My Incomplete Joy

One of the more comforting things God has pointed me to in the past year is the joy in knowing that I do not need to rely on my joy. As believers, our chief end in being created beings (in simply existing) is to glory in our God, to joy in our Savior, to enjoy God and His holy glory.

In practice, however, I find that my joy wavers over time. I have days when my joy in God is full and overflowing, but I also see times when I know and agree with the idea of having joy in God yet my heart is not fully exercising it or expressive in it. That can be quite saddening when we think of how much God has loved us and to then see how little I am joyful for it. It's why I was created: to worship God. And as a believer that worship springs higher by our enjoying of God.

But what is abundantly comforting is that our joy will not ultimately come from us. To that I am thankful, because my heart is naturally wicked and un-joyful in God. My joy is weak and has a very limited scope of knowledge with which to gain a greater foundation to be joyful in and about. My joy is tainted and effected wrongly by my fleshly emotions and feelings. My joy seeks it's own rather than seeking it's true deserved recipient: God. My joy can be strong or weak rather than full.... which is where my friend Jesus changes all of that.

In John 15:1-11 Jesus says something. The passage is familiar. Jesus is speaking about Himself as the vine, the Father as the vinedresser, and we as the branches. He ends the paragraph as so:

"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." (John 15:11)

I so very often walk past many things in scripture, but thanks be to God who enlightened my ears to hear what a dear pastor spoke from this passage last year. Jesus said "that My joy may be in you." That is greatly comforting to a sinner who, although saved by grace, has an incomplete and weak joy.

I know that in my present walk with my Lord, as well as the coming walk face to face, I need not rely on my joy to muster up its strength to be enough for God. I can't do that. It's impossible. I need only see and rely on the joy that my Christ has given and is giving me. It's similar to His righteousness: I can't produce, yet I so need it. I need to joy in my God, but my own joy isn't enough to satisfy. That's when this verse causes my heart to lift above the limits I have ever past experienced! To know that I need not rely on my joy. Christ has a sufficient joy for me. Joy that will be full.

Thanks be to our amazing God!