THE PLEASURE FROM GOD’S PLEASURE

David said there is pleasure that comes from a life that brings pleasure to God.

“You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  (Psalm 16:11)

God means for us to have joy in Him.  The gladness of God should be reflected in our countenance and conversations.  Of all people on earth who ought to be rejoicing, it is those who have been shown the path of life.  It isn’t the sinner who is “living it up,” but the believer—at least we should be.

Three things then gladden us—God’s path, for it is true life; God’s presence, for it is full joy; God’s pleasures, for it is eternal favor.

We are further enjoined to:

“Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.”  (Ps.100:2)

The gladness of God has practical implications for the believer.  Our service for Him should be attended with gladness and not grudging.  Entering His presence requires a song—and not a dirge either!  In ancient times, it was punishable by death to be a servant attending a monarch with a sad countenance (Nehemiah 1 is an example).  How much more should we seek to serve the King of kings with a smile and a song!

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.”  (Deut.28:47-48)

Will we ever learn that God isn’t just after the outward action—although obedience is a must—He is looking at our heart.  The problem here is one of going through the motions without joy!  This is serious.  God brought discipline on Israel accordingly.  You can serve an oppressive enemy without joy—just doing it because you have to.  God would teach them that their attitude was no different by allowing them to do that very thing.  Had they chosen to serve God with a heart of gladness then they would have enjoyed blessing and not bondage.

Learn this: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  (Rom.14:17). Since God’s eternal kingdom is marked by joy, the church should manifest it today.  It was true in the first century and ought to be in the twenty-first.

Paul extolled how the Thessalonians had great joy.

“And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,” (1 Thess.1:6). Consider the pattern in the early church by studying Acts 2:46-47; 5:40-41; 16:22-25.

We have seen that Scripture knows nothing of a grumpy God—moody and morose!  He does grieve, but also is glad for He will be glorified in all things.  Paul was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10).  This is how God’s people are to be. Have you the joy of salvation?  Have you lost it like David did (Ps.51:12)?  It can be restored.  Why would we abandon God and His joy in us to pursue the things of this world that only leave us craving more?  That is like trying to satisfy your thirst by drinking salt water from the ocean—the more you take in, the thirstier you become. But, “In [God’s] presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

GOD’S REJOICING OVER US

God’s word for His people is not, “no,” but, “yes!”  His desire is not to express judgment, but joy.

Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.  (Jeremiah 32:41)

God’s rejoicing does not stop with emotion, but extends to action.  He delights to establish us in the place of blessing. All of His heart and soul—all His desire is directed toward us.  That is the Father’s heart for His children!

Jesus has joy in us and shares His joy with us.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11).”

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” (John 17:13)

Not only does the Father have joy and extends that joy to us, but so does the Son.  Jesus speaks of His joy.  He certainly was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief—but He was likewise a man of smiles and acquainted with gladness!  It is that same joy which Jesus wants to abide in us—a heavenly happiness which elevates our human happiness!

We cannot win the world to Christ if we are not winsome, and that is predicated on being a smiling saint and not a sourpuss!  Joy is evidence of regeneration by the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  (Gal.5:22-23a, emphasis added)

The Triune God is full of gladness as we see the Holy Spirit is the root of joy in the believer.  After love, isn’t it interesting to find that joy is the next virtue listed in this cluster of spiritual fruit?  Perhaps we have not placed as high a value on it as we ought!

Ultimately, heaven will be a place of boundless joy in the Lord. “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’” (Matt.25:23). As the old Gospel song, “Heaven’s Jubilee”, expresses it:

Some glad morning we shall see, Jesus in the air
Coming after you and me, joy is ours to share
What rejoicing there will be, when the saints shall rise
Headed for that jubilee, yonder in the skies

Oh what singing, oh what shouting
On that happy morning when we all shall rise
Oh what glory, Hallelujah
When we meet our blessed Savior in the skies

Seems that now I almost see, all the sainted dead
Rising for that jubilee, that is just ahead
In the twinkling of an eye, changed with them to be
All the living saints to fly, to that jubilee.

Oh what singing, oh what shouting
On that happy morning when we all shall rise
Oh what glory, Hallelujah
When we meet our blessed Savior in the skies

When with all that heavenly host, we begin to sing
Singing in the Holy Ghost, how the heavens will ring
Millions there will join the song, with them we shall be
Praising Christ through ages long, heaven's jubilee.

Oh what singing, oh what shouting
On that happy morning when we all shall rise
Oh what glory, Hallelujah
When we meet our blessed Savior in the skies
(Songwriters: A.M. Pace / G.T. Speer)

THE JOY OF THE LORD

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  (Neh.8:10b)

We can choose joy over sorrow.  Sorrow is a legitimate and powerful emotion, but is a response conditioned upon the circumstances.  There is plenty in this world to lead you to grieve—and it is alright to do so—for there are times even God grieves.  What we fail to do is move beyond that to see things through another lens—God’s perspective from eternity that can make us rejoice in all things for He is working all things for our good.

This joy we have is from the Lord Himself.  It is supernatural and has a strength to enable us to move forward whatever we face.  We know the paralysis and confusion that can descend upon us when sorrow falls like a fog.  It is in those seasons that the joy of the Lord can lift us up and lead us on.  It begins with an act of the will as we meditate on the truth of Scripture and rejoice in the Lord, expressing with our lips the truth that sets us free.

God gives joy after sorrow—following as spring comes after winter:

“To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”  (Isa.61:3)

The crying will be supplanted by consolation.  The ashen face will be replaced by a beautiful radiance.  The bowed head of mourning will be lifted up as it is anointed with the oil of joy.  The cloak of heaviness will be removed and the garment of praise worn instead—funeral clothes for festival attire.  Where we have bent as a tree buffeted by hurricane winds, our roots have only gone deeper—this is the root of the righteous—the planting of the Lord.  In all this God is glorified.  He is glorified in our gladness for it is the expression of His joy.

“I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying.” (Isa.65:19)

God finds reason to rejoice in us.  He has great joy in those whom He has justified.  We are not perfect, but we are His.  He delights in what He will do and sees us as the finished product!  This is why Jesus could look at Simon and call him “Peter”—the Rock!

Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning!  Sorrow is a product of living in a world ravaged by sin and death, but soon that tyranny ends and God wipes away all tears, heals all disease, bans all pain—what a day!  That promise gladdens our heart now with anticipation.  God sees what it will be and invites us to expectantly enjoy that hope!

GOD’S GLADNESS IN HIS PEOPLE

Zephaniah 3:17 ought to inspire us to rejoice in a God who rejoices in His people!

“The LORD your God in your midst” is the delight of God’s people in the presence of God with them.  There is no greater joy and no higher satisfaction than to be in communion with God.  It is for this we were made in His image, and this is what Adam and Eve enjoyed before sin disrupted the fellowship. It was that communion which God also found delight in and so has moved to restore it in Christ.  We want to be with those we love.  Separation from them by distance or death grieves us.  God loves us and wants to be with us, and nothing can separate us from His love if we desire it (Rom.8:35-39).

“The Mighty One, will save” means that the One with us is not just a loyal, sympathetic companion—though He is that—but, is mighty to save!  God delights in the deliverance of sinners into salvation and saints into consolation.  He not only is well-pleased to do so, but well able!  Think of Jesus and all He suffered on the cross to bring us redemption, yet Hebrews 12:2 says, “looking 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Jesus had joy despite His pain in accomplishing His mission.  This is the gladness of God toward us.  Salvation is the greatest provision for our greatest problem at the greatest price for the greatest purpose—the glory of God!

“He will rejoice over you with gladness” we are told. Is this not an amazing picture?  We can bring joy to the heart of God!  Not only is our delight found in Him, but He has pleasure in us!  John Piper has a trademark saying, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  Our glorifying Him brings forth gladness in God’s gracious heart.  Think about what we have already said of our coming to Him and His salvation of us and recall the story of the Prodigal Son—which would more appropriately be known as the parable of the Father’s Heart.  Remember how the father ran to meet the boy?  Recall their embrace and the rejoicing—along with the party that was prepared!  This is how God rejoices over us!

“He will quiet you with His love” means that when our mind is racing and our heart is in turmoil, God will give us peace.  His constant love will quiet us as when He spoke to the storm and said, “Peace; be still!”  The winds and waves had to obey Him.

“He will rejoice over you with singing.”  We know we should rejoice over the Lord with singing, but have we ever considered that God rejoices over us in song?  How astonishing—yet, it is true.  There is a song in God’s heart when He contemplates His children, and it issues forth in the most splendid voice when He rejoices over us!

This is God’s gladness in His people!

THE GLADNESS OF GOD

God is full of joy in all He does and wants us to be!  But, you would never know that from most sermons, studies, and songs.  Out of 13 books I used as resources for this series, only 1 has a section on the gladness of God.  The most important book on theology, however, is the Good Book—the Bible—and it says a lot about the gladness of God.  We find that God has delight in His children and wants us to delight in Him.

Consider what Zephaniah 3:17 says,

“The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.””
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I fear that, for most people, we picture God as all dour and sour—a perpetual scowl on His face. Do you think that God is flush with fury and never filled with joy?  How many paintings have you seen that portray Jesus with a smile?  Have we forgotten that the fruit of the Spirit includes joy?  Since we are made in His image and have the capacity for laughter, have we considered that God must as well?

This will be our focus in this week’s study. May God increase our pleasure in Him as we discover His pleasure in us!

SMART OR STUPID? GLADNESS OR GRIEF?

“The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Our children have the capacity to bring us great gladness or giant grief.  They are a source of happiness but can also be a source of heartbreak. The determining factor according to Solomon is whether the sons are smart or stupid.  By that, I don’t mean intellectual aptitude and educational achievement.  There are some morons with PHD’s and some geniuses who are post hole diggers. There is certainly nothing wrong with “book learning,” and mental acuity is wonderful.  Develop your mind as far as you are able for the glory of God who created you with a brain.  Use your head for something other than a hat rack!

Solomon, however, is speaking of the wisdom that comes from the Word—of spiritual capacity rooted in knowing God.  Remember that, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). So, wisdom is not so much about our mental capacity as our moral character. What we are spiritually affects every dimension of our life—our mind, will, and emotions are directed according to the Scriptures.

As parents are we discipling our children to know the Lord?  Are we helping them grow in their connection with the eternal One?  Such sons and daughters will gladden us.  Instead, we may focus on their classroom grades and ballfield trophies—preparing them for success in the world—but, if we fail to impart wisdom, leading them to be smart in the things of God, we will have stupid kids who will grieve us.  They may know many foreign languages, speaking them fluently, but not be conversant with eternity. They may get high marks in trigonometry, but flunk theology. They may make a fortune in business, but be spiritually bankrupt and morally impoverished.

Let’s get busy on teaching them Book work—the Good Book, that is.