Have you ever heard the song:
“World Didn’t Give It to Me”
Well here’s a line from that song:
“This joy I have, the world didn’t give it to me,
The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away ”
If this is true, why do we lose our joy so often? If something doesn’t go the way that we think it should we “lose it” so to speak. What are we losing? Joy! Why is it so easy to lose our joy?
Why did David say Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation (Psalm 51:12 KJV)? Because he had found his joy in earthly pleasures. This was in response to Nathan’s rebuke about David’s sin with Bathsheba.
Sometimes we get distracted by the cares of this life and misplace our joy. Sometimes when things go especially wrong, we may even get mad at God, who is supposed to be the source of our joy.
Things weren’t going good for Paul and Silas in Acts chapter 16.
Acts 16:23-25 KJV 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
They still had joy despite their circumstances. Why? Because their joy was in God. Unfortunately today we find our joy in comforts, which is why we get mad at God when things don’t work out like we want. When our comfort is disturbed we get angry because that is where many have placed their joy. Romans 14:17 KJV For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Meat and drink is part of our comfort. We should not find our joy in that, but in the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 6:17-21 KJV 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Jesus seems to change the subject from fasting to giving here, but fasting is giving. Fasting is giving up comfort for something higher, something better. When we put aside our comforts we store up treasures in heaven. One of those treasures is joy.
Life’s comforts cannot give you lasting joy. All these can do is give you some happiness and that is dependent on happenings. God, on the other hand, can give you everlasting joy. Isaiah 51:11 KJV…and everlasting joy shall be upon their head…
It is God and being in His presence that brings us true joy. Psalm 16:11
In thy presence is fulness of joy… Fullness of joy! Not barely or sparingly, but fullness. We must continue to make being in God’s presence a priority because the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10 KJV)
If you’ve lost your sense of joy go after it and seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6 KJV)
John 15:11
“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete”