Joy at the Sight
Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer
250 years ago this July 4th our nation declared its independence from Great Britain. From local celebrations to national and even international ones, the Fourth was marked with spectacular fireworks displays from great cities to small towns. My nephew took his family to their hometown event and shot a short video of his young son’s reaction to his first fireworks show. At almost 7 months, he was unsure how his baby would respond. He loved it! Sitting on his mother’s knee he stared raptly at the sky entranced by the lights and entrancing his parents and extended family by his wonder.
The final two verses of Psalm 62 point us toward wonder because of the assurance that they contain:
One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”
King David identified two things he knew were absolute about God, He is all powerful and His love is unfailing. Because these things are true, he concludes that God will bring justice (reward) for all, including the king’s enemies.
In Psalm 13 King David asks the Lord how long he must suffer both inwardly, “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” and outwardly, “How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Ps. 13:2). These distinctly different but related thoughts take up the first four verses of the Psalm. But look at the conclusion:
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me. (Ps. 13:5-6)
In Psalm 21 the king rejoices in the Lord’s strength, with joy in the victories He gives. David has received his heart’s desires and been richly blessed and made glad in the presence of the Lord. The Psalm concludes, “Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might” (Ps. 21:13).
Much like the Psalms, especially those of David we have looked at this year, the New Testament book of Hebrews develops the theme of God’s triumph over evil doers that brings ultimate, joyful worship through Christ Jesus our Lord.
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect….
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Heb. 12:22-23, 28)
That heavenly Jerusalem is described in Revelation 22:1-5 giving us a glimpse upon the joy that awaits us when our God makes “all things new” (Rev. 21:5).
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5
My great-nephew’s awe at his first fireworks display provides us with a reminder that an even greater wonder awaits us when we see and experience the joy of the eternal, heavenly Jerusalem. This is our future habitation, when “My soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation” (Ps. 35:9).
Until then, even though our lives are flawed by sin and its affects, we believe and are filled with joy: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (I Peter 1:8-9).
Brian Tabb commented on I Peter 1:6-9:
Peter acknowledges the stunning glories of end-time salvation as well as the sorrow and various trials of his readers’ present experience. We rejoice now even though we struggle and grieve and do not see our Savior face to face. This joy is not motivated by our present predicament but by our glorious future inheritance and the beauty and sufficiency of our Savior, whom we love and trust even though we don’t see him with our eyes. Peter’s description of this joy as “filled with glory” (ESV) or “glorious” (NIV) links it to the eschatological “glory” at Jesus’s return (1 Peter 1:7). Thus, “the joy believers experience is a taste of heaven, an anticipation of the end.”[1]
One of the purposes of the Psalms is to shape and deepen our prayer life. As we learn the prayer lessons of Psalm 62, let us never forget the awe, wonder, and joy that shines through King David’s words as he directs us to cry out to God, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Ps. 62:8) and our joy.
Reflection Questions:
1. What are some of the things that fill you with awe and wonder? Why are they wonderful?
2. What is your response to the following quote?
We lament and weep in the present, but we also love and laugh and rejoice. Life is more than rainy days, hospital visits, and funerals. We attend weddings and baby showers. We enjoy the company of dear friends, celebrate birthdays with filet mignon, and savor apple pie à la mode with family gathered for holidays. We cheer when our team wins the championship. We marvel when we hear Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony. These are all common-grace joys that believers and nonbelievers alike experience, and they point to the goodness of God’s creation and his kindness to his creatures. But we know that every colorful sunset and delicious apple pie is a pointer to God, the one who made the sun and fruit trees and gave us eyes and hands and taste buds to enjoy these gifts. Christians grasp the essential biblical truth that the Lord himself is chief object of our joy; he alone satisfies our weary souls with his steadfast love and goodness.[2]
3. How does putting awe, wonder, and joy in a heavenly framework rather than an earthly one change the way you view your world? Does it change the way you approach prayer? Why or why not?
(Photo description and credit: The things that provoke a feeling of awe and wonder can be found in many places. Some we can anticipate, and some come as a surprise. Since the wonder of the fireworks my young great nephew experienced came at his first exposure to fireworks, it seemed fitting to picture one here. Credit: R. A. Stites: Several years ago, I took this picture at a 4th of July celebration at my home. I edited the original to give it soft edges.)
[1] From: “We Have Something of Heaven: A Theology of Joy in Revelation” by Brian Tabb, President of Bethlehem College and Seminary.
[2] Ibid.
