There is plenty of happiness for the taking in this sin-sick world of ours. Sure it’s fleeting, empty, and often laced with regret and disillusionment, but it’s there for the taking. There is even some joy to be had—the love of a proud parent, the fulfilling of a dream, even the warm company of family and friends. But apart from God, joy is never complete. It is like a symphony orchestra without a piece to perform, or a fireworks display on a rainy day. It is a vacation that fails to live up to its hype, a lifelong ambition fulfilled that savors of anticlimax. Christ-less joy is good, not great, and it never lasts; even the strongest joys gradually decompose and fade away. Not so with Christ! He is the author of pleasure; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore, and in His presence is fullness of joy. And not just joy, but complete joy, eternal joy, unstoppable, joy, incorruptible joy. Lord, You are the only source of the joy that I was made to crave. Help me to dethrone every earthly emotional elation, exaltation, and exuberance, and feast my soul on You!
“What is your beloved more than another?” —Song of Sol. 5:9