- Success Joy: Spiritual effectiveness is wonderful, “but primarily rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (pp Lk.10:17-20).
- Distress Joy: Times of great difficulty are coming, “nevertheless, I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (pp Hab. 3:18)
- Gospel Joy: “I pray they will have the full measure of my joy inside them.” (Jn.17:13)
Lord Jesus, thank you for the contrast in these two stories. In Luke 10, the 72 disciples revel in ministry success. Habakkuk the prophet laments Israel’s impending distress. The 72 disciples watched darkness flee and Habakkuk saw it coming. Both affirm you give a joy that transcends the best and worst of storylines. Hallelujah, and thank you.
Gospel-fueled, Spirit-generated joy transcends triumph and terror, bad news (Ps.112:17) and wonderful reports, “rupture and rapture.” It’s not destroyed when there’s no fruit on the vine (Hab.3:17-18); and it’s not tied to vast vineyards abounding with lush grapes. Though we wish our dance-worthy, happiness -generating days would always out-number our hard ones—that’s not what you told us to expect (John 16:33).
In our world and lifetime, we have trouble, but in you and by you we have peace. The peace you give best explains the joy you promise—for they are virtually synonymous. The greatest peace and joy come from knowing we belong to you, Jesus. All kinds of stories will be written into our lives on the way Home—many we’d never choose, and others that leave us giddy with gratitude.
But the main penmanship we rest in is the day Abba used the indelible ink of grace to write our names in heaven—into the Lamb’s book of life (Phil.4:3, Rev.3:5,13:8). This doesn’t just mean we go to heaven when we die; it means we are yours while we live! Honestly Jesus, we’d love a happy life; but more so we want the joy you won for us and pray for us So Very Amen.
