A WORD IN SEASON TO THE WEARY

December 19🌷🌷

“…joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8)

In 1 Peter 1:8, the apostle Peter speaks of joy which is unspeakable and full of glory. This joy cannot be expressed suitably by word or song. No earthly language can express this joy. Though we may not speak much, yet in our hearts there is a peculiar joy which makes us feel that we are in heaven. The God of grace gives us this joy as a gift. It is wonderful and unspeakable and it never leaves us.

This joy does not depend upon earthly factors like eating and drinking. It is a spiritual joy which comes into us through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink: but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom.14: 17). For some people their joy depends upon good food. Their joy is occasional and temporary. But the joy of the Lord can be enjoyed even during drought or famine or hunger. I can say by experience that, though I had to starve for many days, I found no murmuring or discontentment in my heart. I had a peculiar joy within me, with which earthly factors cannot interfere.

We should exercise our inner life to see whether we have really received that heavenly joy. We should not deceive ourselves. When any one goes for shopping usually he thoroughly examines the things he intends to purchase, and in spite of it, many such people are deceived. In 2 Cor. 11: 13 we read how the devil can deceive us. He can make us feel that we have the joy of the Lord even when we actually do not have it. The devil can make an imitation appear as very real.

It is good and safe to examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word, and make sure that the joy we have, is really the joy of the Lord.