Happiness and Joy

I've been thinking about happiness and joy.  Josh Tovey, youth pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel, said in his message last Sunday that happiness is based on happenings or circumstances.  On the same morning he said that, our pastor told us just before we began our worship in music that four Lakewood police officers had been killed.  My husband and I live within 25 miles from where this occurred.  One of our congregants is a Pierce County Sheriff and works closely with the Lakewood Police Department.  My heart dropped at the announcement.  He probably knew all of the officers.  I began to think of the families and how they'd feel once they received the news.  If they were happy when the chaplain reached their doorstop, their happiness would immediately turn to mourning, based on their happenings or their circumstances.

Joy, on the other hand, is based on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Joy is based on knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can't have true joy unless we know Him.  I don't know if any of the family members of the slain officers are believers.  If they are, they have the ability to have joy, even in the midst of their circumstances, by keeping their minds on the Savior.

Three summers ago my mom, dad, and sister drove up from California for a quick visit and then my mom and dad were going to go on an Alaska cruise.  Just a few days into the cruise we received a phone call that Dad had had a heart attack on the ship.  They were close to Juneau and once they docked they would medivac Dad and my mom to Seattle.  He was in a coma and on life support.  There were tears here in Washington and in California where the rest of the family anxiously waited for more news.  My husband drove me and my sister up to Seattle.  My mom collapsed into my arms.  More tears.  The doctor told us Dad's kidneys had stopped functioning.  We were told he would never regain consciousness.  We needed to decide whether or not to keep him on life support.  My pastor came up and spent some time with us and prayed with us.  We made the decision to remove Dad from life support.  All the while my thoughts were on this...soon, Dad would be in the presence of the Lord.  How wonderful.  I had joy in my heart knowing this.  Within 24 hours after taking Dad off life support, he experienced the greatest day of his life.  He met the Lord Jesus face to face.  The family grieved with our loss here on this earth but mingled with our tears was joy knowing Dad was with the Savior.

While we were in California for Dad's memorial service, we received a call that our pastor's son-in-law had been shot and killed in Iraq.  I was really jarred this time, thinking of Hannah and the grief she was experiencing at the news of her husband.  She had had an army chaplain at her doorstep at 6 that morning.  I also thought of all of my pastor's family, and Gabe's family.  My daughter is one of Hannah's closest friends.  Tears yet again as we put Annie on a plane so she could be with Hannah.  Yet through the tears I had the same, joyful thought, Gabe has seen the Lord Jesus face to face.     

As the time draws closer to the return of Christ, we are going to hear more news like we received Sunday morning.  We live in a fallen world.  The Lord told us that before His return it will be like the days of Noah.  (Matthew 24:37)  In Genesis 6:5 the LORD saw at that time that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  God's elect are going to be hearing and most likely seeing time and time again of the death of a beloved saint.  Jesus said the persecution against His elect is going to be the greatest the earth has ever seen.  Each and every death will be precious to the Lord.     

Happiness is based on our circumstances.  Happiness waxes and wanes.  Joy can remain if we set our eyes, thoughts, and hearts continually on the Lord in the midst of our circumstances, no matter how bad they may get.  He came two thousand years ago and became sin for us.  He's the Wonderful Counselor.  He understands our struggles.  He's the Mighty God.  He intercedes for us.  He's the Everlasting Father.  He's coming again.  He's the Prince of Peace and when He returns He will set things right in this sin-encrusted world.  His reign during His millennial kingdom will be majestic and glorious.  He is sovereign and rules over all now.  In that we can take great comfort, in Him we can take great joy, always.