“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)
Humanity has an obvious obsession with being happy. Our radio waves are filled with an unending supply of songs about being happy. Even our forefathers believed happiness to be so important that they declared all should be free to pursue it. But joy—that’s something different. Looking at the dictionary definitions one can see the differences are quite noteworthy.
Happy: delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing.
Joy: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.
Happiness is good. I love to be happy. I want those that I love to be happy. But joy—joy takes life to another level. It’s hard to be happy in a hospital room whether you are the one in the bed or the visitor holding their hand. It’s hard to be happy when you have lost your job, lost a loved one, or lost a marriage. But joy! Joy goes beyond happiness to satisfaction.
“I’m Just Sayin”, Happiness is a feeling, while joy is a state of being. Happiness enriches our lives, while joy strengthens our spirit. The joy of the Lord is so powerful that even the mere thought of it enables us to carry on. Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him.
When these words were penned, Jeremiah had every reason to feel defeated. Faithfully he preached, yet consistently, no one responded. How, in the midst of such barren times, did he persevere? The answer is found in the verse above. Not only did Jeremiah read God’s Word, he consumed it. Have you ever consumed God’s Word? We are told to meditate on the Word of God day and night, but this goes beyond reading to a deeper knowing and experiencing. We were created with a need to connect with our Creator. We have a natural appetite for His presence, His Word, and His love.
However, all too often we try to fill that hunger with an artificial substitute. Relationships, entertainment, work, and even social media are all ways that we can look to as a quick fix to fill that longing. And inevitably, when those things do not satisfy, we feel worse, and even emptier. But when you consume God’s Word, it fills you. It satisfies you. It brings you joy… despite the hardships and oppositions. Jeremiah experienced the joy of the Lord because God was showing him the path of life.
Think About It…
