The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3
We all seek to find joy, thinking there is one perfect thing in our work, our recreation or our relationships that will finally complete our lives. In our search, we create hectic schedules, full of activities, dashing from one task to the next. Then, we collapse at the end of each day, fooling ourselves into thinking that a filled life is a fulfilled life.C. S. Lewis writes that each of us has a deep longing that we constantly search to fill. This "longing for joy" drives us all in unique ways throughout our lives. And because we are human, we try to fill it with earthly things.
So, after an education is finished, we get started on a career, thinking this will lead to fulfillment. Yet, after the career is established the longing is still there. Perhaps getting married and having children is the answer. Even surrounded by a new family, though joyous and challenging, that great void still remains deep within.
We have missed the point.
You see, there is no one point in life where we can claim that we have achieved happiness. The pursuit of accomplishments and achievements, while admirable, are sometimes misleading us along life’s journey. Being successful at work, on the athletic field, or in relationships cannot give us lasting joy. You can have all those things and still feel an empty longing.
At some point in your life you must realize that what you seek is not within you or your earthly grasp. In fact, nothing in our nature can fill this void. Eventually, you will arrive at a moment, however difficult, that you will finally see how weak and limited we are. And at that point in your life, it is easy to feel emotionally destitute; full of despair, frustration, anger, anxiety and loneliness. Even hope is gone.
Yet, it is in that moment – God arrives. Our heavenly Father speaks to us. And for the first time, we truly begin to see the power and majesty of Almighty God. We see how ourselves as we truly are and, consequently, how much we require the grace of the Lord Jesus and His cross.
We turn to God because we realize we have nowhere else to go.
Turning your face to Jesus, giving your heart to Him, floods you with joy. From the awful and empty depths, you begin to see the infinite majesty of God. Joy is a life that is renewed by knowing God up close. I promise it will take your breath away!
This great joy will force everything else out of your head and your heart. Because only when we turn from earthly things will we completely find God.
Today, consider what your life would be like if you truly put your faith in God. What would your life, your relationships, your job, your family be like if the foundation of you heart and mind was an indestructible joy? What would you do today if you knew God’s joyous victory was yours for the asking?
Today’s Prayer
