A Reflection on Joy and Delight
Isaiah 62:4 It will no longer be said to you, “Forsaken,” Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “Desolate”; But you will be called, “My delight is in her,” And your land, “Married“; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be wed.
Introduction
This morning I want us to look at the Biblical notions of joy and delight.
And there are there are two main reasons that I want to do so:
First, we are constantly confronted with our sin, brokenness, and our need to repent (Yes we need to repent. Nothing that we say here is meant to diminish that at all). However, what often happens amid all the self-examination and confession is that we lose sight of the joy, security, and delight that are ours in Christ. The result is that our day-in and day-out walk with God becomes defined by fear, guilt, and uncertainty- instead of by the love, hope, and security that God intends. Joy and delight then are essential to the Christian life and walk. Therefore, we need to be reminded of their centrality.
Second, when we listen to Scripture what we find is that joy and delight are central to the nature and character of God. Therefore, it is important that we stop and ponder what joy and delight tell us about God.
A] First, joy and delight (along with love) tell us something essential about the very character of God. Notice then, the picture of God’s heart that God gives us in His Word and that we see over and again through His deeds FN#1.
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will rejoice over you with loud singing.
B] In fact, love, joy, and delight are the single motive for your salvation. Think about it: if we ask how are we saved? There is but one single answer: we are saved by the grace of God. However, we can ask a completely different question about salvation. We can ask why did God save me? Again, there is but one single answer.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Simply put, it is God’s joy and delight to save you. Importance: God’s Joy and Delight remind you that the Christian walk is not an endeavor to earn, keep, or maintain God’s love. Instead, salvation begins with God’s love for you (your salvation means that you already have God’s love).
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
C] Notice the result:
Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. FN#2
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
Isaiah 62:5 As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fulness of joy; In Thy right hand there are delights forever.
Bottom line: while sin, repentance, and contrition are all vitally important to the Christian walk, there is a deeper reality at work in each of these. Think about it: we get to repent. Not only that, with repentance, we have the assurance that God delights to forgive and heal all our sins. In other words, behind every detail of salvation and the Christian walk is God’s great love for us and His joy and Delight to see us well. Simply put, joy and delight define the entirety of our relationship with God and God’s relationship with us. Therefore, they are not to be dismissed or neglected. Rather, they are to be kept front and center in your Christian life FN#4.
Footnotes
1] A simple glance at the manifold spender, textured variety, and majesty of creation reminds us that their Creator is a God of joy and delight.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.
2] Another important point to be mentioned here is that God’s joy and delight must serve to radically redefine our own. In other words, the joy and delight that God gives is not the transient and fleeting happiness or pleasures offered by this world. Instead, it is a constant (even when we lose sight of it) that is deeper than our feelings or changing circumstances because it is based on the presence and nearness of God always with you.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
3] Notice the reflection: Love, Joy, and delight define God’s single motive for saving you. Therefore, it is no surprise to find that love, joy, and delight are to define the motivation behind every detail of our walk.
4] Joy and delight reflect your Father’s heart and disposition towards you. They underscore your security as God’s child (you have God’s unwavering love and commitment). They provide the motivation for your Christian walk. And they point to the future that God has established for His people.
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Not included in the Sermon
D] Joy and delight provide a moral compass for our walk. Think about it: sin brings sorrow, misery, and robs life of its delight. However, those things that promote spiritual health tend to be those things that foster joy, peace, and stability in our life
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,
Psalm 119:2 How blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; In Thy presence is fulness of joy; In Thy right hand there are delights forever.
E] It is important to know what you are looking for before you go seeking to find true Joy and Delight in your own life. The Joy and Delight that God gives is not the same thing as happiness, tantalizing pleasure, or fortunate situations. Instead, the world’s delight is a mockery and counterfeit put forward by Satin to deceive, usurp, and replace that which God intends. Thus, the word’s fleeting pleasures and escapes ultimately forsake you to misery, sorrow, and harm.
Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and smoother than oil is her speech; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of the grave.
By contrast, true joy and delight are grounded on the Lord’s presence with you and His unwavering commitment to you.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
In fact, true joy and delight are never an escape from difficulty. Instead, they are the assurance and firm footing amid difficulty. As such, true joy and delight are not situation dependent. Rather, they are a deep underlying assurance that God is with and for you amid all that you face. Thus, looking for God given joy and delight at work in your own life is not a quest to find positive thinking or happy feelings. Instead, it is the deep and defining assurance of God presence “that passes all understanding.