Joy

Joy…. Reflections from a person who has been deep in depression, who fights it each winter.

Joy is something God wants FOR us, more than from us. He himself is the JOYFUL God.

We hold that--in the pain. God, the Joyful God, yet he really, truly, deeply I believe participates in the suffering of his people. Oh, how often the Bible speaks of this! Isaiah stunningly declares that in all his people’s afflictions he too was afflicted (Isa. 63:9). Our God too left the temple, a form of exile because of his people’s unholiness (Ezek. 10). Jeremiah’s tears were God’s tears. Zechariah made it clear that those who touched the Lord’s remnant touched the Lord himself (2:8). Jesus who became like us and knows our weaknesses (Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:15-16).  From Jesus himself who told Paul he was persecuting not just the Lord’s people but Jesus. Even now, I, we are so, so close to him that he bears it personally before the throne as our High Priest. Can he do any less since we are one with him in spirit? (1 Cor. 6:17).

We grieve at the brokenness of the world--the friend who repeatedly loses jobs and is in a tough situation, the cancer that ravages, old age dementia that steals our loved ones, tsunamis and wild fires, heart attacks, car accidents, in a world where there are more slaves today, child labor, abuse, the distended bellies of starving children with no recourse. We grieve. And our Lord? He who sees all, can we speak of him being joyful?

But yet, yet, he who bears all the sorrows is a joyful God for his joy was before pain and will last after the pain. His joy is more enduring. He is a joyful God (Neh. 8:10; Luke 15:7; John 15:11; John 17:13; Rom. 14:17; Rom. 15:13; Gal. 5:22; Jude 1:24; Heb. 12:2; etc.)

Because he sees the end, he is joyfilled.

Because he sees what he is even now weaving for good, he is joyfilled.

Because he bears our pain and sorrows even now, we can have joy. It is his joy in us, over us, that is our strength (Neh. 8:10), not primarily our (up-and-down, often wavering) joy in him, although that is true too. But our joy is only ever responsive, a fruit and not a work (Gal. 5:22; Psalm 4:7). He bears our pain, and gives us his joy. He so one with us that he takes our sorrows as Priest, and gives us the fruit of the Spirit.

I have no specific answer for your pain--but he is working for our joy.