Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your judgments.
-Psalm 48:11
When we are still lost, without hope and without God, we misidentify joy. We feel emotions like happiness and excitement, or enjoy entertainment, and then mislabel these experiences as “joy.” Some obtain a measure of success or approval and call that joy; others get high from a drug and mistake the delusion for joy. All the counterfeits have one thing in common: they are terribly fleeting and temporary. They rely on fair circumstances, and so they come and go with the wind.
When we are born again, we receive joy from God, which we have never known. Jesus is the wellspring of joy, so there is no knowing Him without experiencing joy. But we have a new dilemma: how do we remain there? How do we keep joy from fading away when diverse trials arise?
I believe our problem is the same, in a sense, as the lost sinner. We may even taste eternal joy at times while in the presence of God, yet walk back into joylessness in daily life. Where do we direct our souls when there is no cause for joy around us? Could it be that we have to retrain our hearts to go to the eternal well of joy? Are we somewhat pre-programmed by life in a fallen world, so that we still run to fleeting substitutes, even after coming to know that true joy is only found in Jesus?
Jonathan Edwards, the great American revivalist, was not exaggerating when he prayed, “Stamp eternity on my eyeballs!” We should pray the same. We need the reality of eternity to be in view wherever we look. The things of this world are pushy and self-important, appearing as if they have utmost importance. Meanwhile, the devil works to label any concern for our souls and the souls around us as non-urgent, as a distant thought that will be important someday. He deceives many into merely attending church weekly, as if making a weekly deposit in a spiritual retirement account. We think, “Anything more sacrificial would be a little extreme, and there are plenty of other concerns down here on earth.” Thus, with subtlety and “good reasoning,” the devil robs God’s people of eternal impact, as well as the heavenly joy that it brings.
How does the weary, joyless Christian get back on track? By going right back into the deep things of eternity which God spelled out in His Word. Go back to the unchangeable, faithful Spirit of God who fills our hearts as we pray to Him. Go back to the trustworthy promises of God, which are infinitely more reliable than any amount of money on earth. The mind of every blood-washed believer should continually go back to gaze upon the sunshine of eternity rather than the dust of time. This is available to us wherever we are, whatever we are doing. Not even the most grueling work day or the harshest prison cell in a restricted nation can take away the Word of God if it has been hidden in a believing heart, nor can they remove the joy that accompanies it.
Let Mount Zion rejoice… Mount Zion rejoices, first of all, because God has chosen to dwell there and rule from there forever (Psalm 132:13-14). In spirit, you and I came to Mount Zion as soon as we entered the new covenant in Jesus’ blood! Rejoice, first and foremost, that God chose to set His Spirit on you, to dwell with you through faith, never to leave you nor forsake you, believer.
Then, begin to rejoice because of [His] judgments, which refer to the rulings and decisions made by the Judge of all the earth. Jesus said, “the ruler of this world is judged,” so no matter what evil we see, we can have joy in the midst of sorrow, knowing that God will deal with the devil in just wrath (John 16:11). God has also decreed, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life…” (James 1:12). Any trial we undergo in this life can carry the joy of Jesus with it, because we look forward to the enduring reward He promised.
Jesus, help us agree with Your judgments through obedience. As we obey, let Your joy remain in us and be full within our hearts (John 15:11).
-Pastor Alex
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