“Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.” (Ne 12:43 AV)
God did not make them rejoice by giving them an overwhelming emotion of joy. Joy came because of something God did. Israel had been through very deep waters. Waters of their own making. They neglected the sabbaths for over 400 years and because they did, God chastened them for 70 years. Most of the older generation that had gone after the sins of the heathen around them died off in captivity. No doubt, they put into the hearts of their children a deep desire for the good old days of waking with God in obedience and faith. It took relocation and slavery to humble them. It took returning to the land of Israel and seeing its condition to realize just how far they had fallen. God was good to them and brought them back. He gave leaders who led them to rebuild the temple and repair the city walls. It wasn’t the glory of the past, but it was a lot better than life had been. Until Christ returns, Israel will never be like it was. Yet, God can still bring joy. It all depends on what we value and what we can see. Our source of joy is always God. In one way or another, God is attempting to bring joy.
There are a few times in my life the joy I experienced was off the charts. The day of my salvation was awesome. My wedding day was awesome. The birth of my children was an unspeakable joy. The moment I saw my first grandchild was a day I will never forget. There was the time God allowed me to win my first soul to Christ. Or, the first time I was allowed to baptize a new believer. It happened to be my own son. These are all blessings from God that brought great joy. There were other times when joy was the emotion, but it didn’t last long. There was the morning I shot my first turkey. It took about five years of practice and many disappointments until that wonderful morning I bagged my first. It was the second largest taken in the state that year. Then there was the historic comeback playoff game between Buffalo and Houston. Buffalo was down thirty-five points at the half and came back to win it. There was the 1984 Winter Olympics when the USA beat Russia. My hometown went nuts. People were waving their flags outside their windows and whooping it up. The aforementioned events were spiritual in nature. They are lasting. For all of eternity, I will be able to enjoy the blessings God has given. But for the things of this world, they do not last long. Buffalo will never win a Superbowl. The USA will seldom win the gold. I am too old to turkey hunt or go on a two-week high-adventure fishing trip.
Paul tells us to rejoice evermore. If non-stop joy is commanded by God, then God will supply the means by which that is possible. God gave Israel what it needed. God supplies all our needs in Christ Jesus. Our problem is perception. There is always something for which we can rejoice. God is a great God; full of mercy and goodness. He cares for us in ways we will never comprehend. If we are not joy-filled saints, our problem lies with us. We are either walking in sin or we are blind to the goodness of God. Either we are far from the love of God, or we are so overwhelmed we cannot see what God is doing. Either we have neglected our relationship with God, or we simply do not have enough faith to believe that God is being gracious to us every moment of every day. God caused them to rejoice. He can do the same for you.
P.S. I have this $20 gift card burning a hole in my pocket. I really want to give it away. If you can convince the most folks to become a follower of this blog, you could win that card. Just have them mention you in a comment. The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
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