GOD is...
calm | "care-less" | elegant | faithful | happy | kindred | optimistic | passionate | valiant | vulnerable
GOD is happy (JOYFUL)!
GOD is light and life, holiness and humility, and infinitely more! God is happy. How do we know?
Snapshots of the Drama players include:
1. GOD. God is full of joy: joyful ! When talking about a child's unpredictable emotions, we say "She's not in a happy mood right now", or "He's not a happy camper today". People are fickle (not me, of course). But God is unchanging, the Solid Rock who is trenchant and true ALL THE TIME. God is happy all the time. But, for the purpose of our discussion (because "happy" connotes a changeable mood), we'll describe God as "joyful" instead.
He's the Alpha and Omega, the director, producer and main character in the rhythm of life. He's the Boss. And He is a GOOD one. No matter how much we soil our planet, God is dynamic, helping us 'clean up our act', lest this intended-for-joy comedy end up in abysmal, total tragedy.
2. God's children. Though HE is the Star, Champion, and Cornerstone, we are birthed as "living stones" in His family; 1 Peter 2:5. We know that happiness depends on happenings, and we're learning that joy depends on Jesus. We experience joy from His heart regardless of circumstances or happenings. He is the vine, we are the branches; John 15:1-8.
God never loses His joy because it's based on who He is. We lose joy because we are too easily distracted. Peter walked on the sea as long as he was focused on Jesus. It was the most amazing experience of his life, doing the impossible, being a superman! But soon the circumstances (wind, waves) distracted him and stole that joy. It happens to us all the time! This human shibboleth will probably plague us until we see the Lord in His home. After that, no more yoyo-ing!
God is proactive. Jesus "was willing to die a shameful death on the cross BECAUSE OF THE JOY HE KNEW WOULD BE HIS AFTERWARDS..." Hebrews 12: 2-4. It was the hardest and most courageous thing He ever did; Isaiah 53. The thought of redeeming us to Himself got God really pumped. Ask the nails. They didn't keep Jesus on the cross. His love did. He looked forward to the day that you and I would receive His invitation, to respond in thankfulness and love.
As we pilgrimage, we know that everything will MORE THAN pan out; Romans 8:28. As we allow Him to fill us with His joy, we bondserve; Exodus 21:1-3. We give ourselves like fruitcakes, as fools for Christ. No problema! Sometimes we have this in focus, but we often forget the two basic rules of life: 1. don't sweat the small stuff; 2. it's all small stuff. We forget that because our pilgrimage is so hard sometimes. As God's children, we've got a long ways to go in becoming like Christ (Rom. 8:29) but we're going. We're on the way! Throughout eternity we'll be His trophies; Ephesians 1:5,6.
God is joyful and transcendent (though not detached or aloof). He enjoys every millisecond of life. When we make good decisions His smile extends from one end of heaven to the other.
