When I was little my mom taught me a song about joy. It goes like this:
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay. And I’m so happy. So very happy. I’ve got the love of Jesus, Down in my heart, Down in my heart. And I’m so happy, so very happy, I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
I loved singing this song as a little kid. We would use a deep, bass voice to sing the second “down in my heart” and we’d scream out the “Where?” Maybe you are familiar with this? If not, we need to connect so I can teach you this song! The song has more verses. One is about peace and then another about how if the devil didn’t like any of it, he could sit on a tack. What a nice, kind gentle punishment for the devil. I mean really, wouldn’t that be nice if that is all that satan did when he wasn’t happy about the joy, peace, love and happiness we experience from Jesus? Unfortunately, satan doesn’t settle for that little ole tack, he comes right at us trying to steal our joy.
Lately, it seems like satan has brought a non-stop, full court press to my family and some friends trying to rob us of our joy. The past week has especially been challenging, well really, can I just go with the year 2020 has offered its fair share of difficulties and hardships, too? But this past week, that’s what’s weighing on my heart. I’ve spent more time feeling physically bad than not. My Stills disease just doesn’t want to cooperate. I have had to mustard up all the energy I had to push through each day and struggled to sleep, as my nights were filled with debilitating pain. Day after day, night after night, this becomes frustrating and weariness sets in my soul. To go along with my physical struggles, I have friends and family dealing with heartache and disappointments. Jobs not panning out, relationships being tested, life and death decisions being made, empty nesters learning about the sound of silence, and these are just a few things they are battling. This week has been hard, and my heart physically hurts. In the midst of all of this, it became hard to find my happy and I had to dig deep for the joy. I found myself saying, My God is Sovereign, He is my Joy, My God is Sovereign.
Ironically, this past week I spoke with a group of wonderful women, about how through my Stills Disease, God taught me what it means to truly Be Still and Rest in Him while me being still in Jesus was put to the test! One of the truths I shared when speaking was about the importance of remembering God’s promises. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” When things are hard, it is critical that we have hidden God’s Words in our hearts. By knowing God’s promises, we are reminded of His faithfulness, which gives us hope. This act of remembering God’s promises made me think about the promise of the joy found in Jesus. Which then took me on the “if you give a mouse a cookie” trail and brought me to the memory of that childhood song I learned many moons ago. I’ve got the joy of Jesus deep down in my heart.
So what is joy? What does this simple, yet very deep, childhood song mean exactly?
Joy is different than happiness. Happiness is an emotion; an expression of our feelings and it fades, leaving us empty. But Joy, well, joy in Jesus, it is far richer and goes deeper than anything happiness can offer. Once we find the joy of Jesus, it cannot be stolen. It may be tested, but never taken away. Rick Warren defines joy as “the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” Romans 15:13 speaks about this joy, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” What this means is no matter what the circumstance, failing health, loss of finances, loss of a relationship, whatever the disappointment or hurt, as a believer in Christ Jesus, all my hope rest in Him and I can trust Him, who is Sovereign. Having joy in Jesus doesn’t exempt me from the hard things of this world, but it does promise me a hope that sustains me in the midst of suffering. It is in these difficult times; I find my joy in the hope that only Jesus offers.
My sweet friend, I don’t know where you are in your journey. My prayer is if you don’t know Jesus and the hope he offers, that you will. God offers this free gift to you, you just have to accept it. If you would like to know more how to do this, please reach out to me so I can share with you how to receive this gift. If you are a believer in Jesus, but your joy is under attack, may you find time to get still in Jesus and be reminded of His promises. May you find that joy, that is deep down in your heart and let it be a soothing balm that comforts your pain.
Last, I want to leave you with this song that I have recently been introduced to at my church. It is a reminder that Our God does not fail. May it bless you as it has me. He alone is our portion. He alone is our joy. He alone is our hope.
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