22 Jan Serious Joy
Read Psalm 16:11 & Hebrews 12:2
I’ll never forget the aged, Georgia preacher who chastised his congregation one Sunday saying, “The reason we can’t get folk to come visit our church is most of you look like you got baptized in pickle juice!” A few of the congregants looked around at one another and broke into a grin while other expressions became even more “pickled” making it glaringly obvious who the culprits were. Surely our countenances tell on our hearts.
You can always find the joyful person in the group. They are the ones that put problems in perspective, cancel out negativity and keep the temperament of the dooms-dayers from dominating. The joyful Christian trusts the sovereignty of God in difficult circumstances and finds hope in the bleakest situations. In the troubled days we live in, as war rages on in Europe, inflation is seemingly out of hand worldwide, difficulties and uncertainties surround us on every side, we cannot forget the importance of being joyful.
Hebrews 12 tells us that joy was in Christ’s focus as He went to the cross on our behalf. Certainly, there was little in those torturous moments to feel joyful about. Yet, because joy was set before Him, He did not dwell on the pain but the joy that was waiting at the end of the pain. There’s a strategic position in joy and it’s always forward-facing.
In this time of renewal and consecration, let us not forget to enter in joyfully. Joy is God’s invention, design and provision for us. Even in the most somber moments, joy lifts us up, refocus us and encourages our hearts. It is the Spirit’s fruit inside of us so let us take joy as seriously as our Father does.