What is joy? Where is it found? Do you have joy in your life, in your work? A lot of people think of joy as gladness, but it is different. Joy is internal, not something that we can purchase or work toward in the physical sense. Profound joy is found in Jesus. The one who came for us without us asking, the one who steps in on our behalf with God the Father. I find joy in a sunrise because I know who made it. The same in a child’s smile or a beautiful flower. Where is your joy? Let’s look at this week’s scriptures to see if we can find the joy.
Jeremiah 31:7-9 7)For thus says the LORD, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.” 8)”Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, and I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here. 9)”With weeping they will come, and by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, on a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” Okay a little history here, Ephraim is a tribe, one of the twelve. God is claiming them, saying that He will gather them, sing praises to Him for this is great Joy.
Psalm 126 1)When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2)Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; When they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3)The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad. 4)Restore our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South. 5)Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6)He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of Joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Sheaves are bundles from the harvest, God is gathering HIs people, part of His harvest just as He said that He would. His promises reign and will always be kept.
Hebrews 7:23-28 23)The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24)but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25)Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26)For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27)who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28)For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. Those high priests were in fact appointed to do the work of gathering God’s people, to remind them of the scriptures, God’s Word. Now, we have something much greater, the perfect high priest, Jesus Christ. Now He is the one gathering God’s people, let us shout with great joy!
Mark 10:46-52 46)Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47)When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Sone of David, have mercy on me!” 48)Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49)And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50)Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51)And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52)And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. Can’t you just see this, I mean shhing someone when we feel that it is distracting or uncalled for. Yet this man needed Jesus in a way that most of us could not understand, but that man did. Joy, his joy is felt here. Then what does he do, he follows Jesus. Jesus gathered another one. That brings me joy, I hope you feel that internal joy too.
Weaving these scriptures together we find the intent, God wants us to be gathered, that in itself is joyful. Reflect the light, the joy that God brings to us in the life of Christ
Through Christ, Seek God,
D.J. Schoneweis