All my springs of joy are in you. Psalm 87:7
Going to New Zealand for our holiday, the country of my and my wife’s birth and also where the majority of our families reside is always a joy to experience. This last month was filled with joyful ‘family times’ and road trips to places we had not been to for many a year. The scenery again and again triggered exclamations of “wow” or “how majestic is that’ from our lips. All this added to the joy of being in New Zealand!
But you know what? Our earthly family, the beautiful scenery, our good health and any other good thing we can enjoy in this world, pails into insignificance compared to the joy that is found and sourced in the Lord our God.
The above text speaks of the source of real, and lasting joy. The Psalmist refers to the geographical location of Jerusalem, which epitomizes the source of real lasting joy that comes from God. In other words, Jerusalem the city of God is all about the presence of God later manifested in the person Jesus Christ. Jerusalem exemplifies His suffering, His cross work, His resurrection, His ascension, His coming again, His saving grace, His kingdom!
This is the source of real, lasting joy on earth. Being accepted into the presence of God as His redeemed children is a joy above all other joys! If our main source of joy is only gained from temporal, earthly pleasures as I have cited above, we have sadly missed out, big time.
As God’s children let us pursue the joy that is sourced from God in Christ alone.
Let us come with cleansed and repentant hearts “... to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem...” (Hebrews 12:22) so that real joy may capture our hearts like nothing else!