“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” (Psalm 4:7)
There is something about this Psalm, this sudden exclamation of joy that David shares in the middle of his cry out to God that brings me great encouragement. It leads me to this same point of joy and adoration for God.
You LORD have given and continue to give me MORE JOY, more genuine peace, happiness, purposefulness than anything or anyone else! More joy than anyone else can comprehend! More joy than anyone else has ever been able to experience even when their “wine and grain” overflow.
For me, the beauty of this verse lies in the truth that nothing has to happen. Nothing has to happen to experience – to have this joy. It is a gift given by God. A gift much greater, much deeper than the temporary happiness caused by an abundance of wine or an overflow of fresh new grain. A gift incomparable to the temporary happiness and fleeting joy that comes with changing situations.
It is a reminder to us that as God’s children, His joy is always available. It is always available to us because it has been given by God. We already have it.
The struggle arises with realizing that we have joy. We have it. Even in the midst of less than ideal situations, joy is ours. God is The One who gives us this joy and it therefore cannot be taken away.
It’s hard to accept and believe this truth especially when we’re hit on all sides with one sorrow and hardship after another. Even in the last few weeks, I was there. A feeling of sorrow and “woe is me” hovered over me like a dark storm cloud. Out of nowhere it snuck up on me slowly and before I knew it it had invited all of it’s friends to come and join. It was to the point where I couldn’t even put my finger on or clearly describe what exactly was making me feel heavy, making me feel useless and discouraged. In my attempts to figure it out, to try and explain these sudden feelings, I began to point the finger at myself. I came up with different reasons that I was the one to blame for the sudden and overwhelming heaviness around me.
Been there?
For me, during the last few weeks, and several times before, forgetting the truth that God has already given me joy has really hindered my experience of it. I stumbled and tripped right into the trap of believing a lie, or rather forgetting the truth, forgetting the truth that I have joy.
I have joy even when everything around me isn’t prosperous or ideal. I have joy even in the midst of distress. I have joy.
JOY
noun the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying
As people set apart by God, for God, we can confidently proclaim that we have joy. We can proclaim this even in the midst of suffering because it is not circumstantial, it is a gift that has been given us by God – God who is love, God who is good, God who is unchanging.
Proclaiming the truth of this verse helps us get back to worshipping God. It helps us to set God ever before us, leading us to worship Him simply for who He is – worshipping Him for all that we know Him to be, all that we know of Him to be true as revealed in His Word and also in our personal experience of Him.
In the midst of struggles, in the midst of loss and pain, of worry, uncertainty and sadness – we have joy. In the midst of all of these things we can joyfully proclaim:
“I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.” (Psalm 16:8-9)
