A Joy That Abides

John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

As a kid, my Sunday services at the Lutheran Church were highly liturgical (following a set pattern of prayers, readings, and traditions). Most Sundays, I could sit there, my mind wandering to far-off places, while I repeated all the prayers, verses, and responses from memory alone. Most Sundays, I had no idea what I was really saying—I just said it. Most Sundays, I counted down the minutes until the service was over so I could run down to the church basement and get a cookie.

Many, many Sundays later, now attending a Presbyterian church, I have come to appreciate the predictability of the liturgy I once recited—but even more, I have come to appreciate the armor it provided. Much of it I have forgotten, but one piece in particular has fed my faith on my most challenging days. It echoes with great force.

During our time of repentance and confession, we would recite a hymn, Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God, based on Psalm 51. It reads:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence;
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

That second-to-last line is where my mind goes on my toughest days: “Restore unto me the JOY of Thy salvation.” Oh, what assurance it brings. And yes, Lord, restore it unto us.

If our eyes are forever focused on eternity and all that is to come, it will render us joyful in a way that nothing on this earth ever could. We may be happy and even feel glimpses of joy, but happiness and joy fade when they are based on things that are temporary. And friend, it, we, they—all of it—is temporary. So let those sweet words settle in your soul today—that God, your God, wants to and will restore unto you the joy that is an eternity in paradise with a King whose love knows no bounds. It’s actually the exact purpose for which you were made.

Friend, no matter what you are facing today, you can find joy with the help of Jesus—the joy of Thy salvation.

Thought question: How can you share your joy with someone else today?

Our Father, create a clean heart in us. When life is hard, when things seem pointless, draw us near and point us toward home. Let our joy flow like a river, Lord. Let our joy revive this world and renew hearts.