Sometimes those words are used synonymously, but the difference is both enormous and vital. It’s been extremely special to see my students struggle through the distinction, first intellectually and now, slowly, in their decisions.
Happiness is so fleeting and usually based on temporal, circumstantial things.
Joy, however….Joy is rooted deep. Rooted securely. It is lasting and priceless, because the object of a Christian’s joy is so incredibly precious! Our deepest joy and satisfaction can come from no other thing than from giving glory to the Almighty God, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour! He alone can give us the refreshment we need and simultaneously receive the glory due His name!
This is why Paul could command us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4a).
Jeremiah condemns Judah’s sin and pleads with her to return to the Lord.
God was appalled at their waywardness:
My people have committed two sins:The irony is that the people didn’t have to draw water from broken cisterns.
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
They didn’t have to dig their own well.
In fact, they didn’t need to use cisterns at all!
They were invited to drink from the living fountain, the unending source of spiritual refreshment!
Now that is joy: following after God as the satisfaction of our souls, drinking deeply from God’s promises and knowing He is faithful.
God alone is the ultimate, refreshing, life-giving water – the source of eternal joy, for His praise and glory!
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep.
Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."John 4:11-14
2 comments:
Good thoughts. Glad to see such a great understanding about joy and happiness. Maybe a connection between God's amazing love for us and the joy that there is in that? May we always see joy in our lives.
Anne
Yes, Anne, there is joy in everything, really! So often we're blind to it, but there is even joy in suffering for Christ's sake! That is why I love the book of Philippians so much!
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