inexpressible and full of glory."
1 Peter 1:8
A man had a recent experience of trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He said to a friend, "I have been surprised by the joy I have now. If anyone could have told me knowing the Lord was so full of joy, I would have found that hard to believe, but it's real." His friend said, "If I had told you, I'm sure that you would have thought it couldn't be real." The man said, "It's real okay, but I can't really explain in words how wonderful God's joy is. It's inexpressible."
The apostle Peter testified that the joy of the Lord is "inexpressible and full of glory." It is beyond words. It can only be experienced. It is the joy of sins forgiven, assurance of knowing God in Christ, and the joy that comes as a fruit of the Spirit of Christ working within our hearts. Words are simply not adequate to express it. You must experience God's joy. It is "full of glory." The glory is the presence of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
Sin may rob us of our joy in relationship with God. The psalmist David lost his joy in the Lord, because of personal sin. He cried out to God in prayer, "Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit" (Psalm 51:12). Our relationship with God certainly doesn't mean that we will not have burdens, trials, temptations or problems. However, it does mean that through it all the joy of the Lord is our strength. The psalmist testified, "In Your presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11). He knew joy from God.
Prayer: God, fill us with joy, through Christ our Lord.
