Joy

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” – Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:44).

Per dictionary.com, joy is defined as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying…..a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.  The Message bible translates this scripture as:  "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.”

As I read through Ecclesiastes for the first time, I found a man conflicted.  Solomon was one of the richest, wisest men that ever lived.  Yet as he got older, he wrote Ecclesiastes as a warning to people like me, all is vanity.  He starts the book off in verse two of chapter one with that very statement.  Yet throughout the book he continues to say that there is nothing better than for a man to enjoy the fruit of his labor.

Ecclesiastes 9:9-10 - Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (or the grave), to which you are going.

So as you can see, God does want us to enjoy life.  Many Christians deny themselves pleasures in life because of the error in believing that we are to completely deny ourselves of our own happiness.  I have been reading John Piper’s book titled, Don’t Waste Your Life.  In the book, he notes that one way we glorify God is by being glad in Him and showing others how to do the same.  Our happiness is important to God, but what are we happy about?  Are we happy about God, or are we happy about the things He blesses us with?  Are we seeking the Creator or the created?  Are we seeking the provider or what is provided?  Matthew 6:33 says to seek Him first.  Dr. David Cooper at a Sunday service said we have to have a power within us greater than the pressure around us.   That power only comes when we seek him first. 

Andy Mineo in a song called “Pressure” said “You can take my joy, because the world didn’t give it to me.”  That’s the key, where does your joy come from.  We are free to enjoy the pleasures of this life, the fruit of our labor.  Galatians 5:22 states that one of the fruits of the spirit is joy.  If our joy comes from the Lord, our dependence on joy will be from Him and not from the world.  Whenever disappointment, shame, betrayal, hurt, sorrow, and even fear comes, you will still be able to have joy.  Also, you can enjoy the things of the world, whether it is food and drink, money, possessions, vacations, family and friends without guilt or shame.  And, if the things of the world are taken away from you, you will still have joy.

Another thing that may rob us of joy is sin.  Paul, in Galatians 5:18, states that if we are led by the spirit, we are not under the law.  In Nehemiah 8, after Ezra the priest and scribe read the Book of the Law of Moses to the people, they began to weep (see verse 9).  Why were they weeping?  Because they realized that they were not keeping the law.  The bible states in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Young Noah has a song out now called “I’m Ugly” in which he states that we are all ugly or that we all have sinned are truly unworthy of God’s grace.  However, he gave us grace as a gift; we have done nothing to earn it.  What was Nehemiah’s response to the people after they wept?  Nehemiah 8:10 says, “….Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Not the joy of the worldly things but of the Lord is our strength.  The joy of the Lord not only allows us to enjoy the things of this world, but also to overcome the sorrows of the world.

I’ve been listening to a sermon by John Piper called “Quest for Joy.”  In the sermon Piper states that God does desire for us to have joy and be happy, however, what type of joy and happiness are we seeking after?  I would recommend John Piper’s Sermon; see following link to sermon notes:  http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/quest-for-joy.  Also, I hope you enjoy the song below called “My Joy” by J’Son featuring Jai.  This song I think embodies the spirit of this article.  Also check out Andy Mineo’s “Pressure” and Young Noah’s “I’m Ugly” as both songs are on free album/mixtape releases.  Andy Mineo’s album can be found at http://reachrecords.com/releases/show/Formally-Known-Mixtape.  Young Noah’s mixtape can be found on http://clearsightmusic.com/home/.  Both are quality projects.