Let’s Talk About Joy: The Purpose of Joy: To Provide Fulfillment
Another purpose or function of joy is to provide fulfillment in our lives. We can achieve this “fulfillment” in many ways on this earth, but Matthew 6:32-33 (NIV) says, “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Remember, earlier we looked at the kingdom of God, and found that it is the kingship of Jesus Christ in our lives, treasuring the relationship that we share daily with Him, and walking in Him and with Him. Now this verse in Matthew says that if we will seek His kingdom first, all these “things” will be added, or given to us. This means that God will reward those whose lives are IN Him. Knowing God and experiencing His presence will become the most important thing in your life, and as you begin to walk in His presence, you will find, as written in Psalm 16:11 (NIV), “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
I once heard a woman say that she had a little dog who loved pork chop bones. Pork chop bones were his very most favorite things. One day she went outside to give her little dog a pork chop bone. Of course, he was very excited to see her – he jumped up and down, wagged his tail wildly, and looked lovingly up at her – seeming to smile at her. She put the pork chop bone down in front of him and stepped back. The little dog did not look at the pork chop bone, but instead continued to look at his master; tail wagging, head cocked to the side as if waiting for her to speak or pat him on the head. The woman said she walked back to the house and turned to look at her little dog again. He was still ignoring his pork chop bone and had followed her to the back door, never taking his eyes off of her. She said that at that moment, God spoke to her heart, and He told her that this was His desire from her. He wanted her to love Him and cherish Him and adore Him first, the way her little dog was adoring her. He wanted her to desire to be in His presence more than anything else in the whole world. He told her that if she would put Him first in her life, He would greatly reward her, just as she had rewarded her little dog with the pork chop bone.
God wants to reward his children. He wants us to have “abundant” lives, as Jesus says in John 10:10 (AMP), “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Do you have any needs in your life? God wants to fill them! Is there anything in your life that has been stolen, killed, or destroyed? God didn’t do it. He is a good God. He wants to provide for us and love us and protect us, his children.
Matthew 7:9-11 (AMP) says, “…what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will [instead] give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will [instead] give him a snake? If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him.”
The enemy will attempt to steal something of value from a believer – whether it is finances or health or a loved one or any other good thing that God desires for His children to have and enjoy. There is nothing the enemy can steal, though, that God does not provide for in salvation. The condition for receiving the benefits of this salvation is an attitude of joy. Joy is the bucket that enables a person to scoop down into the wells of salvation and draw out whatever is lacking in his life. The wells of salvation contain such things as healing, financial prosperity, safety, preservation and soundness of body and mind. These blessings are drawn to the surface (manifested) through joy. So if the enemy manages to steal a believer’s joy, then he has effectively stolen that person’s access to the benefits of his salvation.
Joy will bring the harvest of the things that God has planted and that we have planted to reality in our lives! Isn’t that good?!