JOY

The whole fall semester my theme was joy. Joy in all circumstances. Yet as the semester began to wind I started to realize that I really didn't have a functioning definition of "joy" beyond it being some vague sense of happiness/contentment/conf

idence. Then it struck me that maybe part of the reason that I struggle so much to have joy is because I really have no idea what "having joy" looks like biblically. It makes sense that to take part in true, lasting joy I must have at least some sense of what joy truly is.

So, I decided to pull out my trusty ESV concordance and go through each usage of the word "joy" in the Bible and try to figure out what joy meant or looked like in different contexts. Here are some things that really stood out and were helpful to me through the first few instances (more to come):

1) Joy is not the same as happiness. Although joy often entails happiness or excitement (especially in the Old Testament), there is far more to joy than just feeling good.

2) There are basically two types of joy: eternal (lasting) joy and finite (temporal) joy. It seems that it is almost impossible for temporal joy to transcend happiness and is a product of common grace, but lasting joy comes from God, who does not change. Thus, lasting joy is not dependent on "life being good" to be present. (Job 8:19, Job 20:5, Job 33:26)

3) Lasting joy, the kind I want, comes directly from God (Psalm 4:7).

4) Joy is inextricably tied to trust in God. If true, lasting joy is based in God then those who find their constant refuge in him will have the most intimate access to that lasting joy (Psalm 5:11).

5) Joy is found in the promises of God. Much lasting joy can be found in this life if we stay focused on the fact that God has promised to lead us on the paths of life and will never abandon us. Even when, in our eyes, we do not feel like we are anywhere close to the path of life, God in his sovereignty is directing our footsteps and will never abandon his children (Psalm 16:11).

6) The sun takes joy in carrying out God's commands. How much more should we, who are much more like God than the sun (since we are created in his image), rejoice at the unique opportunity we have as Christians to freely obey the creator of universe (Psalm 19:5)!