OVERWHELMING
JOY!
Ps
33:1-3
1
Rejoice in the Lord , O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2
Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an
instrument of ten strings.
3
Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
I
saw it last night
as the 2013 graduating seniors tossed their square hats high into the air. I
saw it in the faces of parents and grandparents who remember these new
graduates as blanketed infants. It is the joy of accomplishment. It is the joy
of completion. It is the joy of a new beginning. I will see it yet again this
afternoon at one of our rural high schools.
In
the Old Testament,
joy was often linked to the sovereignty of God. Considering the stars in their
courses, nature in its seasons, and the harmony of it all caused the psalmist
to rejoice. God really is in control although we struggle to acknowledge it due
to the occasional painful circumstance. Ian Maclaren once said: “The
highest joy to the Christian almost always comes through suffering. No flower
can bloom in paradise which is not transplanted from Gethsemane.”
In
the New Testament
there are many “tidings of great joy.” The coming of Messiah in the person of
Jesus bought redemption for us. Joy! The transition from Law to Grace produces
great release. Joy! The eternal, unfading and unassailable nature of our
salvation makes us secure. Great Joy!
Like a victorious locker room, church is a
place to exult, to give thanks, to celebrate the great news that all is
forgiven, that God is love, that victory is certain. -- Philip Yancey
Dear
Lord, sometimes all I need to experience overwhelming joy is to simply take a
quick inventory of your blessings. Thank you! AMEN
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