06/19/2022
I’m a member of a Facebook group for Christian women. A couple of weeks ago, the administrator asked several of the members, including me, to write a short post on what the joy of the Lord means to me in my life. I thought I would share what I wrote here. It’s nothing profound, just what came to mind as I pondered the request.
Joy is a gift from God. We can have it and we can lose it. According to a number of Bible texts, we have joy when we are keeping God’s commandments, doing His will, and serving Him. We lose our joy when we turn away from God. The joy in the Lord that I have carries me through the chaos, catastrophe, evil, and sin in this world, allowing me to look forward to the time when Jesus will come and destroy sin and death. I may not always feel happy, but I have joy and peace knowing that despite the latitude God gives Satan to show the universe his true character, He, God, is still in control. When Jesus comes again, “They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Isa. 35:10, NIV). This is our “blessed hope”!