Clay in the Hands

This Sunday we will wrap up our current sermon series entitled, Walking With God.  The topic for this Sunday is walking with joy.  So I have been giving a lot of thought and prayer to the subject of joy this week.

What brings us joy?  Do we even know how to describe it?  Most might describe joy as happiness.  We might think of things we obtain or positions we attain as bringing us joy.  We might think of the experience of holding a new born for the first time or meeting that special someone.

As we think of ways to define joy, different experiences begin to come to mind, but putting a clear definition into words is a bit difficult.

The classic definition of joy is “emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune.”  But when we look at how joy is used in the sacred text, we find a deeper nuance to the word.  As we study scripture, we begin to see joy as a compilation of the experience of security that comes by being known and loved by the creator coupled with the experience of confidence in God’s provision.

1 Peter 1:8-9 tells us that when we believe Jesus is who he says he is – really believe to the point of staking our lives on him – then we will receive joy that far surpasses descriptive definition.   This joy is a direct result of the realization that Jesus provides us with something we can never attain on our own – salvation.

So today, as you think about the things in life that bring you happiness, think also on the deeper experience of joy that can be yours in believing.

Be blessed today!