The Source Of Our Joy by Kim Reisman

Scripture Focus:

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Years ago, my father received a handwritten note from The Broadmoore, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, one of America’s premier hotels. The writer lived in Indiana. Maybe he was on a business trip of vacation. Whatever the case, he was in a reflective mood and wanted to share with my father, even though they had never met. He identified himself and told his story.

Dear Dr. Dunnam,

A little more than two years ago, out of sheer desperation, I began a spiritual journey that has transformed my life. Some of your work, especially The Workbook of Living Prayer and The Workbook of Intercessory Prayer, have been vital guideposts along that journey.

My life was lost to alcohol and I was on the verge of losing my family, joy, money, and even my life. After a series of unsuccessful suicide attempts, God intervened through a number of agencies including AA and a rehabilitation center. As a result, I came to know God, then Jesus, and finally the Holy Spirit – not overnight, but slowly, surely.

I am enormously grateful to [God] for restoring my life and returning my family, health, joy, and showing me a way to live that I never thought possible.

What would cause a person like this, a stranger, to take the time to share his joy with someone he had never met? His was the “glorious, inexpressible joy” that Peter is talking about in our Scripture passage for this week. He was full of joy that he had to share because he was receiving the reward of trusting God – the salvation of his soul. (v.9)

The primary source of our joy is the fact of our salvation. Too few of us reflect enough on this fact. That might be one of the reasons our joy isn’t “full.” If we don’t know the joy of salvation, it may be that we haven’t dealt deeply enough with our sin. There’s a connection, even a parallel, between our sorrow for sin and our joy in the Holy Spirit.

In A Diary of Readings, John Baille quotes Blaise Pascal: “The knowledge of God without that of our wretchedness creates pride. The knowledge of our wretchedness without that of God creates despair. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the middle way, because in Him we find both God and our wretchedness.” [1]

That puts in perspective doesn’t it?

There’s a story in Luke’s Gospel (chapter 7) about a woman “who was a sinner” (some translations say an “immoral woman”) who crashed a dinner party where Simon, a wealthy Pharisee, was entertaining Jesus. It was a shocking interruption. Jesus was reclining on the floor cushions around the table and she stood behind him near his feet and began to weep. Her tears gushed forth uncontrollably – so much so that she began to bathe Jesus’ feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. It was an outrageous display in the eyes of the Pharisee and the others who were there. This woman of the street kept kissing Jesus’ feet and anointing them with costly ointment.

Simon thought to himself “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” (v.39) But it was quite the opposite. Jesus did know, so he confronted Simon.

He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love. (Luke 7:44-47, NLT)

This woman was full of joy and abandoned all reserve. She took the initiative in seeking Jesus out in a place where she was not invited or welcome. With the boldness of one who knew the depth of her sin and the extravagant extent of Jesus’ forgiveness, she poured out her love and gratitude.

As you pray and fast this week, reflect on the relationship between your sorrow for sin and your joy in the Holy Spirit. Is your salvation real enough to give you joy? I pray that it is! And I pray also that you would be empowered to share that joy with others.

[1] John Baille, A Diary of Readings, Day 37.