By Dr. Robert C Crowder
Reading:
Psalm 16:8-11 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
John 16:22-24 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Reflection:
David declared a confidence that every believer can claim: “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved… in thy presence is fulness of joy.” His joy was not dependent on circumstances but anchored in God’s unchanging presence. Centuries later, on the night before His crucifixion, in the upper room with His disciples, Jesus spoke some of His most tender and profound words about joy. The shadow of the cross loomed before Him. Within hours, He would be arrested, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a tree. Yet His concern was for the joy of His followers: “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” This is the promise of enduring joy; joy that survives the worst circumstances, outlasts the deepest grief, and remains unshaken when everything else is stripped away. What David experienced through faith, Jesus secured through His death and resurrection. The joy that flows from God’s presence cannot be stolen by circumstances, shaken by trials, or destroyed by enemies. It is rooted in the One who never changes, and therefore it endures forever.
The context is crucial. Jesus had just told the disciples that they would weep and lament while the world rejoiced. He used the metaphor of a woman in labor; intense pain followed by overwhelming joy at the birth of a child. The anguish of childbirth is real, but it is temporary. The joy of new life is lasting. So, it would be for the disciples. They would experience crushing sorrow when Jesus died, but that sorrow would be transformed into joy when He rose from the dead. The resurrection would prove that death had no final claim, that God’s purposes could not be thwarted, and that Jesus was who He claimed to be; the Son of God with power.
But Jesus’ promise extends beyond the resurrection appearances to the disciples. “I will see you again” speaks not only to those first encounters after He rose but to the ongoing relationship believers have with Christ through the Holy Spirit. Though we do not see Him physically now, we know Him spiritually. Though He ascended to the Father, He has not abandoned us. He sees us, and by faith, we see Him. And that relationship; communion with the risen, reigning, interceding Christ; is the foundation of joy that endures.
The key phrase is this: “Your joy no man taketh from you.” This is not a claim that believers will never feel sorrow, face hardship, or experience loss. It is the promise that the deep, bedrock joy rooted in our relationship with Christ is untouchable by external forces. Circumstances can press us. People can hurt us. Trials can weaken us. Loss can grieve us. But none of these can sever our union with Christ or rob us of the salvation we possess. Paul echoed this truth: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”[1] The world can touch our possessions, our health, our reputation, our comfort; but it cannot touch the joy that flows from knowing Christ and being known by Him.
Our joy is secured by the resurrection. Because Jesus lives, we live. Because He conquered death, death has no final claim on us. Because He is seated at the right hand of the Father, our future is secure. The resurrection is not a nice ending to an inspiring story; it is the hinge on which all Christian hope and joy turn. If Christ is not raised, our faith is vain, our preaching is empty, and we are of all men most miserable.[2] But Christ is risen. The tomb is empty. Death is defeated. And that reality means our joy is unassailable.
Jesus then connects joy to prayer: “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” Prayer is not merely a religious duty or a crisis hotline for emergencies. It is the means by which we access the fullness of joy. When we pray in Jesus’ name; not using His name as a magic formula, but praying according to His character, His will, and His purposes, God answers. And the receiving of answered prayer fills our joy to the brim.
The phrase “that your joy may be full” points to completeness, satisfaction, and abundance. God does not give us joy in stingy, measured doses. He gives it fully, lavishly, and without reservation. But fullness of joy requires ongoing communion with God through prayer. We are invited; commanded, even, to ask, to seek, to knock. God delights to give good gifts to His children.[3] And one of the greatest gifts He gives is joy that overflows from knowing that our prayers are heard, our needs are met, and our Father is faithful.
This joy endures because it is grounded in unchanging realities. The world’s joy is fragile because it rests on things that shift: health, wealth, relationships, success. But the believer’s joy rests on the finished work of Christ (which cannot be undone), the promises of God (which cannot fail), the indwelling Spirit (who will never leave), and the certain hope of glory (which is guaranteed by the resurrection). These are immovable foundations. No matter what changes around us, these truths remain.
Peter wrote to believers scattered by persecution: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls”[4] They were suffering, dispersed, and under pressure. Yet they rejoiced; not because their circumstances were good, but because their Savior was real and their salvation was secure. This is the same joy Jesus promised His disciples. It does not depend on what we see or feel. It depends on who Christ is and what He has done.
The Christian life will include seasons of sorrow. Jesus never promised otherwise. In fact, He guaranteed tribulation.[5] But sorrow and joy can coexist in the believer’s heart because they operate on different levels. Sorrow touches the surface; our emotions, our circumstances, our immediate experience. Joy runs deeper; rooted in the bedrock of our salvation, our identity in Christ, and our eternal hope. We can grieve losses while rejoicing in Christ. We can weep over suffering while trusting God’s goodness. We can be sorrowful yet always rejoicing.[6]
This Advent, let the promise of enduring joy anchor your soul. Whatever you face; whether trials, losses, disappointments, or fears, remember that your joy is secure in Christ. The world did not give it to you, and the world cannot take it away. It rests on the resurrection of Jesus, the faithfulness of God, and the promise of eternal life. Ask in His name, and your joy will be full. Trust in His victory, and your joy will endure.
Prayer:
- Thank Jesus for the joy that no one can take from you.
- Ask Him to strengthen your faith in His resurrection, deepen your communion with Him through prayer, and fill your heart with joy that endures all things, reminding you that your hope is secure and salvation certain.
Consider:
Record three specific prayers; requests that are meaningful and important to you, on a piece of paper or in a journal. Leave space beside each one for the date when God answers. Commit to praying these requests daily this week, trusting that God hears and responds. As He answers (in His way and His timing), record the date and rejoice in His faithfulness. Let answered prayer fill your joy.
[1] Romans 8:35, 37
[2] 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 19
[3] Matthew 7:7-11
[4] 1 Peter 1:8-9
[5] John 16:33
[6] 2 Corinthians 6:10
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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