Good Wednesday morning! The cat is in the way and apparently trying to get romantic with the lotion bottle. I'm not sure what's going on between them, but the courtship should be interesting. Perhaps the cat just needs something in her life that she hasn't found yet. Is she searching for joy or something that will bring her joy? We find ourselves searching for joy in this world. Sometimes we find some happiness, but does the world give joy?
A child may bring joy upon its arrival in the world; but is that from the world or a gift from God? We may think that we have found joy in a mate; but where does the ability to love for a lifetime come from? The joy we seek comes only from God. That joy is also made possible only through Christ. Believing in Jesus we read that He has come that we might have life abundantly. That sounds like a good source of joy to me!
We often confuse having abundant life with having lots of stuff in this world. However, joy will never come from simply buying and keeping lots of stuff; it's much more than that. Some confuse the choice to love a husband or wife with a life of "making love" with many partners. We know that love is never defined in the Bible in that way; love is something you choose, not something you make. We could spend way too much time citing examples of what joy is not; so what makes up joy?
Joy is given by Jesus to those who will believe. The birth of a child is a gift from God and is a part of that joy. The devotion a pet shows is a part of that joy. The appreciation of a lovely sunrise and the time to enjoy it, is a part of that joy. Seeing a friend, baking a cake for someone else, praying a prayer of thanksgiving, getting just the right present for someone, and watching a child receive an award, can all be part of joy. However, joy also stands above these things. Our joy is dependent upon Christ, not on a circumstance. Joy does not require an action, but can grow from one cheerfully given. Joy can be found in the rain, or in the sunshine. Joy is constant, not a passing friend like happiness. Joy comes from God, and not from the world.
God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust; we know that from scripture. I believe it is the same with joy. A secular couple feels joy from the birth of their child, but they think it comes only from the circumstance. We know that God has granted that joy. Is there a special joy available only to those who will believe in Jesus? Of course, the joy of knowing that you are saved to eternal life in Him! The joy of knowing that your sins are forgiven. The joy of knowing that you will have an eternal place in the New Earth where God will rule not from Heaven, but from right there with us. God is the source of all joy. A person can have a little in a life of struggle and pain, or a person can have a lot in a life of trial and triumph! Choose Jesus, gain life!
Bucky
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