“MAY WE BE FULL OF JOY”
“That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14
I recall a cartoon when I was a young kid called ‘Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har’. Now Lippy was always looking to gain fortune with some dim-witted plan while Hardy Har Har, (a hyena), seemed to receive the brunt of the ill-conceived plan. It always lead to the notorious, pathetic quote by Hardy, “Oh me, oh my, oh dear“.
Poor Hardy. His outlook was always bleak, never showing any optimism or enthusiasm in light of the situation. If only he could have been more proactive in producing a good attitude, perhaps he could have been an influence for Lippy and avoid trouble by focusing on things that are good.
As it pertains to the church, it doesn’t help the purpose of the Lord when His
followers go around being or looking miserable. You say, “But I have problems.”
Well, welcome to the club. Everybody does. When the apostle Paul was in prison,
he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always”
(Philippines 4:4).
Expressing joy is a life choice you live regardless of your circumstances, not because of them. The Bible says, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). God has put a well of joy within you, but you have to draw it out and share it with others. Joy is contagious as its enthusiasm spreads.
Happiness travels through relational networks like ripples on the water. It’s so robust, in fact, that it can permeate three degrees of separation. That means your happiness capacity is more likely to increase when a friend of a friend of a friend receives Christ. We thirst for joy and we celebrate joy when others are blessed with it.
“Satisfy us in the morning,” writes the psalmist—but not with more money or power or applause. No, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). Joyful people make us come alive. In addition, we should set our hearts and minds on the goodness of the Lord and his Kingdom. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things“.
We love joy, but often we forget how powerful it is. Joy gives us the strength to resist temptation. It gives us the ability to persevere. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…the joy of the Lord is our strength“.
It’s the glue that makes relationships stick. It gives us the energy to love. We don’t just need air, food, and water; we need joy. And the person who brings it is like an oasis in a desert land. So my encourage for all of us is to be joyful.
“That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” Psalm 90:14