Joy in Christian preaching is the deep, abiding gladness rooted in God's presence and grace, distinct from fleeting worldly happiness. It often contrasts the noisy, shallow joy of the sinner with the steady, sustaining joy of believers, even amid trials or martyrdom. Illustrations frequently use images of light, music, and overflowing abundance to depict joy's spiritual vitality and influence (Nehemiah 8:10, James 1:2-3).
Laughter is a divine gift worthy of heartfelt thanksgiving.
It is said that Dr. Theodore Cuyler and Mr. Spurgeon were once out in the fields enjoying God's sunshine and the beauties of nature. Dr. Cuyler told a story at which Mr. Spurgeon laughed until his sides shook. Suddenly Mr. Spurgeon said, "Theodore, let's get down on our knees and thank God for laughter." And these two happy Christian preachers knelt in the field and thanked God for His great gift of laughter.
A boy explained his need to be noisy and active to avoid bursting inside.
James was a happy playful, noisy boy. He delighted in that kind of sport which made the most stir, and resulted in some kind of demonstration. One day, his mother lost all her patience, and cried out, "James, stop your noise, and sit down quietly for the next hour, or I will punish you."—"Why, mother," said he, "I can't keep still. I'll burst right open. I know I would, if I couldn't run and laugh, and get the noise out of me."
Selfishly hoarding joy leads to loss, while generosity increases joy abundantly.
He who selfishly boards his joys, thinking thus to increase them, is like a man who looks at his granary, and says, "Not only will I protect my grain from mice and birds, but neither the ground nor the mill shall have it." And so, in the spring, he walks around his little pit of corn, and exclaims, "How wasteful are my neighbors, throwing away whole handfuls of grain!" But autumn comes; and, while he has only his few poor bushels, their fields are yellow with an abundant harvest. "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth." Beecher.
Joy shines brightest in believers, drawing others even through sorrow.
Christians, it is your duty not only to be good, but to shine; and, of all the lights which you kindle on the face, joy will reach farthest out to sea, where troubled mariners are seeking the shore. Even in your deepest griefs, rejoice in God. As waves phosphoresce, let joys flash from the swing of the sorrows of your souls. Beecher.
Without joy, life and service are out of tune and ineffective.
What is our life without joy? Without joy, we can do nothing: we are like an instrument out of tune. An instrument out of tune—it yields but harsh music. Without joy, we are a member out of joint. We can do nothing well without joy and a good conscience, which is the ground of joy. Sibbes.
True joy and peace can be found even in the face of martyrdom.
John Bradford in Newgate is to be burned the next morning in Smithfield; and he swings himself on the bedpost in very glee, and delights, for to-morrow is his wedding-day. And he says to another, "Fine shining we shall make to-morrow when the flame is kindled." And he smiles and laughs, and enjoys the very thought that he is about to wear the blood-red crown of martyrdom. Is Bradford mad? Ah, no! but he has got the peace of God that passeth all understanding. Spurgeon.
Steady, moderate joy sustains life better than intense, fleeting excitement.
We ought not to seek too high joys. We may be bright without transfiguration. The even flow of constant cheerfulness strengthens; while great excitements, driving us with fierce speed, both rack the ship, and end often in explosions. If we were just ready to break out of the body with delight, I know not but we should disdain many things important to be done. Low measures of feeling are better than eestasies for ordinary life. God sends his rains in gentle drops, else flowers would be beaten to pieces.
— Beecher
Joy is love delighting in its own happiness without fear of loss.
Joy is the happiness of love; it is love exulting; it is love aware of its own felicity, and rioting in riches which it has no fear of exhausting; it is love taking a look of its treasure, and surrendering itself to bliss without foreboding. Dr. J. Hamilton.
God rejoices over sinners who repent and return to faith.
As a husbandman delights much in that ground, that, after long barrenness, becomes fruitful; as a captain loves that soldier that once fled away cowardly, and afterwards returns valiantly: even so God is wonderfully enamored with a sinner, that, having once made shipwreck of a good conscience, yet at last returns, and swims to heaven upon the plank of faith and repentance.
— Spencer
Believers can experience deep joy even amid persecution and hardship.
Mr. Renwick, the last of the Scottish martyrs, speaking of his sufferings for conscience' sake, says, "Enomies think themselves satisfied that we are put to wander in mosses and upon mountains; but, even amidst the storms of these last two nights, I cannot express what sweet times I have had when I had no covering but the dark curtains of night; yea, in the silent watch, my miad was led out to admire the deep and in-expressible ocean of joy wherein the whole family of heaven swim. Each star led me to wonder what He must be who is the star of Jacob, of whom all stars borrow their shining."
The sinner's joy is shallow and noisy, masking the deep wrath of God within.
Like new liquor, which works over in town and froth when thick and troubled, the joy of the sinner runs over in empty laughter and effervescent spirits when the heart is brimful of the wrath of God.
— Bp. Hopkins
Worldly joy is noisy, impure, and fleeting, leaving the soul dry afterward.
The joy of the world resembles a torrent. As upon a glut of rain, you shall have a torrent come rolling along with noise and violence, overflowing its banks, and bearing all before it; yet it is but muddy and impure water, and it is soon gone and dried up: such is all the joy this world can give. It makes a great noise, it is commonly immoderate, and swells beyond its due bounds; yet it is but a muddy and impure joy: it soon rolls away, and leaves nothing behind but a drought in the soul. Now, since the world's joy is but such a poor empty thing as this, it is most gross folly for us to lay out our best love upon that which cannot repay us with the best joy. Ep. Hopkins.
Small changes can drastically shift human emotions from sorrow to joy and vice versa.
When Peter of Cortona was engaged on a picture for the royal palace of Petti, Ferdinand II. particularly admired the representation of a weeping child. "Has your Majesty," said the painter, "a mind to see how easy it is to make this very child laugh?" The artist merely depressed the corners of the lips, and the inner extremities of the eyebrows, when the little archin seemed in danger of bursting his sides with laughter, who, a moment before, seemed breaking his heart with weeping. If this be true in the world of living men, slight, very slight, are the causes that make or break the happiness of life. The touch of a brush can dim heaven with a cloud, or brighten the prospect in the far horizon.
Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.
Donate