the movie 'the pursuit of happiness' made me wonder are you as a Christian chasing this or is it fleeting and temporary?
or is the joy of being saved by Christ enough for you?
do you live life feeling societal pressure to be happy?
or you are content with knowing where we will be in the eternal?
do you think there is a difference between the two?
Here's a relevant portion of scripture:
1 Peter 1
3Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
A Christian can greatly rejoice or have joy unspeakable even in the midst of manifold temptations or fiery trials IF he or she keeps his or her focus upon the end of their faith, even the salvation of their soul. In other words, it's not so much the journey, but the hope pertaining to our final destination which produces joy within us. We see this same principle in the life of Christ.
Hebrews 12
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It was the joy that was set before him which helped Jesus to endure the cross. This joy had been prophesied or foretold of in the Old Testament.
Psalm 16
8I have set the LORD always before me: because
he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9Therefore
my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Peter quoted this Messianic psalm in relation to Jesus' resurrection from the dead in Acts 2:24-34. It was the fulness of joy at the Father's right hand which enabled Jesus' heart to be glad as he faced his crucifixion while hoping in his promised resurrection from the dead and ascendancy back to the Father's right hand. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, and we need to look to his example while enduring our own sufferings in this world, and while hoping in our own promised resurrections from the dead at Christ's second coming.
One of the most famous portions of scripture about joy in the Bible is this one, but I suspect that most people miss a very significant part of it.
Nehemiah 8
1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that
was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
2And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding,
upon the first day of the seventh month.
3And he read therein before the street that
was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people
were attentive unto the book of the law.
4And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah,
and Meshullam.
5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with
their faces to the ground.
7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people
stood in their place.
8So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused
them to understand the reading.
9And Nehemiah, which
is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people,
This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared:
for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry;
for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Who among us hasn't heard that the joy of the LORD is our strength?
Have we understood what day this was said on or in relation to?
It was the first day of the seventh month or the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24) which foreshadows the second coming of Christ when he shall return with the great sound of a trumpet to gather together his elect. This hope is where our joy and strength truly need to be found, and even in the midst of fiery trials.
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