Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. [Psalm 97:11 (NLT)]
I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. [Psalm 9:2 (NLT)]
What makes us happy? Could it be a phone call from a good friend? Is it when we’ve made a profit in the stock market or received a large commission check? Are we pleased when our checkbook balances on the first attempt or when the accountant informs us that a large tax refund will be in the mail? Are we happy when someone sends us flowers or our child brings home a good report card? Does finding the ideal gift for our spouse’s birthday or receiving the perfect gift for ours give us happiness? Would we be happier if we could enjoy two weeks at a luxury resort or had a state-of-the-art home theatre or gourmet kitchen?
Happiness tends to depend on external circumstances. Joy, however, is something we can have regardless of what is occurring around us. We are made happy by something that happens to us. In contrast, we are filled with joy by something that happens in us: God’s love.
We’ve all known people who almost radiate with joy. They seem to light up a room when they enter it. When we analyze their lives, however, we often find situations that would surely bring us unhappiness. Their family might be in debt, the husband may be unemployed, or a child might be developmentally disabled. They may have a chronic illness or be in physical pain. In spite of their troubles, however, these people seem incredibly blessed—they’re so much at peace and so full of joy. Why? Because, true joy is not dependent on circumstances. It comes from a steady relationship with God. Whenever I get to know people who sparkle with joy, I discover that they are radiating the joy that comes from a relationship with God. When our lives are linked with God, they will be filled with joy, no matter what our condition may be.
Our God is so wonderfully good, and lovely, and blessed in every way that the mere fact of belonging to him is enough for an untellable fullness of joy! [Hannah Whitall Smith]
From today’s verse, you might think I’m going to say that God will never give us more than we can bear. That Christianese sentiment, however, comes from 1 Corinthians 10 and is about temptation, not difficulties and afflictions. The belief that God will never give us any burden or challenge we can’t bear puts the emphasis on us and our strength rather than where it should be—on God and His power! In 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote of being so burdened beyond his strength that he despaired of even living. Clearly, there will be times in our lives when we will be given far more than we can possibly bear by ourselves.
When I was a little girl, although I was allowed to roam freely throughout much of my residential neighborhood, I was not permitted to go as far as the business section several blocks west. I had some playmates, however, who were allowed more freedom. One day, in defiance of my mother, I walked to the grocery store with them. Once there, they dared me to steal a candy bar, something they apparently did frequently and successfully. As young as I was, I knew shop-lifting was wrong but the chocolate bar looked so delicious that I took the bait. Even though I saw the trap being set, I stepped right into it and stole the candy! On the walk back down our street, I ate the chocolate and, as I recall, it didn’t taste nearly as good as I thought it would. When I returned home, guilt-ridden and ashamed, I told my mother what I had done. She marched me right back to that store where I paid for the stolen candy bar with my weekly allowance.
Last Friday, a crazed young man attacked a Munich shopping mall and ten were left dead. A few days earlier, an ax-wielding teen on a rampage hacked at passengers on a German train and, less than two weeks ago, 84 people died in Nice, France, after a terrorist plowed a truck into a crowd of Bastille Day celebrants. My 16-year old granddaughter has been living in Germany the last three weeks and my first reaction to these horrendous incidents was to get her home so she could be safe here with us. Unfortunately, she would be no safer here than there. I’m sure families thought their loved ones were safe last month in that Orlando nightclub where 50 were killed and another 53 injured or when they walked into their classroom at Umpqua Community College last October and nine were carried out on stretchers while another nine were carried out in body bags. Parishioners had no reason to fear when attending a prayer meeting in Charleston last year until a man opened fire and killed nine of them. While writing this devotion, news just broke of bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan, that left 80 dead and 231 wounded. Mass acts of hate and terror are becoming ever more frequent and it both alarms and sickens me that these horrific events are beginning to seem commonplace to us.
Upon receiving an invitation from a business acquaintance to a “Celebrate Life” picnic, my first response was “Who died?” The words “It is just for fun!” along with the promise of pony rides, moonwalk, magician and games seemed rather odd for a Celebration of Life. That this was the 19th such picnic further confused me. Fortunately, accompanying the invitation was a brief note explaining that nineteen years ago his son had overcome serious health issues and every year since his family has gathered with friends and family to celebrate. Rather than celebrating the life of someone who died, they were celebrating that he lived!
Walking through the farmer’s market in a nearby town, I was surprised to look over and see a bright red banner saying “Prayer Station.” Curious, I walked over and introduced myself. Manning the station were two members of a small local church. People are there every Saturday morning, summer and winter, fair weather or foul, giving friendly greetings to passers-by. If someone stops, they offer a listening ear and prayers, if so desired. Prayer stations like theirs actually started in 2001 when Youth with a Mission (YWAM) established them around New York City following the September 11th attacks.
Devotions of the Heart 