Happiness often comes from external situations or material things. The joy of the Lord is found within and gives us strength no matter what we are experiencing. Joy is the result of our choice to trust Him.
That’s where I find my joy – in Him alone.
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Father, thank You for being the source of my joy. You are my Strength and my Portion forever. Remind me when I struggle that joy and happiness are not the same thing. May I always look to You and recall all You have done, and will do, in my life. That is my true joy. In Jesus’ name I ask this – Amen, so be it!
