Joyful in Jesus
And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b
Me: “How are you today?”
Elderly lady at church on Sunday morning: “Happy in Jesus!” (And she really sounded it!)
I never heard this woman complain. She came every Sunday with candy for the children (some of whom were her great-grandchildren) and she had plenty of encouragement and smiles to spread around. If she had aches and pains, I never knew it.
Today, I feel old. (Compared to this woman I am a mere child!) I started this week feeling like there was something in my eye, there wasn’t, it was just this annoying feeling that has resolved (for the most part). Then, a spider bite sent me to the emergency room at 11 PM. I was wasted the next day (though I was out before midnight, thank you Reading Hospital Emergency Dept.!). The next day I broke a tooth eating sweet potato chips. It’s not like I was eating rock candy!
In my own mind I have been complaining to God about the aging process and the time these things have taken out of my schedule. The days of invincibility seem to be waning as I realize that my body cannot take what it used to stride right through. But, God has reminded me how He feels about grumbling and complaining! “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14 – 15.
Then, I remember my elderly friend who seemed to know, and revel in, the joy of the Lord while all of these things must have been happening to her for years! She was shining like the light these verses talk about! How does one get to the point that obeying God is the highest priority in our lives, regardless of what the body is feeling in the moment?
I used to occasionally drive this woman to appointments or to the hospital to visit, giving me brief snippets of time with her in the car. She was a woman who was in God’s word every day of her life. She read it, studied it, talked about, and, then, she lived it out. As I look back on her “happy in Jesus” statements I remember that she may have been happy in the moment but what was in her heart was the joy of the Lord!
Happiness can change from moment to moment depending on what is happening in our lives. Joy is a heart condition given to us by the Holy Spirit as we live in accordance with God’s Word, as we obey His commands and, receive His blessing for that obedience! Joy is a state of being that Christians can have regardless of our circumstances!
Even as I am writing this I am thinking that this Grandmotherly woman had an advantage over many younger women, she had time on her hands to be in God’s Word. But, I am quickly corrected, remembering that God allows every one of His children to take time with Him every day – if that’s what we choose to do. If we are His through faith in Jesus Christ, if we have repented of sin, and have a desire to obey His word, He will enable us to use our time so there is time to sit with Him and His Word.
One of the clear links I see in scripture is the relationship between thanksgiving and joy. It seems the more thankful we are for what God has given us and does for us, the more joy we will know. (Psalm 97:12, Psalm 107:22, Isaiah 51:3, Philippians 1:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 3:9) Joy is contagious and when we are grateful to God for anything, and speak about it to others, we are spreading the joy!
It is time for me to stop looking at my circumstances and start living more of what I read in His Word, spreading a little joy like my elderly friend.
The joy of the Lord is ours for the taking, it is a blessing from God. Will we continue to grumble and complain about our circumstances, or start thanking God for everything He gives us or does for us? If we are openly thankful and joyful, isn’t that glorifying to God, good for others, and inviting God’s blessing into our own lives? It’s a win- win – win way to live!