Real Hope: JOYSýnishorn

Joy in a Good God

When I was growing up, I remember singing this song in church:

“He turned my mourning into dancing

He turned my sorrow into joy

A song of praise instead of sadness

and for my grief the oil of joy”

I didn’t notice back then that “joy” was rhymed with “joy”. Now that I’m all grown up, I’m so glad that it is. Joy is the gift that reminds me that God is good – all the time. We see joy all through the Bible. In Galatians 5:22, it tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…”. Joy is the second in the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy is declared in Israel in 1 Chronicles 12. The psalms are filled with its mention. Over four hundred times through scripture, joy and rejoicing are spoken of. There’s something deep-seated, immovable, and lasting about joy. It’s not determined by circumstance, opinion, or political persuasion.

To me, joy is one of those “holy“ parts of being a follower of Jesus that truly sets us apart. It’s trite to say, and we all know it, that being Christian doesn’t relieve us from the pain of the world. We face the same struggles, the same questions, the same fears. We’re not spared pain, trauma, or loss. As the song says, we’re not spared the mourning, the sorrow, or the sadness. Following Jesus isn’t a get-out-of-life free pass.

What makes God so good though is that even in the struggles, the questions, the fears, the pain, the trauma, and the loss, we can find Him; and where we find Him we can find joy. His joy turns our sorrow into joy. It is secure, anchored to His love, which is unfailing.

Written by SUSIE HOLT