The Path to a Joyful Life

Today I want to look at the Joyful Life what is it and how do we obtain it

Matthew 13:44 “44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

This verse teaches us that the kingdom of heaven should bring us such joy that we don’t desire the lesser things of life our priorities change. We have found something sweeter something better. So he leaves behind everything else for the better thing

Yet Many Christians struggle to find the this Joy of the Lord. Instead they settle back into the things of this world that bring only momentary happiness.

Did you catch the contrast there happiness not Joy these are not the same.

Remember what we discussed with the children

Happiness is an emotion determined by our circumstances - when good things happen or we are having fun we are happy when things are bad we are sad when things go wrong we are mad when things are out of control we are scared or anxious. our circumstances determine the emotion

Joy is not an emotion it is a deep, lasting state of inner gladness and strength. Rooted in faith and God’s promises.

Joy is not based on our circumstances it is based on God and his promises. It is the very nature of God and his promises to us that give us this inner gladness and strength - that which the Bible calls Joy. This why when the trials and tribulations come the Christian reacts differently. Let me give you two illustrations. First is the death of a loved one. The non-believer is devastated all they feel is loss and anguish and pain. There is no hope. They believer that person has ceased to exist. For the believer who knows their loved one knew the Lord has the assurance that they will be with them again in heaven. Though they died yet they live. The circumstances are the same but the believer has the promise of God to hold onto and therefore reacts with a joy that the non-believer does not have. Second the The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicity speaks of Perpetua and Felicity being brought to the gladitorial arena to face the wild beasts; it tells us, “if they trembled at all, it was for joy and not fear.” When brought to the arena, Perpetua immediately began singing a hymn.

How does one live and die with such Joy? I believe the answer is in today’s passage turn with me to

Psalm 16 ESV

A Miktam of David. 1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The Path to Joyous Living begins with God As Lord of your Life

Notice Davids words in Psalm 16:2

Psalm 16:2 “2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.””

You are my Lord again in verse 4

Psalm 16:4 “4 The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.”

I will take no other Gods, I will not offer them sacrifices nor call upon their names

David’s Joy came from the Lord, because he knew the mercy of God He knew he was not good he knew his sins and yet he knew God loved him anyway

Romans 3:23 tells us “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

We are all sinners not one of us is perfect we all sin against each other and most importantly against God. Then

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When we sinned we recieved a paycheck that paycheck is death. Genesis tells us that in the beginning the world was perfect God says it was very Good until Adam sinned and when he sinned he brought death into the world. without SIn there is no death but sin has brought death and not just physical death but spritual death seperation from the God who loves us. Not because he left but because we in our shame hide from him just as Adam hid in the garden we hide today. Yet there is hope

Romans 10:9–10 “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

You see God came down from heaven to be born as a man named Jesus to live a perfect life and die as a sacrifice a substitute for us so that we might be reconciled to God- what we call salvation. He paid the price so you and I could live, if we will believe that is to trust in him and his death and resurection from the dead and confess him as Lord of our lives.

The reason so many Christians fail to live joyous lives is because they stop at the beginning. We must continue on the journey

The Path to Joyous Living is Powered by the Word

Psalm 16:5 “5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.”

David describes the Lord as his portion and his cup

His food and his drink

Is it not interesting that Jesus describes God’s word in the same manner when he was tempted in

Matthew 4:4 “4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ””

The word is food and drink to our souls and yet we so often neglect it

Psalm 119:103 “103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

The psalmist describes the joy of the word it is sweet sweeter than honey.

Without the word the Christian cannot hold onto the Joy of the Lord. It is the Word of God that contains the promises of God and reminds us of the hope we have in Him

the Word is the lifeblood of Joy in our lives. The veins pumping Joy into our souls. We cannot be joyful without the Word. Read it search it seek it learn it and apply it not because you should but because it will bring you the highest joy in this life. It is better than all else.

So the Joyous life begins with Salvation is powered by the word

The Path to Joyous Living Requires Accepting the Lords Instruction

Notice David reaction to the instruction of the Lord

Psalm 16:7 “7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.”

He writes that God counseled him and then his mind was pondering in the night. He went to sleep thinking about the instructions of God. He meditates upon them. But notice he blesses the Lord for his instruction.

David knew well the truth of

Proverbs 1:7 “7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

I wonder how much of his time watching the sheep was spent meditating on the things of God to be such a bold man of God at such an early age shows a maturity beyond that of his peers or even that of older generations. One needs only consider his reaction to the rebuke of Nahum for his sin with Bathsheba to see he truly sought to accept the the Lords instruction even when it brought him personal pain and grief.

Often I think we think God’s commands are there to restrict us from the good things the fun things of life. Yet we must always remember God knows best and his way is better than ours. As Isaiah says

Isaiah 55:8–9 “8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

We have to accept and trust that God knows best.

Jesus goes even further than that in John

John 15:10–11 “10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

Jesus ties obedience to the commandments of God to his love and and his Joy. Thus being obedient to God brings God pleasure. You know that moment when you give someone a gift and they light up and the joy it gives you. Well when you are obedient to God it gives him Joy but moreover he says that he will put his Joy in us that our joy may be made full. Thus obedience to God brings us the most Joy.

The Path to Joyous Living is found in the Presence of God

Psalm 16:8-9

“8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.

I have set the lord before me continually ongoing persistant action keep your focus on the Lord keep puting the Lord at the front of your life

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices

Psalm 16:11 “11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

God’s presence is the source of Joy

So how do we get into the presence of God

James 4:8 “8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

James says draw near to God and he will draw near to you sounds great

yet what does that look like to draw near to God

Let us look at the man who knew God better than anyone our Lord Jesus Christ

Mark 1:35 “35 In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.”

Matthew 14:23 “23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.”

Luke 6:12 “12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.”

Luke 5:16 “16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”

Notice the pattern here Jesus had a habit of going away alone to pray and spend time with God. He did it in the early morning when it was unlikely he would be interupted because everyone else was still sleeping. He went to a secluded place away from others for the same reason. He spent time alone with God regularly even leaving one of the largest crowds of his ministry to go and pray to God. We see the consistency in Luke 5:16 that he would often slip away to pray.

Now there are also many examples of him spending time in corporate worship and prayer yet it is his private prayer that fueled his life. It was this time that enabled him to do ministry and to seek the Fathers will. Indeed it was only after prayer that he chose the apostles or changed direction in ministry. Some of his greatest miracles were after nights spent in prayer. We must not neglect the presence of God.

Psalm 16:9 “9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.”

it is the presence of God that makes our heart glad and causes us to rejoice. Regardless of the circumstances of Life I have the Joy of knowing the Creator of the universe and his great love for me. All the troubles of life pale in light of that Joy.

If we will walk upon the Path the Lord has set before us, beginning with Salvation through the power of the word accepting the commands of God and living in his presence we will find Joy unspeakable and full of Glory the half of which can never be told. Psalm 16:6 “6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”

Psalm 16:8 “8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:9 “9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.”

Psalm 16:11 “11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

The promises of God are sweet and he has prepared grand and marveleous wonders for us to behold let us rejoice in his mercy and his grace. Let us praise his name and lift it high. Let not our hearts be shaken by the storms of this life for we serve a savior that calms the storm with but a word of command. Let us enjoy the presence of God and the fullness of his Joy. God is Good