Joy! Music of the Soul

Have you ever heard a song that just made you want to dance, to smile, to share it with everyone around you?  You want to learn how to play it on an instrument?  You sing it all day long over and over again? A song that just runs through your mind and heart all day, all week, all month? I happen to love music. It is an amazing way to communicate, to edify.  It is also a great way to speak with more than just words and to speak to more than just the brain but to the heart.  My old roommate had a picture that I think summed it up so well, it said, when words fail music speaks.


Lately I have been thinking about the concept of joy.  The first reason is because my friend Mical had a post about it on her blog.  You should read it, it is great! funandfaithful.blogspot.com  The other reason is that I heard a sermon recently about joy.  I had never really given joy much of a thought before to be honest.   Not only that but is there much joy in this life?  Life is hard, and bad things happen all the time.  Most of the time things out of my control.  I guess I always figured joy is for the other side of eternity.  For Heaven.  I never really thought of joy as being essential to our faith.  Boy, I do now!  First of all, what is joy?  Well a couple dictionary definitions:


Joy


   1. the emotion evoked of well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one
       desires
   2. a state of happiness or felicity
   3. a source or cause of delight


Hmmm, this is joy?  So, it comes from our circumstances, from possessions, from outside means? Therefore, all I have to do is go out and make my circumstances the best they can be and get all the stuff I can buy.  Basically, I should live the American dream.  Really? That's it, are you sure Mr. Webster? I am confused, because you see the people I am around aren't very joyous people.  In fact, think about when we ask people how they are.  Most responses are, "I'm doing okay."  "Another day, another dollar."  "Well, I'm here."  "Can't complain too much."  "It could be worse."  Does it sound to you like these people are full of joy?  It sure doesn't to me.  Okay, so lets try another definition, look at the last definition, a source or cause of delight.  What is delight?  Another definition:


Delight


    1. a high degree of gratification, extreme satisfaction
    2. something that gives great pleasure.          


Okay, that's a little better.  Yet, I still feel that we are missing something. Where does this come from?  I like the definition of delight better because it doesn't qualify it with material things.  Now lets look at some synonyms from the thesaurus:


       Bliss, cheer, comfort, delight, ecstasy, elation, exultation, gladness,
       glee, good humor, gratification, hilarity, humor, merriment, mirth,
       pride, rapture, refreshment, rejoicing, revelry, satisfaction, solace,
       treasure, treat, wonder
     
After a quick search on Bible Gateway, I found that the word joy is mentioned a lot in the Bible.  Just in Psalms it is mentioned 57 times!  I thought that was a bunch, but I know that the Psalms also deals with emotions so I wanted to check the opposite.  I searched for sorrow, in the Psalms it is mentioned 7 times.  50 times less than joy.  Well I thought lets try some other words, grief is mentioned a whole 8 times and woe is mentioned a whole 3 times.  Okay let me get this straight, joy is mentioned 57 times and sorrow, woe and grief are mentioned a grand total of 18 times?  Oh, and I forgot to mention that delight is mentioned 29 times.  There is something to be learned here.  But what?



First let's take a look at where joy really hit me.  Ever since I can remember I remember hearing Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."  That is a very powerful verse, but I think it is robbed of some of its power without a little more context.  You see, in Philippians there is a context and a feeling of joy and camaraderie with the church in Philippi.  First off, when Paul is writing this he is in prison in Rome.  You would think that this would be a letter talking about how bad Paul has it and how he wishes God would deliver him.  Not so, you see Paul has been here before, multiple times.  He knows from experience that God is good and that there is peace and joy in Christ.  In the passage we are going to look at here he is talking about the help that he has received from the church in Philippi.  Here is Paul's take from his experience,


  Philippians 4:10-13
     "I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.
      Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no oppurtunity to show it. I am not
      saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the
      circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
      I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed
      or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who
      gives me strength."


So, first we have to be content.  Oh wow, that is a hard one, I am not very content most of the time.  That is hard.  But that is the first step to joy, being content no matter the circumstances.  But how can we do this?  Let's look at some of those Psalms that mentions joy.


Psalm 19:8
   "The precepts of the LORD are right, 
    giving joy to the heart. 
    The commands of the LORD are radiant, 
    giving light to the eyes."
Psalm 67:4
    "May the nations be glad and sing for joy, 
     for you rule the peoples with equity 
     and guide the nations of the earth."

First, we serve a just God. So we can have joy that any wrongs will be dealt with by God.  They will be righted and we can forgive those who hurt us and forget our bad circumstances because God will make them right.  Also, we have a ruler who takes care of us, but even more than a ruler, a loving Father who sets out rules to protect us and guide us through a treacherous life.

Psalm 28:7

   "The LORD is my strength and my shield; 

   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. 
   My heart leaps for joy, 
   and with my song I praise him."

 Psalm 30:11-12

    "You turned my wailing into dancing; 

      you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 
       that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. 
      LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

Next, we find it in relationship with our heavenly Father.  We must be close to him in order to receive contentment and joy.  

  Psalm 51:12

    " Restore to me the joy of your salvation 

      and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

In our salvation, this is a big one.  As we go through our lives here on earth we tend to forget about that joy and excitement that we had when we first came to know Christ.  Think about it when you were first saved you wanted to tell everyone you know about it, you wanted to save the world for Christ.  Then that enthusiasm slowly faded.  At least, that has been my experience.  I have forgotten way too easily and too often the amazing gift I have been given.  

   Acts 13:49-52    

       "The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish 

         leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading

         men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, 

         and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet

         as a warning to them and went to Iconium.  And the disciples were filled 

         with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

   Romans 15:13

         "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so

          that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  

The Holy Spirit give it to us.  When the Holy Spirit indwells in us he can speak to us in those dark hours and give us peace, contentment and joy.

After all this then this scripture can make sense:

     James 1:2

         "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of 

          many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces 

          perseverance."   

We can have contentment in all situations, which leads to joy, solely because of God's work in our lives.  It is like a deep music running through our souls.  It thrums through our hearts and creates a harmony so beautiful that our heart cannot contain it.  It overflows until it shows on our face, it is apparent in our reaction to circumstances good or bad.  It shows when we rejoice when we lose our job, break up with our boyfriend or girlfriend, when we have nothing or have everything.  That is just it, isn't it my friends we do have everything so it is hard to see just how blessed we are and how amazing, truly amazing it is that we can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe and that he loved us so much that he sent his only son to die on a cross and rise from the dead to save us from our everlasting death. 

How do we forget that?  Better yet, how do I forget that?  You see all too often I forget that we have an enemy, a very dangerous enemy who is so scared of us living in our joy.  Why?  Because, joy is powerful to a world that has none.  Joy is light to a dark world.  Joy can change everything and will if we allow it to.  So be on guard, protect yourselves because Satan wants to take your joy and he has become very successful in doing just that.  I encourage you to let that soul music overflow.  Let it move you so you dance in the streets like David.  Be so joyful that the people around you think you are crazy, so crazy that you might be the only sane one around.  Live in the joy of your salvation.  You were sentenced to death and were saved.  Do you hear it? Soul music is playing, let your instrument be added to it!