I recently was listening to K-LOVE and heard the song by Todd Agnew called “Joy Unspeakable.”  It is really inspirational.  In actuality, the lyrics were originally written by written by Barney Warren in 1900.  Some of us grew up singing the hymn.  The phrase “Joy Unspeakable” comes directly from scripture and can be found in 1 Peter 1:8 which says, “You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you are filled with a joy unspeakable, and full of glory.” 

What I notice right off about that scripture is what it has to say about the source of joy.  The source is the reality (or truth) of Jesus Christ.  The joy rises from our love of the Lord and our belief in him.  Basically, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, joy unspeakable happens. 

But, the scripture may also cause us to consider what is not the true source of our joy.  Our joy is not caused by other people.  (Do you need others to cheer you up?)  It is not caused by possessions.  (Are you happy only when you get the things you want or think you need?)  It is not caused by circumstances …one’s health  …one’s treatment by others …one’s opportunities or surroundings.  (Do you struggle to have joy unless things in your life are according to your desires and preferences?) 

I must ask myself from time to time... “am I deriving my joy from the right source—my belief in and my love of Jesus?”  If not, it’s time to adjust my “joy-valve.”

Here’s what I mean by “joy-valve.”  My swimming pool filter can draw water from the skimmer or draw from the depths.  When the valve is set to draw from the skimmer trash can flow into and through the system.  I have fished out twigs, grass, leaves, all kinds of bugs, and even small animals (squirrel, mouse, mole, bat, etc.) .  On the other hand, when the valve is set to draw water from the depths it is pure and cool.  Let me relate this to joy by asking this question: are we trying to draw joy from what we “skim off the top” in life , or what we draw from the depths?

When we base our joy on the kinds of things that flow in to our lives we can be very disappointed and sad (because bad things are bound to come our way).  But, when we base our joy on the deep things of Christ we can have joy unspeakable in spite of the circumstances.  Our contentment comes from the unchangeable things of God—salvation in Christ, a personal relationship with God, grace for living, and the unwavering hope of heaven.  Speaking personally, these are things the world didn’t give to me and the world can’t take away. 

There is one more observation I must make about joy while we are on the subject.  Joy is not “joy” until it is expressed.  I looked up the definition of the word “joy” in the American Heritage Dictionary and here is what it said: “Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness. The expression or manifestation of such feeling.” In other words, if the feeling is only bottled-up inside it isn’t really joy… at least not yet.  Joy is the “expression or manifestation of the feeling.” 

It is kind of like a can of insulating foam, maybe you’ve seen them in the hardware store.  The chemical substance inside the can makes foam to fill cracks and crevasses between interior and exterior walls, but only when it gets out of the can.  Some people have the raw materials for joy inside of them in the form of a relationship with Jesus Christ.  However, you would never know it by looking at their faces or listening to their conversations.  In contrast, some others have Christ Jesus, the source of joy, in you and it is oozing out all over the place.  I sure hope that I fit into the latter category!

Jeremiah 33:11 says, "There will be sounds of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of brides and bridegrooms. There will be the sounds of people bringing to the house of the Lord their offerings of thanks to the Lord. They will say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endures for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD.”  

Let’s hear it for joy!