The Gladness of God:
(God is glad, joyful and delights in all kinds of things!)
I want to take a look at the Gladness of God for 2 reasons. First, because this is who He is and our life goal is to know Him. We have an understanding of His anger at the pain and suffering that sin causes people. However we are slow to delight in God's gladness and strong joy. Secondly, I want to digest God's gladness so that we have a more complete picture of His emotional makeup. We have great theology that God is good (we think God is good ) but we don't feel that God is really good (often our feelings betray what we really believe). Thirdly, I want people to see His gladness, joy and delight because from I Corinthians 3:18, we "become what we behold." If God is truly glad and kind (mixed also with justice and righteousness) then we will become glad and kind people able to love others. But if we think that God is angry, distant, calculating, moody, disappointed with us and generally finding fault with us - we will become like that to others. And that is to be a Pharisee.
Foundation verse: "Whatever you behold you become" or "As we contemplate Jesus' glory are transformed into His likeness"
I Corinthians 3:18 "And we, who with unveiled faces all contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness..."
(This is why some Christians are miserable and others joyful – they only reflect how they feel God feels about them.)
First, look at the Gladness and Joy in Jesus:
1. In John 15 and John 17 right before Jesus is going to die and be taken away from the disciples He tells them to obey all His commands. Now, notice WHY He says to obey Him...
"I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11
Jesus has deep joy in His heart and intensely desires that it would be in us too.
"... I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them." John 17:13
Jesus longs for the full measure of His joy to fill us. Do we feel the Joy that exists in the emotions of God?
2. The book of Hebrews says that Jesus was anointed with the oil of Joy more than anyone else. He was place above everyone else because God poured Joy on Him abundantly. He wants His joy to fill us.
"... therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."
3. In Acts Peter quotes Psalm 16 by the Holy Spirit and declares that it describes Jesus. Psalm 16 says 3 thing about Jesus:
1. Jesus heart is Glad
2. Jesus’ tongue rejoices
3. Jesus is filled with Joy
"Therefore My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices..... you (Father) will fill Me with joy in your presence..." Psalm 16: 9,11
Are we focused on the fact that He is joyful? Or are we just focused on all that He commanded us, as if we have to do it on our own?
Secondly, look at some of the things that God delights in:
4. Luke 15 – 9 times in this chapter Jesus describes His Father as Joyful and exceedingly glad when someone responds to Him! As we read scripture we need to up the volume level on God's gladness from 1 to at least 5 if not higher! (On a scale of 1 to 10) We typically read these words with no emotional connection at all.
"And when he finds it (the lost sheep - i.e. us), he joyfully puts it on His shoulders... 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:5 & verse 9-10
When the wandering son returns to his home he finds his father straining to scan the horizon for him. One day the Father spots His son a long way off,
" ... His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20
That's an emotional picture.... and it's a picture of God!
God loves to Celebrate and feast! Let that emotionally set in!
"Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." Luke 15:23
5. Jeremiah comments on the emotional state of God:
"... I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Jeremiah 9:24
We know He is the God of justice and righteousness, but do we know that He DELIGHTS in kindness? We can be kind to each other, our children, our spouses, or strangers and bring delight to God's heart!
6. Micah also comments on God's emotions:
"You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy." Micah 7:18
God doesn't forgive in a slow, begrudging way! He doesn't forgive because He 'has to.' He doesn't forgive because it is a principle in the word of God, "Well, since I gave Jesus to die for your sins I guess I have to let you off the hook this time..." NO! God forgives because He DELIGHTS to show mercy! He is emotionally available and longs for us to know Him!
7. Zephaniah gives even more clarity to Luke 15 and the Father's emotions over the prodigal son:
"The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17
God is going all out. He is mental and thinks about us. But He is also emotional and rejoices over us. He delights in our kindness and compassion to others. That should encourage us and swell our hearts with strength to continue caring for people (even when they don't receive our efforts graciously but take advantage of us... God is still rejoicing!)
Thirdly, look at other random verses:
8. Galatians lists the fruit of the spirit. In others words, these things are what Holy Spirit will produce in us as we stay with Jesus. One may ask, "Why does He produce them in us?" Because these fruit are what He is like... He reproduces in us His very nature and character. He grows Himself in us. "What you behold you become." Since we fellowship and interact with Him we become like Him. (As opposed to becoming like the enemy) Joy originates in the heart of God!
"... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...." Galatians 5:22
9. Proverbs says that God (Wisdom is very possibly a picture of Jesus ) created mankind with Wisdom delighting in us! And Job confirms that even the angels shouted for gladness when mankind was made. Isn't it interesting that the angels were created with the capacity for Joy?
"Then I was the craftsman at His side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in His presence, rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind." Proverbs 8:31
"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? .... while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" Job 38:4-7
10. Other quick verses to lookup:
Psalm 36:8 – "We will drink from His river of delights"
Psalm 149:4 – "the Lord delights in His people"
I Chronicles 16:27 – "there is joy in His dwelling place"... Picture the joy that is around the throne in Revelations 4 & 5
Regarding Our joy - here are just a couple of the many I found :
1. Isaiah says that God will give us joy in His house of prayer:
"... give them joy in My house of prayer." Isaiah 56:7
Isn't this an interesting one? God is saying that he will give joy to those people who pray. This is a different mode of prayer than we are told about. Mostly we modeled a type of prayer that is heavy, begging God for things and boring.
2. Nehemiah says clearly that the Joy of the Lord is our strength – when we refuse to focus on His joy we are weaker than we have to be.
"This day is sacred to the Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
And there are many others in both categories because this is only the 45 minute version of me looking up verses… this isn’t near an exhaustive study.
3. Jude says that God will present us with great Joy before His throne on the last day:
"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - " Jude 24
4. Paul says to be Joyful always. And then he repeats himself. Are we breaking an apostolic command when we refuse to focus on the Goodness of God and thereby Rejoice?
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
