GraceFox

On Monday I wrote that my special word for 2012 is joy. Wouldn’t ya know it—that  word pops up nearly every time I open my Bible now.

JOY…….JOY…….JOY

I love it when God crystallizes the lessons He wants me to learn. And I enjoy processing those lessons by blogging about them. Writing about the nuggets He gives causes me to slow down and ponder, not merely skim and rush off likely forgetting everything I just read.

Because my word is joy, be prepared for lots of ponderings on that theme. This week, for instance, I realized my focus on joy revolves mostly around me: What brings me joy? What does God say brings joy? Am I prepared to learn joy in the hard places of life? But then I read a New Testament story that caused me to think about joy in a different light.

The story concerns Jesus’ baptism. The Scripture says, “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy’” (Matthew 3:16,17).

I linger on the words who brings me great joy. They captivate me as I think about their meaning. Imagine—Alpha and Omega, King of the universe, Creator of everything seen and unseen, the great I AM—experiencing joy, too. What was the source? Jesus, His only Son.

As a mother of three, I can relate to His feelings. Precious little brings me as much joy as my kids and grandkids—especially when we’re together sharing meals, playing games, enjoying good conversation—and knowing that they’re doing well in every way. Perhaps you can relate.

Now imagine the God of heaven experiencing similar joy. Why? Because we’re His children. Imagine Him smiling on us, taking pleasure in us, expressing delight in us. The thought warms my heart. So does Zephaniah 3:16,17—“Don’t be afraid! For the Lord God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

What brings God joy? We do. Let’s resolve to keep it that way. Let’s live in such a way that we bring a smile to His face and a song to His heart.