Why Not Rejoice More?
Every child of God may well rejoice because he has such a Father in Heaven. “I have set the Lord always before me; therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth.” In his presence is fulness of joy. This refers to the experiences of the present life, and then up at his right hand will be the “pleasures forever more.” It is a bad heart that skulks away from a loving Father in sullen distrust and dread. Then, too, what joy is kindled in our souls when we are brought into full reconciliation with God through the atoning love and meditation of Jesus Christ! The returning prodigal’s heart thrills under every kiss of his forgiving Father.
“Earth has a joy unknown in heaven, The new-born peace of sins forgiven. Tears of such pure and deep delight, Ye angels, never dimmed your sight.”
The assurance of a full salvation is enough to keep our hearts aglow. “I give unto you eternal life,” says our omnipotent Saviour, “ye shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck you out of my hand.” All things work together for good if we love God. Even sharp pruning may make us yield richer clusters of spiritual fruit, if we will let God have his way. And when the discipline and conflicts of this earthly school-life are ended, we look upward, and see that “our names are written in Heaven.”
All these joys our loving God provides for us, and offers them to us. We cannot create canary birds; but we can provide cages for them, and fill our rooms with their music. Even so we cannot create the rich gifts which Jesus offers; but they are ours if we furnish heart-room for them. The birds of peace and contentment and joy and gratitude will fly in fast enough, if we will only invite Jesus Christ and set the windows of our souls open for his coming. Every time that we perform a kind Christ-like service to the poor, the neglected, or the 50
WHY NOT REJOICE MORE?
wronged, another canary bird flies into our window. The blessedness of giving is returned with compound interest.
Now with all these pure and substantial joys within our reach, it is a sin and shame for a genuine Christian to be wretched. Is not disobedience to God a sin? He commands to rejoice. No duty is more clear. “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! The joy of the Lord is your strength.” You can fill your soul with inspiring thoughts, and with memories of mercies; you can occupy your soul with plans of doing good to others and with acts of obedience to the inward voice of Christ, such as will kindle your soul into a glow. A noble woman of my acquaintance makes rainbows on the cloud of her widowhood by ministrations of mercy to the poor and the destitute. There is a “godly sorrow” over our shortcomings, and over our woes and wrongs of others that every Christian ought to feel; but such sorrow must never be allowed to drown out the deep abounding joy of the Lord down in the very core of 51 our souls. There is a gulf-stream of God-given joy that ought to send its warm current through the wintriest waves of trials and adversities. ’
All the coal-beds in Pennsylvania and Ohio are only solidified sunshine. The love of Jesus streaming down into your soul makes the central heat; that heat generates spiritual power. So doth the joy of Jesus become your perennial strength. A doubting ague-smitten Christian cannot do much but shake. A back-sliding Christian is on his road to a cell in the castle of Giant Despair. But “he who is nearest to Christ is nearest to the fire,” and the contact keeps the heart aglow. Why not rejoice more? Count up your golden mercies, count up your exceeding great and precious promises, count up your joys of heirship to an incorruptible inheritance, and then march on the road heavenward shouting.