What is the source of your joy? Where do you find pleasure and gladness? For some it’s family, children, work, eating, sports. But, when the thing that brings you joy fails, where do you turn? Proverbs 37:4 reads “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
Do you find joy in eating chocolate? In sports? Shopping? Video games? Clubs or partying all night long? The problem with this kind of joy is it is temporary. What happens when you eat that last bite of chocolate, or the game is over or the party ends or your team has a losing season? What happens when you end a relationship or friends disappoint you? That void or emptiness inside never leaves and you keep searching for the next pleasure?
Joy and satisfaction can be found in the world or in God.
Jesus wants to be your source of joy and satisfaction. God never leaves or forsakes, Hebrews 13:5. It’s God who lifts you, God who loves you. When your friends got their own problems, it is God who says cast your troubles upon Him…God says He is the one who can make a way out of no way. God says He is your bridge over troubled waters. Find that joy, that satisfaction or pleasure in God and in return, He will give you everything your heart really wants.
God says find your joy in Him. You got to have a personal relationship with Him to know Him, to delight in Him. He wants His desires to become your desires. Your relationship with God is the source of your joy or delight. You got to grow and nurture that relationship. Walk with Him, talk with Him, laugh at the funny moments in your life knowing God is in control. Laughter is good medicine. Do you laugh with God? Think about Him all throughout the day. Focus on His love. Spend some quiet time in the early morning hours. Thank Him for answering your prayers.
When you pray without that personal relationship, you always asking God to do something, to give you something, or fix something…these kinds of desires are based on finding joy in things or people or events. You act like God is your genie in a bottle. But, when you delight in the Lord, there is constant joy. You may worry about things but that’s temporary because you know trouble don’t last always. Your joy is in the Lord.
God promises that those who find delight in Him will see Him face to face, hear Him say well-done thy good and faithful servant. Your delight has to be in the Lord and not for the Lord. Let God be the reason for your joy, your pleasure and your contentment…not other things, but just God. Find your joy in the Lord because it is, HE who give you good health, it is HE who gives you material things, it is He who gives you blessings and favor. But it is your worship of God, not the things He provides for you that matters most. Delight in Him and only Him. Don’t be deceived…don’t start loving the gift more than the giver. Don’t enjoy the creation without worshipping and praising the creator.
When you have a relationship with God who is always good, you desire to do good not because He gives you good things…you do good because you have received Him as your Lord and Savior, your provider, your protector, your abba Father. Fret not…why, because you trust in Him. Your delight or joy is in Him.
Matt. 6:33 says seek first His kingdom…seek first his righteousness…seek first the right way to live a life pleasing to Him. God begins to shape and mold your heart when you put him first. THEN, all these things will follow. The same, delight in the Lord, THEN he gives the desires of your heart. You got to do your part, THEN God does His. Jesus gives you a new heart, the desires of your old, fleshly, heart does not control you any longer. Gone is your desire to hate, envy, to judge, to mistreat…but you are a new creature with a new heart that desires to please Him. You start desiring good and godly things…your desires become Jesus desires.
You can sing the song I want Jesus to walk with me…when you walk with Him, there is joy…when you walk with Him there is satisfaction….when you walk with him there is comfort…when you walk with him there is peace….when you walk with him there is contentment…when you walk with him you find pleasure, when you walk with Him you find delight in His presence. I cannot waste time sulking over what I do not have…what I do have is the love of Jesus…you can’t take that love, that joy, that peace…the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.
God may test me, but I will still delight in Him. I may get sick; I will still delight in Him. Times may get hard, but I will still delight in Him. When I have nothing, I will still delight in Him. I may lose my job, but I will still delight in Him. I lost my father, but I still got joy. I lost my nephews at a young age, but I still got joy. I lost my twin brothers but I still got joy. I lost my mom but I still got joy. I’m not in the best of health, but I still got joy. You may not like me but I still got joy. You can get angry with me but I still got joy. My joy is in the Lord, not you. My delight is in the Lord. God loves me and that’s more than enough.
He is my source of joy. He is my reason for living. He is my creator…I am his masterpiece. He is the potter and I am his clay. He gives me joy, peace, contentment, rest…happiness comes from our relationship. Get to know Him…read, study, mediate, be doers of His word. Then His desires will be your desires. Don’t ever lose your joy! Weeping endures for a night, but Joy, Joy, Joy comes in the morning.
Wake up each day and yell, I STILL GOT JOY! And let no one—no body—take your joy! Be intentional: Find your joy in the Lord. Listen Dorothy Norwood as she sings I STILL GOT JOY.
Stay in the Master’s Care.
Spring Street Christian Church 