In Christ, we have found a great love that came down to suffer with us and die for us.
In Christ, we have found a great peace with God – a relationship we can enjoy during the darkest storms of life.
In Christ, we have found a great hope that pierces the monster of death and transcends the grave.
In Christ, we have found a great joy as we remember the great love, peace, and hope we have found.
Where can we find a lasting joy? We find it first and foremost in the Lord. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 3:1). Lest we miss it, he says it again in the next chapter – twice (4:4). Paul is clear: we should find our joy in the Lord.
Keep in mind the context in which he is writing. He isn’t at the beach soaking in the sun in 80 degree weather (some of us northerners would like that about now). No, he is in prison chained to a guard. And he writes, rejoice in the Lord. And he isn’t just saying it but not living it either. He was thrown in jail when he was in Philippi too, and what was he doing? Praying and singing hymns to God – rejoicing in the Lord (Acts 16). In his suffering, he was still rejoicing in the Lord. Where can we find lasting joy even in the midst of suffering? We find lasting joy in the Lord.
So how can we grow in this joy? Three thoughts:
First, treasure the Lord above all. If Christ is our life (1:21), then that is where we will find our joy. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21 that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. If Jesus is our treasure, then he is where our heart will be, he is where we will find our joy. And no one and nothing can steal that joy from you because no one and nothing can steal Him from you. Treasure the Lord above all.
Second, press on to know the Lord more. This is exactly what we find Paul doing (3:8-14). He wants to know Christ more and more. And as we know him more, as we draw near to him, as we “taste” of him, we find that he is good (Psalm 34:8). Always good. And so we can always rejoice in him. Psalm 100 begins with a call to rejoice in the Lord and ends with the reasons: his goodness, his love, and his faithfulness. The more you draw near and know his goodness, love, and faithfulness in your life, the more you will rejoice in him. So press on to know the Lord more.
Third, remember his blessings to you. We are to pray with thanksgiving (4:7). Consider his many blessings to you. He is the source of every blessing. All the good things you rightly rejoice in come from him, so rejoice in him. As you rejoice in his blessings, rejoice even more in the source.
Rejoice in the Lord. I will say it again: rejoice!
Philippians is often referred to as the epistle of joy. Fourteen times in this short book we find the words “joy” and “rejoice.” Paul rejoices and he calls his readers to rejoice. Which raises the question:
Are you a joyful person?
I’ve been wrestling with that question for the past week, and I invite you to wrestle with it now: Are you a joyful person? If someone asked your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, the driver in front of you, and anyone else who has been around you lately, would they say that you are a joyful person?
And then here is a second question:
Where do you find your joy?
There are lots of places that people find joy: in family, in work, in activities, in the presents under the tree. And there is nothing wrong with finding joy in these places. But if those are the only places you find joy, you won’t be a joyful person. Because your family can be a wreck, you can have a bad day at work, that activity might be cancelled, and soon all those gifts will be unwrapped – and then where is your joy? If you find your joy in comfort, what happens when life is no longer comfortable? If you find your joy in your health, what happens when your health is gone? We can find joy in many places, but not lasting joy.
God calls us to be joyful people with a lasting joy that continues even in the midst of the trials and struggles of life. In the next few days we will look at where we can find lasting joy. But in the meantime:
Are you a joyful person?
Where do you find your joy?
In the last post we looked at three reasons from Psalm 119 regarding why we should delight in the Word. Today, I want to consider three ways we should apply our delight in the Word:
If we delight in the Word, we will mediate on it, memorize it, and live it. As the New Year approaches, this is a good time to reconfirm your commitment to God’s Word. And if God’s Word has not been a commitment in your life, now is a great time to commit yourself to the Word for 2013.
Psalm 119 is a psalm of delight in the Word. Again and again the Psalmist declares his delight in God’s Word (v14, 16, 24, 70, 77, 92, 111, 143, 162, 174). He also gives us at least three reasons why we should find joy in God’s Word. God’s Word is:
As we ponder these three reasons, and use the Word as our guide and help and word from God, may God cause our delight in His Word to grow!
Christmas is a time of joy, yet many struggle to find it. In the midst of the trials and sufferings of life, where can we find joy? The writers of the Psalms tell us places where they found joy – places where we too can find joy even in the midst of the struggles of life. We can find joy in:
It is not hard to see what all of these joy-bringers have in common. All come from God. Every good thing that brings us joy comes from God. Each joyful blessing comes from the river of his delights (Psalm 36:8). God is the source of joy. We find our joy ultimately in him:
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
– Psalm 4:7
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
– Psalm 16:11
For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
– Psalm 21:6
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.
– Psalm 43:4
In the presence of God, we find exceeding joy beyond any other joy. The joy found in God’s blessings is good; the joy found in God himself is better. This Christmas, no matter what struggles you are facing, you can find joy in the presence of the Lord. Won’t you draw near to him?
Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). But that is often easier said than done. In the midst of the storms of life, how can we pursue joy in Christ? Mark Altrogge gives us 25 helpful suggestions which include praise, prayer, the Word, serving, giving, and more. Read the whole thing here, and find help to rejoice in the Lord always.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
– Psalm 115:1
God loves us us. He daily showers us with his many blessings.
He is a refuge in our trials. He is always faithful.
He saves us through the cross. He makes us his children – and heirs.
He loves us with an amazing undeserved love.
And so we want him to be glorified; we want him to be honored.
Our sinful tendency is to want others to honor us, for us to receive the glory.
But as we grasp his great love for us who are unworthy of any love,
we can desire the glory to go not to us, but to him.
It becomes our delight to see him honored in our lives.
How can we honor him in our lives?
We honor him as we obey him, put his will before our own.
We honor him with our thoughts – as we think about him,
and as we thing rightly about him;
as we guard our thoughts to think what is pleasing to him.
We honor him with our lips – as we gather with his people to praise him,
and as we tell others about his glory.
We honor him with our actions – as we do our best for him
in our work, our chores, our studies, and everything else we do;
as we point to Jesus rather than ourselves.
Father, may it be our growing delight to honor you with all of our lives. Amen.
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
– Psalm 27:4
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
– Psalm 42:1-2
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
– Psalm 63:1
It is our joy to spend time with God.
Not a chore. Not a duty. Not another item we have to check off our to-do-list.
It is a joy. It is what we seek earnestly. It is what we thirst for.
It is the one thing we want more than anything else.
And it is more than a once-a-day activity. It is an all-day opportunity.
To walk in his presence. To bring our cares to him in prayer.
To thank him for blessings as they come our way.
To follow his Spirit’s leading. To abide in him always.
It is our joy to spend time with God.
Father, help us to grow in this joy this week for your glory. Amen.
Christmas is a time of joy – family get-togethers, happy memories, old traditions, presents, goodies, carols, and parties. Yet many struggle with joy at this time of year – perhaps they are sick, or alone, or without a job. Many struggle as they remember a loved one who has passed away. Even when our circumstances are good, we are busy which makes us weary and often anything but joyful. Where can we find lasting joy?
We can find lasting joy in the coming of a Savior. In the Luke 2:10-11, the angel proclaims: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
A Savior has come – God has taken on flesh, been born as a baby, become one of us. A Savior has come – to die on a cross to pay the penalty for sin and rebellion, so people could be forgiven and have a relationship with God. A Savior has come – who rose from the dead to give new life with Christ and the hope of heaven and one’s own resurrection. No matter our circumstances, this reality remains: a Savior has come, and we can find lasting joy here.
We can find lasting joy in our salvation. After sending out 72 disciples, we read in Luke 10:17-20: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
The disciples are rejoicing in this power over the devil and his minions, and it is a wonderful thing to see the devil defeated. We too like power, the spectacular. We want to see miracles. But Jesus reminds us there is something greater to rejoice in – that our names are written in heaven, that we have been saved through Jesus Christ. We rejoice not only that a Savior has come, but that our Savior has come – that salvation has been applied in our lives through faith. No matter our circumstances, if we have received Jesus as our Savior, we have the greatest blessing in the world – and we can find lasting joy here.
We can find lasting joy in God’s will. Jesus goes on in Luke 10:21-24 to say: In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
God is sovereign. He acts according to his will, has the power to accomplish his will, and so his will gets done. If we will find joy in God’s will like Jesus does here, we can find lasting joy. Our problem is that we seek joy in our own will, in what we want. If we get what we want, we are happy. If we don’t get what we want, we aren’t happy. If we seek joy in our own will, we will often be without joy – unless we conform our will to God’s will. We need to learn to trust in God’s will even when we don’t get it. We need to learn to be content with God’s plan for our lives even when it is hard. If we will conform our will to his, trust in his will, and learn to be content with his plan, we can find lasting joy in God’s will like Jesus did.
Paul gives us a great example here in the book of Philippians. Paul is in prison. Yet as you read this letter you see a man who is conforming his will to God’s. He is trusting God’s will. He is content no matter what happens. For him, to live is Christ and to die is gain. And what is the great characteristic of this letter that jumps out at us? Joy. Paul is rejoicing, because he can find joy in God’s will. If Paul found lasting joy in God’s will even in prison, we can find lasting joy in God’s will in the midst of our trials. But again we must conform our will to his, trust him, and learn to be content with his plan for our lives.
Finally, we can find lasting joy in God Himself. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Note the word “always.” We should always rejoice in the Lord. We can find lasting joy in Him. God blesses us with many temporary joys. Even in our worst trials, God sends blessings. And as we receive his many blessings, we always have reason to rejoice in him.
And yet, we rejoice in the Lord not just because of his blessings, but because of Himself. In Psalm 16:11, David writes: …in your presence there is fullness of joy…. We can find lasting joy in God Himself. Note the context of Psalm 16. It begins with the words: Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. David is in the midst of some trial – and finds joy in God. In the midst of our trails then, we too can find joy in his presence. Note further that in God, David finds fullness of joy. We can find some joy in various blessings, but in the source of every blessing there is fullness of joy. So let us draw near to him and find in Him lasting joy.
Our circumstances may be good or bad this Christmas. But no matter our circumstances we can find lasting joy in the coming of a Savior, in our own salvation, in God’s will, and in God Himself. May you have a joyful Christmas!
Brian J. Mikul 