The Joy of the Lord
We often sing a song that begins “The joy of the Lord will be my strength; I will not falter, I will not faint. He is my Shepherd; I am not afraid; the joy of the Lord is my strength.” It is a beautiful song; but did you know that the joy of the Lord is mentioned in scripture? Jesus told a parable about a master who gave three of his servants talents. To one servant he gave five talents, to another two, and the other, one. After being a way for a long time, the master returned and called his servants to give an account of how they had used the talents he had entrusted to them. The one with five made five more, as a result, the master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25.21, 23). The master said the exact same thing to the man with two talents who had made two more. The man with the one talent did not put it to use but hid it in the ground and then returned it with no profit. The master cast the worthless servant into outer darkness (Matthew 25.30). What is “the joy of the Lord” the master extended to the faithful servants? The Greek word literally means “joy,” “cheerfulness, i.e., calm delight,” or “gladness.” The word was particularly applied to a time of feasting. So, the master was saying, “Enter into the joy I have prepared for you,” as if he had prepared a great feast. Most believe the application is to the feast when Jesus returns, or the rewards He has prepared for His faithful servants. Albert Barnes stated, “The parable teaches that those who use and improve their talents shall, at the return of Christ, be promoted to great honors in heaven and be partakers of the joy of the Lord in the world of glory.” God expects us to use the talents He has given us in service to Him. Are you using your’s? Or have you hidden it in the ground? Will you experience the joy of the Lord at His return? Think about it!
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