The Way to the Surest State of Joy

There is a joy that provides fullness of life,

There’s a way to this joy that is confidence and more,

The worshipful way makes joy an extravagance that’s rife,

By our faith in God we have confidence to explore.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation –

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life –

of whom shall I be afraid?”

— Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

The mood of Psalm 27 is striking so far as the psalmist’s confidence in God. Nobody can defeat him or her. They are full of joy for the correctly weighted and attributed confidence they have in God – their confidence is soundly founded and surely poised.

The psalmist has seen the Lord deliver him. Perhaps delivery has been so consistent that utter faithfulness is ascribed to God.

And we can know that experience of God ourselves, personally. As we bend forward in our faith, choosing for confidence, knowing the kind of God we have, we cannot experience anything other than the swiftest movement through and into joy – a feeling beyond happiness.

Joy is complete wellbeing, despite the construction of our circumstances.

Joy is the pasting of confidence over the blemishes of the past.

Joy chooses to believe the best, notwithstanding the worst that’s happened.

Joy stands even in the midst of what looks like defeat, and it chooses to see God as God truly is – the Unparalleled Light and Only True Salvation; the Stronghold of Eternity and Source of Creation.

The psalmist wants to reside with God and would rather cease to exist than miss out on anything of God. So we can live this way; all for the God of yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever.

These two go together – the choice of faith and the benefit of joy. When we choose to look past every discouragement, disappointment, and betrayal, and we deal with our bitterness – doing these things by confidence of faith – joy sweeps over us and through us. God confirms it.

If we want every assurance of God – and to know it by both mind and heart – we will drink of Psalm 27 and we will lap at the river of the fullest idea for life: that there is joy abounding eternally. And it is to be both found and experienced.

***

The believer knows a confidence that joy disposes to them and through them, as they ascribe to God the greatness only the Lord deserves. God is their Provider, Protector, and Providence. Joy is undefeatable.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.