Where Does Our Joy Come From?
"You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound." - Psalm 4:7
We used to sing a song as kids about having joy, joy, joy down in our hearts. The Psalmist coined the term. David here is in the midst of being surrounded by his enemies and disgruntled followers and somehow he has joy in his heart.
Too often when I evaluate my own heart, I don't see the same thing that David sees. When I'm surrounded by enemies, I often feel fear and anxiety. When I'm dealing with discontented followers I might see within myself disappointment and sadness. The problem is where I am trying to find my joy.
When we try to find our joy in our circumstances, we will typically only find disappointment. Circumstances change like the shifting sand. They are not stable. When I look at my circumstances for joy, I'm building my house upon the sand. It won't stand.
The key to finding true joy is to look to Jesus. When I find my joy in God, then it doesn't matter what my circumstances are, how many material possessions I have, or whether or not people like me. My joy is found in someone that is unmovable. My joy is found in God.
David says that God has put more joy in his heart than anything else. He compares it to the abundance of grain and wine. In other words, more than meeting his needs and desires. The grain here represents his needs. We all need food to live. The wine represents his desires. When wine abounds, the people's hearts are glad. But David says, even during abundance, my joy is not found in these things, it's found in you.
Prayer - Father, help me to find my joy in you. Too often I'm looking for joy in the wrong place. Tune my heart to the rhythm of your love for me and let me find joy in that place. Amen.
We used to sing a song as kids about having joy, joy, joy down in our hearts. The Psalmist coined the term. David here is in the midst of being surrounded by his enemies and disgruntled followers and somehow he has joy in his heart.
Too often when I evaluate my own heart, I don't see the same thing that David sees. When I'm surrounded by enemies, I often feel fear and anxiety. When I'm dealing with discontented followers I might see within myself disappointment and sadness. The problem is where I am trying to find my joy.
When we try to find our joy in our circumstances, we will typically only find disappointment. Circumstances change like the shifting sand. They are not stable. When I look at my circumstances for joy, I'm building my house upon the sand. It won't stand.
The key to finding true joy is to look to Jesus. When I find my joy in God, then it doesn't matter what my circumstances are, how many material possessions I have, or whether or not people like me. My joy is found in someone that is unmovable. My joy is found in God.
David says that God has put more joy in his heart than anything else. He compares it to the abundance of grain and wine. In other words, more than meeting his needs and desires. The grain here represents his needs. We all need food to live. The wine represents his desires. When wine abounds, the people's hearts are glad. But David says, even during abundance, my joy is not found in these things, it's found in you.
Prayer - Father, help me to find my joy in you. Too often I'm looking for joy in the wrong place. Tune my heart to the rhythm of your love for me and let me find joy in that place. Amen.
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