Webster’s defines Joy as: 1. Feelings of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind. 2. a pleasurable aspect of something or source of happiness.
I wondered to myself one morning “when was the last time I felt joy?” Minutes after that thought a friend called and said somewhat the same thing about her lack of joy. We planned to go to breakfast, along with another old friend, a few days hence so I looked up some verses having to do with joy and printed them out for all three. I don’t know what the verses meant to them, but they were an encouragement to me. Verses like:
Nehemiah 8:10B The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Proverbs 10:28 The prospect of the righteous is joy.
Psalms 4:6-8 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine, Though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, Though there is no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.
We can always have joy in Jesus no matter what our circumstances. Encouraging right? Yes! But not until days later did I realize I left a verse out.
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame…
When a woman is pregnant she looks forward to the time of her baby’s arrival. She knows ‘somewhat’ that she will have to endure pain. During the birth she is not counting it all joy, in fact, at times believes she will not be able to endure, indeed wants to quit and go home. But when that baby arrives, the horrible pain is forgotten as she gazes into the beautiful face of her begotten.
“For the joy”. In Hebrews 12:2 Jesus suffered for the joy set before him. What was the joy set before him? ‘US’ How awesome that we could be a source of joy to Christ!