“…In Your presence is fullness of joy…”  Psalm 16:11

We are now in the season where we see and hear the word joy a great deal.   However, perhaps not as much in the past two years.  What is joy?  I am sure that it means different things to different people.  

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines joy as:
“the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure or delight; success; a state of happiness.”  
If it is an emotion, then it results from some other thing and can be fleeting.
For Christians, joy is something more.  Let’s look briefly at joy as we see it in Scripture.

Joy is promised to Believers:
“For His anger is but for a  moment,
 His favor is for life;
 Weeping may endure for a night,
 But joy comes in the morning,”  Psalm 30:5

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”  Psalm 126:5

“I will also clothe her priests with salvation, 
 And her saints shall shout aloud of joy.”  Psalm 132:16
(Read Vs. 13-18 to see the ‘I wills of God in this passage.)

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
 And come to Zion with singing,
 With everlasting joy on their heads.
 They shall obtain joy and gladness,
 And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”  Isaiah 35:10

Read the relationship of Believers to Christ in John 15:1-10; these verses are the ‘these things’ that Jesus is speaking of in Vs. 11.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Our joy does not depend upon emotions and feelings.  Our joy is Christ Jesus Himself.  He is the ground and the object of the believer’s joy.  The above verses that speak of sorrow, sighing, weeping are only for a moment and they, too, are a blessing.  Why?  Because they prepare Believers for an enlarged capacity for joy.

To His disciples He says,
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”  John 16:24

To His Father He prays concerning those the Father has given Him,
“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”  John 17:13

So we sing together:
“Break forth into joy O my soul,
 Break for into joy O my soul.
 In the presence of the Lord,
 There is joy forever more;
 Break forth, break forth into joy O my soul.”

In the Lord’s presence is our joy.  It is not an emotion, but our way of life because we daily live in the presence of the Lord. With grateful hearts let us give thanks to our heavenly Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit for God’s love and graciousness unto us.  Praise and glorify to the only true God.  Amen