Thankful, Day Sixty-Six

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Did you know there is a difference between happiness and joy?

Let me demonstrate. If big, red, Dodge trucks are your thing, and you get one, it makes you happy. You drive around town so happy in your big, red, Dodge truck and you just know everyone is looking at you, and you're happy about that too. You pull into a parking space at Wal-Mart and run inside for some wax to put a nice shine on your big, red, Dodge truck, and you don't mind paying for the really good stuff, because having a shiny, big, red Dodge truck makes you happy. You whistle as you walk back to your truck, and as you get close, you notice something. Someone has parked a shopping cart next to your driver's side door. You get a little closer, and you realize someone has rammed that shopping cart into your shiny, big, red Dodge truck, leaving a small dent, some chipped paint, and a scrape the size of Pennsylvania on your door! Who would do such a thing! And just like that, your happiness over your shiny, new, big, red Dodge truck has vanished over something that can be cosmetically covered with some red nail polish.

But if you have joy, a scrape in your paint doesn't bother you. It's just paint, and joy is the character of Jesus Christ being developed by the Holy Spirit within you as you live it out. In fact, if someone rammed you from behind and tore up the rear end of your shiny new big red Dodge truck, you'd still be okay because your joy is not invested in your toys. In fact, if you have joy, you don't even care about not having the shinynewbigreddodgepickup. You've got Jesus, and that's really all you need.

Happy is the result of favorable circumstance; joy is a fruit of knowing Christ. Happy is about giddy feelings and laughter; joy is about abiding peace and stability. If my heart is committed to Christ, if His Spirit is moving and living in me, then my joy overflows and does not depend what happens to me, for me, or around me. It is simply an outflow of the Holy Ghost!

That's why I can shout joyfully when things don't go my way. My joy is not in having my way; my joy is in knowing that I have Christ. I can shout joyfully in the midst of grief and pain, sorrow and affliction, lack and loss. I can shout joyfully when all the world around me rages. And why? Because God is on the throne, Jesus ever lives to make intercession for me, and the Holy Spirit has filled me up.

Thank you Jesus that the joy that comes from you gives me strength for every situation. When it seems like my heart is about to be overwhelmed, and my life overcome, all I have to do is turn my thoughts toward you and discover that in your presence there is fullness of joy, and pleasure at your right hand forevermore. Thank you for joy!

Thank you Jesus that you comfort me through the night of weeping and grief, but when the night is over, joy comes in the morning. I know from personal experience that doesn't have anything to do with the time of day, but rather the time of life. Sadness is going to come, and grief is sometimes necessary. But when the time for tears has passed, joy still abides!

Thank you Jesus that when I don't necessarily feel your joy, all I have to do to find it again is begin to rejoice. Your word says, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!" There is more joy to be had by the soul that is always rejoicing.

Thank you Jesus for joy!