I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalms 16:8-9, 11 NKJV
I remember as a younger, small child, I felt pure joy as I sat on my father’s lap each Christmas Eve while he recited for me and my brothers from a picture book, “It was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. … …”. We all sat around the Christmas tree, intently listening, with its many gifts already brightly and beautifully displayed beneath. The Night Before Christmas pictured Santa as a handsome pudgy, jolly old “soul” with bright red cheeks. For sure, as the story told, he would provide us with gifted pleasures each year — forever, as long as we believed in him!
I was with my healthy family. The anticipation of the hope of opened Christmas morning presents and Christmas dinner filled the whole house along with my childish spirit. I hope you can relate to that innocent, childish feeling. It is a good one to remember! I was electrifyingly happy! I was ecstatically glad! I felt (or, so I thought) extremely JOYOUS! I had so many hopeful thoughts and so much hope! You can picture it all, while adding to this happy, peaceful scene my mother delightfully busy baking Christmas pies in the kitchen. The aroma of various holiday pies baking in the oven filled our home. It all appears so Norman Rockwell-ish, doesn’t it? It was! The long anticipated night to be enjoyed with a happy family, Santa, the tree, the presents, the spicy scent of pies baking, and a peaceful house had finally arrived. I just knew that we would enjoy a restful night’s sleep until happiness’s “pure joy” came in the morning.
Adult Joy
But then, time passes. We get older. Hopefully, we grow up! Where does our REAL JOY – REAL HOPE, REAL PEACE and REST come from after jolly old Santa and carefree, immediate family holidays are long gone? After we are older children and, hopefully, wiser adults? After we must likely face every night, morning, and day with competing responsibilities, missed opportunities, tough challenges, unexpected setbacks, relentless worries, and urgent problems? After our happiness has faded and evaporated due to these potentially menacing, daily experiences? Where do JOY, PEACE, HOPE, and REŚT come from when we’re no longer happy?
Outer Happiness / Inner Joy
From my first paragraph or right about now, you are likely wondering why I began this blog with a Christmas story in July. I, too, could think that’s kind of strange. It’s a segue, friends, to bring us a stark look into the difference between outer happiness and inner joy. You see, joy, pure joy, only comes from an internal source, while excited happiness only comes from the positivity of external circumstances. My Christmas story is an example of great outer happiness based upon my childhood experiences disguised as pure joy. It existed because of external circumstances celebrated by much of the world as a joyous time off from school or work and prolific gift exchanges around a brightly lit, colorfully decorated tree. And true, it was a good feeling at the time and remains a wonderful memory. But, that was only momentary happiness bringing fond memories that are only fleeting thoughts in reverie. The challenges of each day quickly erase beautiful past remembrances. On the other hand, the story of JOY (PURE JOY), HOPE, REST, AND PEACE is EVERLASTING and only comes from ONE SOURCE, JESUS CHRIST! The Story of Jesus Christ, the one and only ENDLESS SOURCE OF REAL, PURE JOY, comes from The Holy Bible as our CHRISTMAS SALVATION STORY.
The world adeptly attempts to impose on us with commerciality the idea of joy disguised as happiness’s pure rapturous holiday bliss that quickly fades when the sparkling lights come down. Friends, Jesus never fades, never lets us down, and never fails to light up our lives and the world with hope, peace, rest, and eternal everlasting joy. JESUS IS our eternal salvation story of blissful PURE JOY! When we receive JESUS as our SAVIOR, He, only He, is our INTERNAL SOURCE of EVERLASTING JOY through all unhappy circumstances.
Everlasting Joy!
Friends, joy cannot be created by us, purchased by us, or given to others by us. It cannot be received from others to us at fleeting merry moments. Unlike Christmas trees and bright, colorful decorations that come down at Christmas’ end, joy never comes down. Joy never fails to light up our nights, mornings, and days. Joy never dissipates or evaporates like opened Christmas gifts from under the now darkened and undressed holiday tree. Joy is always with us, no matter what! Joy in Jesus Christ’s everlasting, blissful peace, hope, and rest resides in an internal source of belief in Him as our Savior — our daily deep and unending well of glee and delight! Jesus is our mountaintop experience even when we face the valleys of everyday life. JESUS is PURE JOY! He, alone, saves us from every spiritual worldly attack! He, alone paid the price when crucified on the Cross and gave us our gift of eternal joy through salvation. Belief in JESUS, alone, brings PURE JOY even though unhappiness looms with each new moment!
If you haven’t read Jesus’ story, dear friends, please do so now. Pick up the Holy Bible and see how HIS STORY and REAL JOY, HOPE, PEACE, and REST can be yours!