FULLNESS OF JOY (2)

“Surely You have granted [me] eternal blessings and made [me] glad with the joy of Your presence” (Psalm 21:6, NIV).

The joy of the Lord is powerful.  Not only is it described as “complete” (John 15:11), but we are “filled with joy” (Psalm 126:3); it is our “delight” (Psalm 43:4), and overwhelming in Psalm 35:9-10: “My whole being will exclaim, ‘Who is like You, O Lord?”

Roy Lessin, in his blog, 7-28-10, wrote this about the fullness of joy we can have in Christ:

Sharing a meal with a close friend brings great enjoyment, having Jesus sup with you brings fullness of joy;

having a cooling wind blow across your face on a warm summer’s day brings enjoyment, to have the refreshing wind of the Holy Spirit move upon your heart brings fullness of joy;

walking through a flower garden brings enjoyment, to walk through a flower garden with the One who created the flowers, brings fullness of joy;

to relax by a quiet flowing stream brings enjoyment, to be joined to the restful yoke of Jesus Christ brings fullness of joy.

It is as though God is saying to us, “The joys that come from the blessings I give you can only go so far, for they are from Me, but they are not Me. I want you to enjoy what I give you, but even more, I want you to have Me—My life, My love, My presence. It is with Me, in Me, and from Me alone that you will know the fullness of joy I want you to have.”

King David told God, “You make [me] most blessed forever; You make [me] glad with the joy of Your presence” (Psalm 21:6, ESV).

However, we cannot live a joyful life of faith and obedience unless we abide in Christ.  When we abide in Him, joy also abides.  Just as Christ’s joy flowed from obedience to His Father’s will, so too, our joy flows from obedience to our Lord’s commands (John 15:10).

The joy that Jesus had was the absolute surrender and sacrifice of Himself to His Father—the joy of doing His will—which was completing that which the Father sent Him to do (John 17:4).  He prayed that the full measure of His joy would be in us (John 17:13).  

To know the fullness of such joy,

There is no other way—

But completely surrender,

Abide in Him, and obey. –Ruby Morris