Songs of Everlasting Joy
Isaiah 55:12 NIV
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
John 15:11 NASB
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Psalm 105:43-45 NKJV
He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, And they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws.
Isaiah 51:11 NLT
Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness.
Why in the world would we refuse and reject a God who does this for us? We are his chosen. He brought us our of captivity. He hold our life in his hands. And yet, we find ourselves downcast and fearful, lonely and adrift, anxious and angry.
God wants us to be joyful! He wants us to celebrate our status as his beloved, his chosen, his special creations -- so special he made us last of all his creations -- he saved the best for last. I think about man sometimes like a “renegade computer” or a “master race of robot” that overtakes mankind. They evolve to such a point that they have innate intelligence, and view mankind as so illogical and foolish, that they’re compelled to seize control.
God must feel great sorrow at our rejection of him as our master. He must weep when we stubbornly refuse to accept the perfect gift of his son. After all he’s done, we still don’t get that what he asks in return is so small in comparison. Obedience. Trust. That’s it! Easy? Not at all! But simple. Trust and Obey. Be joyful in our obedience and at peace in our trust. God will provide for us. He will protect us if we ask for his help. He will sustain us and makes a place for us in heaven with him. How can we not be joyful at that prospect?
Of course, life is full of stress and struggle. Very few people we encounter are joyful. In fact most of them are pretty unhappy and they want us to join them in their misery. Our joy is too uncomfortable for them! I have always had a tendency to be “negative.” I have allowed myself to get worked up over things that really don’t matter in the big scheme of things, but at the moment are terribly inconvenient. Someone’s thoughtlessness, another’s rudeness, and another’s lack of respect can send us on a rampage, if we allow ourselves to be seduced by self-pity and self-importance!
I started some time ago listening exclusively to Christian music in my car and at work. It helps me keep a positive attitude. I’ve developed a reputation as a “hummer” and it’s not a bad thing! I’ve worked places in the past where my humming was “distressing” to co-workers because they were in the “whoa is me” mindset. Someone else being joyful felt insulting to them. Sorry! Not! They didn’t “get it.” And it wasn’t always easy for me. But I remained joyful in the Lord through my intentional efforts to do so.
And in the job I have now, my co-workers are pleased that I am joyful -- as demonstrated by my humming -- even in the midst of the occasional chaos! Sometimes our testimony falls on deaf ears. Sometimes it is embraced. Regardless of how it is received, we must offer it. When we think of our amazing God, we cannot be silent for very long!
I hope today you hum your way through rush hour traffic, an “emergency” that developed over the weekend, grumpy coworkers, and sleepy family member’s protests about Monday mornings. And that you keep humming -- even when others look at you askance!
Mary
