Unfailing Joy
Psalm 51:11-13 “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
We have been considering how our lives are changed because of our decision to follow Christ. As we follow Christ, our lives are visibly changed. The visible changes are first recognized by us but the changes should soon be recognizable and visible to others. In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul identifies the changes and calls the changes the fruit of the Spirit. Here are the words he was inspired to pen: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
The second component of the visible fruit of our journey of following and journeying with Christ through His Spirit is Joy. Joy is the natural emotion of being in the presence of Christ. It is the emotion of the journey. It is the spiritual feeling we have because we are accompanying and accompanied by Jesus. When we realize the presence of Christ, that presence of Him who will never leave nor forsake us, there is emotion. It is the comfort, the security, the delight, and the foundation of His presence in our lives.
Joy is not happiness. It may at times include happiness but joy allows for appropriate grief and sadness. Joy is not giddiness because joy has high moments but it also has disappointing moments. Joy is not euphoria but rather the quiet sustaining emotion of existence in His presence.
Joy has more to do with our understanding and sensing the presence of God in our lives moment by moment than it does with what God is allowing to happen in any given moment in our lives. It is the emotion which follows in knowing that God is in control even as difficult things happen in our lives.
I have seen the joy in the life of the widow or widower who has lost a long time spouse. Even as they grieve there is the emotion of appreciation for the years that God gave that couple here on earth. There is the emotion of the expectation of seeing that loved one again in heaven. There is Grief and Joy being experienced side by side but only so because God is with us and that makes the difference.
King David understands this emotion and expresses it often in the writing of his songs. For example in Psalm 16:11 David writes, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” David had a life which had tremendous highs as well as lows. Yet David confesses that his joy was to be in the presence of the Lord. As David refers to being filled with joy, there is no qualification as to whether this was a day full of mountain top experiences or whether he was in the valley on that day. The key to joy was not what was happening around him but rather whether he was in the presence of the Lord or not. When he was in Christ’s presence, there was a sense of joy no matter what was happening.
Nonetheless, there were times in David’s life (as in ours) when the joy David should have had was not present because David had not been following or journeying with the Lord appropriately. We can probably relate to David’s dilemma. I know I can relate to times when my joy component was far less than what it should be because there are times when my walk with the Lord becomes far less than what it should be. The formula is quite straight forward, i.e. less walk with God is followed by less joy.
It was in times of less joy that David would cry out as he did in the verses quoted above from Psalm 51. In the verses which preceded the cry “Restore me to the Joy of my salvation”, David records his sinful pattern of life. He acknowledges that he had gotten away from God. Please note that he was very likely still religious in that he went through the religious exercises of daily life (like going to the Temple regularly and having sacrifices offered) but his heart and mind were not in these activities nor were they focused on God.
It becomes evident that one of the first things to leave us when we leave a faithful walk with God is our joy. In some ways this component of the fruit of the Spirit is a test. If it is present it acts as evidence that we are walking with God. In the opposite sense it also acts as evidence if it is not present that our walk with God is not what it should be.
As you consider whether joy is the emotion of your journey because you are walking with Christ, this is a component which should be evident to those who know you best. Maybe the best test is to ask others around you, “Do you see joy in my life?” or “Has my joy diminished recently?” What would you family say in response? What would co-workers say in response? The question is not whether you have had hard times or not but rather whether there is the emotion of walking with Christ evident in your life.
Jesus wants us to have joy because we are walking with Him. He has joy when we walk with Him and He wants the emotion of the journey together to be mutual. Here are the words of the Apostle John – “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:10-12
Joy-the feeling we have of His unfailing presence with us and in us. May your life be filled with Joy in His presence as you journey with Him.
eMullins
