From whence does your joy arise?

Psalms 73:25-26

The scriptures seem to be replete with the thoughts of JOY. For example, JOY is found in the LORD. “.. the Joy of the LORD is your strength” (Jeremiah 8:10). “.. in thy presence is fullness of Joy.. at thy right hand are pleasures …” (Ps 16:11). In another form, Jesus said in Jn 10:10: “I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly”, and those who found the Kingdom were described as being motivated by the overpowering JOY to sell all in order to obtain the Kingdom (Matt 13:44). Such scriptural references to JOY seem overwhelming and powerful!

On the other hand, from a non-Christian perspective, the yearning for JOY or the pursuit of happiness is no less great. Aristotle summed it all: “Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole end and aim of human existence”. Given that the object of happiness is rather nebulous from one great thinker to another, we witness attempts in many directions in the pursuit of happiness. We perhaps see attempts of such pursuit in the scriptures in the life of the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well and who had had many husbands but remained unfulfilled. We also see such spurious pursuit in the life of the prodigal child who went to a “far country, and ...wasted his substance in riotous living” (Luke 15:13).

So where does such yearning and longing of Joy arise? It seems intuitive that if God created us for himself then, such yearning for Joy or even for something transcendental is put in our heart by God. For the materialist or someone who rejects the idea of God, he/she would object to the idea, but if we do evolve from inanimate objects, which is statistically impossible for one, how do we derive the notion of meaning or significance, and even the desire for happiness? On the other hand, we have indication from Scriptures that God has put the desire of the transcendental in our heart, in Eccl 3:10 (ESV):

“…. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”

The author of Ecclesiastes seems to say, amidst his pursuit for meaning in life, that he cannot get to the bottom of it, that he is not satisfied. Why so, this is because God has put the capacity for eternal things in his heart as much as we are created by God for himself forever; thus, the author cannot rest satisfied on earthly things. Such a desire is palpable as we see it in both Christians and non-Christians alike that give us the clue that we do not belong here in this world. Here is the “far country” while Heaven in the presence of God is our home so that this world is “not my home, I am just a passing through”.

In fact, we see the delineation of JOY and Glorifying God as two sides of the same coin in the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The enjoyment of God and the glorifying of God is indeed one and the same thing. When we rest on God in Christ as we seek to Glorify him, we will feel satisfied and enjoy the sweet communion of Joy above with God above all things else. In fact, the day is coming, Jesus promises us, that stupendous Glory and Joy await us. We see this perhaps in the allusion of the parable of the prodigal son that we do not belong to the “far country” but in the Father’s house; in the parable of the faithful servant (Matt 25:21), we are said to shine forth as the Sun (Matt 13:43); and finally, the reference to the fact that we are predestined to be Glorified (Rom 8:30) , in that we will be praised by God in Christ when we finally reach heaven. Indeed, it will be Joy unspeakable and full of Glory. 

So, what are we to do now?

There are a few specific things that we could do. Firstly, we need to re-examine our life to see if our JOY is only found in God and not in our materials processions, our job and even in our spouse and family. All these are given by God to prepare us for Heaven! Secondly, we are to live with eternity in the back of our mind, that indeed we will be glorious in Christ and this means that we need to grow in holiness seriously each day of our life as we labour for God’s kingdom, for without holiness no one can see Jesus (Heb 12:14). Finally, we need to tell our neighbours and awaken them that such desire for transcendental things shows that there is a God, that they are created for eternity to serve God and thus need to be reconciled to God in Christ before it is too late!

Take heed as there is no other path for each of us with regards to the sole and ultimate desire in each of God’s creature, created in his image, as the Psalmist remind us;

“Whom have I in heaven but thee?
and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
My flesh and my heart faileth:
but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”

Psalm 73:25,26

Amen.

“In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised.”

CS Lewis. from the ‘The Weight of Glory’

Published in FERC (ferc.org.sg) Weekly Bulletin, 14^th January 2018