My youngest (born) has decided it is time to stand. She must stand.
Last night, I was sitting on the ground holding her, and she insisted that I put her in the standing position. (You know how babies cry until they get exactly what they want) Anyway, every time I shifted her away from standing…
yeah.. no good.
So out the standing and walking toys came. Just to clarify…. This little girl hasn’t even figured out crawling yet, but she must stand!
My wife came to take over and I went to do dishes, but I could still see her. While doing dishes, I started smiling at her. When she caught sight of my smile she lit up with joy and even did a little giggle.
My wife was helping her and Lizzie was trying to take her first (entirely assisted steps) Every time I would smile at her… she would light up, and would seem to be more confident in taking a step.
Reflection time!
So whether or not I was imagining Lizzie’s confidence boost: this immediately brought to mind the verse from Nehemiah 8:10
“…the joy of ADONAI1 is your strength.””
Nehemiah 8:10 TLV
The Father’s joy is OUR strength!
Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like a slug? That is until one of your best friends, your mom, or your dad call…. Suddenly you feel so much better. Due to the encouraging conversation you just had, you move from feeling like a slug to being a Cheetah. You know what I’m talking about.
Biblically speaking, this is built into us…. The human creation IS supposed to run on the joy of God. Run on joy.
Eric Liddel was a famous runner and a Christian missionary (subject of the movie “Chariots of Fire”)
In the movie, the actor who plays him says something to the effect of: God made me fast, and when I run I feel his pleasure.
Beyond just endorphins (which speak to an immensely creative God) I believe humans CAN feel Gods pleasure. We can see His pleasure through the way He blesses our lives. Also, we can hear of his pleasure through the written Word of God and when he speaks to us.
This pleasure. Gods joy. This should drive us. It certainly seems to be what drove Jesus. The Bible says it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross.1
Before Jesus started His ministry he got baptized in the River Jordan. During His baptism God spoke and said:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17 ESV
Because of what Jesus has done for you on the cross, you can also experience God’s joy over your life!
Does God really have joy? Does He experience pleasure? Yes!!
Psalm 16 says:
“You make known to me the path of life. Abundance of joys are in Your presence, eternal pleasures at Your right hand.”
Psalms 16:11 TLV
These words were written by King David who spent a lot of time in Gods presence via the Tabernacle of David.
The Bible says that Jesus (God in the flesh) was “anointed” with the oil of joy. More than anyone else around him.2
Paul’s letter to the Galatians says that the fruit of walking with the Holy Spirit includes joy!3
What is the goal of walking in the Holy Spirit? Well… in context it seems to be about loving your neighbor4 Why you ask? Because we are becoming like God who loves perfectly.5 Part of this is having joy and experiencing God’s joy.
Joy is more than just an emotion. Same with love. It is also a state of mind and therefore it includes a choice.
Paul tells us to:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
Philippians 4:4 ESV
Just like Love, it is in fact an action.
As we end I want to talk about two quick things.
1. The emotions of God: In some churches growing up we didn’t really talk about the emotions of God. Some theologians think God doesn’t have emotions… However, I don’t find their arguments very convincing. For a detailed treatment of my general view on the subject check out Lois Tverberg’s article here.
2. Isn’t God angry? Some people grew up thinking God was fundamentally angry. God definitely gets angry. God has wrath… He isn’t JUST a bundle of joy. He is a multifaceted person… We are created in His Image after all.3
However, as far as I can tell God’s wrath flows out of His deep compassion and love for His people and all people. He gets angry when we treat people poorly, exploit them, and gain from their suffering.
So may you CHOOSE joy. Being obedient to the command to rejoice… Resting firmly in our Father’s joy in us. Like Jesus, walk in goodness and righteousness, so you may anointed with His Joy.
Footnotes
1. Hebrews 12:2
2.ADONAI in all caps here is replacing Gods personal name. The name that means “I am” or “I will be what I will be.” Other versions put in “the Lord” in all caps… but the Hebrew word is Gods personal name: יְהֹוָה
3. Hebrews 1:9
4. Galatians 5:22
5. Galatians 5:14
6. Matthew 5:43-48
7.For a detailed treatment of the Image of God: Check out my post: Our Father’s Resemblance: Our Raison d’être
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