Friday, July 15, 2016

Joyful, Joyful! We Adore Thee

Joy.
One word. 
Joy. 

So small, so seemingly insignificant, and yet it is one of the most sought after things in life. People look for joy in so many different things. They look for joy in so many different ways. People don't want joy alone, they want real, lasting joy that stays with them. 

Many things in this life try to steal our joy. We often get so caught up in the things around us, good or bad, that make up our day that we forget to stop and take joy in what we have. We try to create our own joy in life, only to fail over and over again as we place that joy in something unstable or changeable.

One hymn speaks to the topic of joy well. A hymn that has been sung, arranged, and performed in many different aspects and venues through the years. That hymn is Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.

This week, our choir will be singing a modern arrangement of the hymn by Bernie Herms and Mark Hall. This arrangement is one of my favorites because it blends the modern and the traditional so seamlessly. There are still elements of the original music that are adorned with a contemporary flair. 

Written by Henry van Dyke in 1907, this hymn uses a very fitting piece of music-Ode to Joy from Ludwig von Beethoven's 9th Symphony. The words of this hymn express joy that can be found in God, His creation, and in the salvation we can have through Christ! 

We find our joy in God who alone deserves the glory and honor due His name. He is an unchangeable "well-spring of joy" as is reflected in a line from the 3rd verse of this hymn. Our hearts unfold like flowers-He opens our hearts to Him! Just as a flower will open to the morning sun, we too can experience joy as our hearts open to the SON! 

We have our true joy in Christ and in salvation alone. Joy is one of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. It is a product of a changed life within. The Fruits of the Spirit are listed in contrast to the works of the flesh. The joy we try to manufacture in our own life does not last because only the Spirit can give true joy. We try to have joy through the works of the flesh apart from Christ, but those who are apart from Him are unable to experience the joy that only he can give. As Christians, we should not try to get joy through the unprofitable works of the flesh any more. 

Galatians 5 goes on to say in verse 24-25:
                                          And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh
                                          with the affections and lusts.
                                          If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk
                                          in the Spirit.

Our lives should no longer be caught up in trying to find joy in what the world says we should find our joy in. Our joy is now in Christ and is a product of our salvation and the Spirit within!

1 Peter 1:8 says:
                                          Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
                                          though now ye see him not, yet believing, 
                                          ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory
                                          Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation 
                                          of your souls.

We can have real joy through knowing and having a personal relationship with Christ! We can experience a joy that will never leave. A joy that won't fade when trials come. A joy that won't be built on the unstable foundations of this world. May this week, you find your joy in the LORD! May you come to know Him if you have not. May you put aside seeking to find joy in this world and find it only in Christ who is our salvation.

Psalm 71:23: My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you.

You can listen to a traditional arrangement here.

Or, if you prefer, you can listen to the modern arrangement here.



No comments:

Post a Comment