The following is a portion from my Sunday School lesson that I felt compelled to share...and am trying to live out...
Joy – a deep sense of well being. Does not depend on what happens. An attitude.
Happiness – a feeling. Depends on what happens. A position.
This Bible is a picture of your life. Sure there are some setbacks. Some of them pretty rough.
Jesus had them.
•No home.
•No place to lay his head.
•Closest friends deserted him.
•Then there was the beating.
•The cross.
I’d say there were some setbacks for Him.
So you think that in the midst of everything, He ever lost His joy? No! He never lost that deep sense of well being. Why do you think that is? Because He knew the end of the story and what awaited him. He was ready to be with His heavenly Father again!
The same thing awaits us!!! How bad do things have to get for us to lose our joy?
"Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God". Leon Henri marie Bloy. 1846-1917.
Why? Picture it this way; Jesus had unbroken communion with God the Father. Jesus only did what the Father told him. He only knew what the Father revealed. He wants us to have the same kind of intimacy with Him. He wants US to only do what the Father tells us. That kind of intimacy gives us a “deep sense of well being.”
How about this statement by Lacado: “Those who share the joy of Jesus have a stubborn, unshakeable peace.”
Do you have a joy that holds its ground against pain?
Does it matter to us or to God about our setbacks? Of course it does. Jesus cried when His friends were grieving the death of Lazarus. Do you think that Jesus knew he was about to resurrect Lazarus? Yes. He knew the outcome, but still hurt for his friends.
Another definition that has been used for joy is SACRED DELIGHT.
What is sacred is not of the earth, it is God’s. Joy is God’s. It is delight because it can both satisfy and surprise. Sacred delight is good news coming through the back door of your heart. It is what you’d always dreamed but never expected. It’s the too-good-to-be-true coming true. It is having God as your
•Pinch-hitter
•Your lawyer
•Your dad
•Your biggest fan
•Your best friend
God is on your side, in your heart, out in front, and protecting your back. It is hope where you least expected it.
Think about God’s joy. What can cloud it? Is God ever in a bad mood because of bad weather? Does He get ruffled over long lines or traffic jams? Does God ever refuse to rotate the earth because his feelings are hurt?
No. His is a joy which circumstances cannot steal.
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, for you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven.
Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
You can know a lot about God without really knowing God. In fact unless we experience Him and know what it is like to be in His presence, it is likely that we will never really know Him.
