Inexpressible Joy

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith…” 1 Peter 1:8-9

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘joy’? Images of other people or the condition of your heart? So many people confuse happiness with joy and the two cannot be further apart. Joy is anchored and rooted while happiness is fickle and fleeting…joy is a permanent heart condition while happiness is the external pursuit of a moving target. ‘A joyful spirit is a powerful witness in the world. Joy is the inner state that results from knowing and serving God. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and should be evident regardless of the circumstances. Biblical joy is clearly different from earthly happiness. Joy is eternal, while happiness is temporal. Joy is based on confidence in Christ, while happiness is based on circumstances.’ Life Lessons from Women in the Bible, Rhonda Harrington Kelley, p. 82.

A person filled with joy is like that little child who embraces life as they feel safe and secure because of their parents. They don't have to worry about their provisions because that is not their responsibility. Happiness is like that teenager who chases their temporary emotions and desperately tries to snatch control away from their parents.  Peter gives us an idea of how to obtain true and lasting joy and its not complicated. We simply receive it since God is the one who places joy within us. When we cannot see Him in our circumstances, we are to still love Him knowing what He has done for us. When He seems absent and silent, we are still to believe in His promise that He will never leave us. When we turn to Him and draw near with our love, confidence and open heart He will fill us with joy that we cannot comprehend. How can we explain the joy within us as the season upon us is so discouraging? We can’t because our joy doesn’t come from us…it doesn’t make sense to us…it is given through Christ. Anything that is eternal is not of us, but rather for us imparted by the Holy Spirit.

Let God’s joy rule in your heart each day and you will experience peace that you cannot even explain. True joy is an inward expression of God’s presence.