Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Godly Joy
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Ecclesiastes 11:9
God wants young people to enjoy this exciting time of their lives and to be happy. But, being God, He knows that youthful ambitions and energies can get a person into trouble. Such troubles have happened many times to young people in God's church. Thus, with His encouragement He gives a gentle warning: As young people follow their impulses and desires, they need to realize that God will evaluate all they think and do against His teaching. This applies equally to all of us in all age groups. We must seek joy and happiness within the boundaries of God's moral standards. He promises to bring us into account for all our activities (Romans 2:5-11).
Clyde Finklea
My Parents Won't Let Me!
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Ecclesiastes 12:2
There is a progression from sun to moon to stars in terms of the diminishing of light to a person observing from the earth. What does light represent in this context? Joy—the goodness of life. Solomon is asserting that, as a person ages, his capacity to enjoy the good things diminishes. He is underlining the inevitability of the problems of old age. Even though Solomon directly says, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth," his meaning is more emphatic: "Get started now! Do not wait! Do not delay! Live life the right way when you are young because, as you get older, your capacity to enjoy diminishes."
John W. Ritenbaugh
Ecclesiastes and the Feast of Tabernacles (Part 2)
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John 15:11
If we are working on the relationship with God, giving it our time and attention, then God's love for us (since He is its source) will be reciprocated back to Him in the form of obedience. We could also call our response love, keeping the commandments, or conforming to His will. Whatever we call it, our lives will then be enriched by joy. Is that not a good deal? Psalm 16:11 says that there is joy evermore in His presence. Jesus is confirming this here. If we will abide in God, in His love, then it will produce joy in our lives. This kind of love is not the hormone-driven, passionate, and emotional roller coaster that we call "falling in love," but a deep, stable sense of well-being. A word of caution: This is not something that happens in a flash, just because two people know one another. It develops because the two experience a wide variety of events together. In order for two individuals contemplating marriage to determine if their lifestyles are compatible, they should use the courtship phase of their relationship to share a great many experiences together. What is it that is produced by experiencing a great number of circumstances together? Trust in each other is produced. Within the relationship with God, He begins to trust us, and we begin to trust Him. We could call this trust "loyalty" or "faithfulness." That is the fruit of proper fellowship. Is that not what happens humanly? The same principle is at work in our relationship with God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Love's Emotional Dimension
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