We can find joy in lots of things like spending time with friends and loved ones, getting a new phone or a new car, accomplishing a goal, or even just simply having a good time. These are all great things and each of these has an appropriate time and place in our lives. The problem is, all of these things are temporary and therefore the feeling of joy that we get from from them is also temporary.

For every time that we experience any of these things that bring us happiness, we also endure many things that bring us pain or sorrow. This life is full of death and decay. Wood deteriorates, metal rusts, electronics fail, and bodies grow old. Everything here is temporary and we will lose it at some point.

If that isn’t bad enough, everyone at some point or another will act in ways that are greedy, selfish, corrupt, and immoral. King David was said to be a man after God’s own heart, but that didn’t stop him from failing in every one of these ways.

There is a rather infamous story in which David saw a beautiful woman bathing. Instead of turning away as he should have, he called for her to be brought to him and he slept with her. She was married to one his warriors who was away at battle, and when she found out she was pregnant with David’s child, David set out on a path of deception that didn’t work. He eventually just had the army abandon this warrior in battle so that he would be be killed. When the prophet Nathan confronted David about his actions, David eventually repented and wrote Psalm 51. There is a portion of this Psalm I have included below which I would like to focus on.

Psalms 51:10-14

[10] God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. [11] Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. [12] Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. [13] Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you.

[14] Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God — God of my salvation — and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

David was deeply grieved by his transgressions against God and the loss of his child that was a result of those transgressions. When we talk about joy, we cannot ignore sorrow or suffering. In fact it is important that we respond to these hurts appropriately in order to truly embrace the joy that God has for us.

These things that break our hearts are there to bring us to our knees. We must go before God with our broken hearts and confess to him our failings, our hurts, and our doubts. Trust in God’s faithful love and forgiveness and ask for help to see the joy and gladness found in his saving work. It was for exactly this reason the angels said, “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…” when they announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds that night. Because through the redemption that this child would bring, all people now have the opportunity to experience the joy of God’s salvation.

Now we have joy in our salvation, thanks to Jesus’ saving work, but life still isn’t perfect. Things still go wrong, we still live on a broken earth, and we still have temptations. All the things that caused pain before, continue to happen around us. It’s true that it’s worth celebrating the payment that has been made for our sins, but how is a Christian supposed to look through more recent pain that puts a damper on those feelings of joy and gladness? Paul answers that in Romans 8.

Romans 8:18-23

[18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. [20] For the creation was subjected to futility  — not willingly, but because of him who subjected it  — in the hope [21] that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. [22] For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. [23] Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits  — we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Paul starts in verse 18 by telling us that the ultimate glory of Christ, which Christians get to share in, is so much greater than the things that trouble us now, that by comparison we can rejoice in the face of our troubles because they are so insignificant. When we keep control of our perspective, when we choose to think about the things God has promised us, there is nothing this life can throw at us which compares to what God has planned for us.

If you remember when we previously talked about hope, we said it was eagerly waiting like a rope pulled tight. Verse 19 says creation eagerly waits with anticipation. Simply said, our hope gives us joy. Just as hope gives us confidence in God’s promises, it also becomes the foundation of our joy, allowing us to rejoice in what we have not yet seen. We cannot have a lasting joy without placing our hope in lasting truth. For Christians, we can look ahead to the promise of our resurrected bodies to be free of sickness, injuries, and malformations. We can look forward to a new heaven and new earth where the cows and the bears graze together, the lambs can lay down with the lions free of fear. There is no death there, only life. Taking this hope, let’s look at how Paul finishes the paragraph in Romans 8.

Romans 8:24-25

[24] Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? [25] Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.

Paul shows us that just as we had hope for our initial salvation, we also have hope for future glory. And where we have hope, we can find joy. We can rejoice in our salvation. We can celebrate that death does not have a hold on us. We can sing songs that rejoice in where our hope comes from. But that’s not all that we have worth celebrating. There is still more good to come – better even. Our salvation has secured us from death, yes, but our future glory is eternal life in the presence of God. In a place where every tear is wiped away, death and separation are replaced with reconciliation and unity, and we dwell in perfect harmony with God. This is the eternal joy we eagerly anticipate.And nothing can take that away from us.

Reflections:

(I strongly recommend using a journal to actually write out prayers and answer questions. something about having to write it down really helps me complete the thought and be committed to it.)

• Take a moment today to rejoice in the salvation Christ has already secured for you and the glory yet to come. Sing a song of praise, pray a prayer of thanksgiving, or share this joy with someone who needs encouragement.
• When you think about the joy of your salvation, what specific aspect of God’s work in your life comes to mind?
• How does keeping an eternal perspective help you find joy in difficult circumstances?
• What temporary sources of joy might be distracting you from the lasting joy found in God’s promises?
• How can you share the joy of your salvation with someone else this week?
• Consider writing down one thing each day this week that reminds you of the joy of your salvation and God’s promises. Use it as a reminder to rejoice, even in difficult circumstances.