Category: Freedom

Posted on

Perpetual Joy

What does “Joy” mean to you? Is it being happy? Or just being content with your life? Just what exactly is Joy? I have been praying for more joy for some time now. So, I decided to research “Joy” from the context of what Jewish thought is on it. And, I found some rather interesting things about joy.

I found that there is an interesting concept called “Perpetual Joy” in some rabbinic commentaries. Perpetual joy seems almost impossible to attain . . . but is it?

What is Perpetual Joy?

Perpetual Joy is a concept that was founded by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760). It was his belief that joy was, and is, a religious obligation. He founded the Chassidic movement where perpetual joy was one of the distinguishing characteristics. They also believe that it is a biblical command to be joyous with every experience.

“The ability to be joyous, by discerning the good and joyous within every experience, is considered by chassidim as a biblical command!” — Baal Shem Tov

Rabbi Baal Shem Tov made it his mission to bring the message of hope and joy to the Jewish people. At the time in which he lived, they were downtrodden. He wanted to restore joy to the people and he travelled from village to village to do so. One of the things he taught them was that joy is precious before God; and that they should serve God with joy at all times and in every situation. 

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” -Psalm 100:1-2

Aspects of Perpetual Joy

Joy in His Presence

Another of his beliefs/teachings is that they were always in God’s presence because of the scripture, “The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) In recognizing that they were constantly in His Presence, they should always be joyful! Just thinking and believing that the Shekinah (God’s manifested glory) is always at your side and watches over you should make you joyful! In essence, we must experience greater joy serving God above all else.

Joyous Prayer

The Rabbi believed that, based on the Torah, joyous prayer is more effective in eliciting Divine blessings. This was the direct opposite of the concept about prayer at that time, which was “an exercise of sadness and weeping, fasting and self-infliction.”

Then, on the other hand, it was believed that not serving God with joy brought punishment! The scripture cited was Deuteronomy 28:47-48, “Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.”

Joy and Teshuvah/ Repentance

We’ve been studying Teshuvah/Repentance recently through Pastor Charlie’s teachings. Baal Shem Tov believed there was no greater joy than the knowledge that, “no matter how much you’ve messed up, no matter the grime your soul has accumulated, no matter how distant from God you’ve become (intentionally!), you still have the ability to instantly repair that which was broken and reestablish a relationship with God.” Teshuvah/Repentance is the “greatest and most powerful mitzvah (good deed) and must be done with the greatest joy.”

Is Perpetual Joy Possible?

Is it possible to see joy in every situation? There are MANY scriptures in Psalms that tells us that we are to have joy. If we trust in God, we should rejoice and be joyful! 

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” -Psalm 5:11

One of my favorites is Psalm 16:11. Remembering that we are always in His Presence, because He is Omnipresent, should cause us to have “fulness of joy!” And, in the Strong’s Concordance, “pleasures” has one meaning that points to music! (H5276) “singing, sweetly sounding, musical!” 

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” -Psalm 32:11

We should also be joyful because of His salvation! Salvation (H3444) doesn’t just mean “saved” in the context of going to heaven. It means SO much more than that: salvation, deliverance, welfare, prosperity and victory!

Other meanings are for health! Did Jesus not go to the cross for our salvation and provide for our healing? (“By whose stripes ye were healed” -1 Peter: 2:24) And that includes all of the other attributes of salvation as well. Hence, we should rejoice in all that His salvation provides for us.

“And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.” -Psalm 35:9

Psalm 51:12 says that joy comes with His salvation; “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

One way we can show that we have joy is to sing to God and make a “joyful noise” to Him. There are several psalms that tell us to “make a joyful noise” to the Lord. Here are a few:

“Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.” -Psalm 81:1

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” -Psalm 95:1

“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto with psalms.” -Psalm 95:2

“Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.” -Psalm 149:5

When is the last time you sang aloud on your bed because of having so much joy? That’s something to think about! But, through it all, we should, as Christians, live lives of joy. What a difference that might make in the lives of those around us if we can stay in continuous joy! Is Perpetual Joy attainable? I think it is! After all, Jesus, Himself, said, in Mark 9:23, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

By Maribeth Alexander

Posted on

Daily Bread

I spent a lot of years of my life living under the law, living for religion, without knowing it. I was saved, and my heart’s intent was good. I wanted to know God and I wanted to please Him, but I was going about it all wrong. Later in life, I learned, through grace, that even “good” things, “Godly” things can be “works.” 

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgement and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].” 

You CANNOT earn it. You can’t pray enough, go to church enough, listen to “Christian” music enough, or hand out enough gospel tracks to save your soul. 

I remember a period in my life, just before I understood this revelation, when I felt so far from the Lord. I wanted so badly to know Him, to hear Him, to feel Him, but I didn’t. I struggled, and fretted, and worried, and worked. Yes, I worked. I went to more worship services. I did more devotionals. More Bible studies. Fasted. Went to prayer meetings. You name it, in the “Christian” world, and I was doing it. And the more I did, the further I felt from Him. The further I was from Him. I didn’t understand it at the time. After all, I was trying so hard. Though, now, I understand. 

You CANNOT earn it. You can’t pray enough, go to church enough, listen to “Christian” music enough, or hand out enough gospel tracks to save your soul. 

“It was for this freedom that Christ has set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].” Galatians 5:1

After I had gained this newfound freedom, I was determined not to “be subject again to a yoke of slavery,” so a lot of the things I was doing before, I stopped. One of the things I stopped doing was reading my Bible and having “quiet time,” just so I could check it off the list. I needed to give myself some time to de-program and rest in His grace. And just in case anyone out there is getting worried about me…… it was a this point in my life where I started to love Jesus more than I ever had. 

Fast forward a few years, and I started sensing the Lord nudging me back to these things, especially reading my Bible and making it a priority to take time to silence everything else in my life in order to hear Him. 

One Sunday, my pastor spoke about two altars. First was the personal altar, where you get your instruction and sacrifice your wishes, will and wisdom to hear God. You deny yourself. Second was the corporate altar, where you worship God in unity, and everyone is in agreement, heart, mind and soul. He made this statement that spoke volumes to me: “You’ll never be effective at the second altar, until you deal with the first altar. The problem with church is that people haven’t gone to the first altar.” 

I knew I needed to go to the first altar. This time, however, I was going because I wanted to, not because it was on the to do list. I was going, and I still go, because I love Him, and because I want a real relationship with the one, true God, not the law He died to free us from. 

Shortly after I’d made this “full circle” in my life, I was reading and praying one day when I clearly heard the Lord say, “He calls you to the altar for YOU, not for Him.” In this moment was the realization that the God of the universe, does not need me. He gains nothing from me coming to the altar, but I gain everything. He calls me to the altar for me. Because He has something for me: daily bread. 

John 6:35 says “Jesus replied to them, ‘I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually].’”

The Lord showed me, recently, that every day, every single day, He prepares something for me and brings it to the table. Then He calls me to the “altar,” to the “table,” because He wants to give me something, show me something, tell me something, encourage me, love me, spend time with me, and every day He shows up, big banquet table, fresh baked bread, and waits for me. But when I CHOOSE not to go, I miss out. The next day, He shows up again with something new, (not what I missed from yesterday), and whatever I didn’t show up for the day before, I didn’t get to taste. I missed out, because He calls you to the table for you, not for Him. 

What are we exchanging our daily bread for? What other gods are we worshiping with our time, thoughts and attention? What are we prioritizing over Him? What is more important than coming to the table with Jesus? 

Are you praying for or asking God for something? Are you wondering why He isn’t answering or providing? And is it possible that maybe, just maybe, He prepared it, and you didn’t show up? 

Brandi Edwards

Visit Brandi’s Blog