THE CHILDREN'S JOY

What a wonderful thing is joy, so much deeper, purer and longer-lasting than mere pleasure! The world of entertainment cannot rightly use the word. But it is much found in the Scriptures and known amongst those who live by the word of God. There is a majestic outburst of joy which appears as the same one sentence in the writings of Moses, in the Psalms and also in the Prophets. In the older version of the Bible it reads, "The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation".

Firstly, in the account of the Exodus, this verse forms part of the victorious hymn of praise sung by the Israelites when they reached the safe side of the Red Sea. How they must have been impressed with the strength that had made a way of deliverance for them between the high walls of water on either side of them! God's power shown there and the triumph gained, so often referred to in the Scriptures, are a type of His great might and His mercy to us "for we being still without strength, in the due time Christ has died for the ungodly".

Then the jubilant cry comes again in the middle of the Bible and as it is in a Psalm you would expect the emphasis to be on the word song. The Psalmist was not celebrating one particular act of God's power, as with Israel at the Red Sea, but he was singing because he knew that "His loving-kindness endureth for ever". It is good for every believer young or old to be established in this and to praise God for His ways as well as worship Him for the greatness of His holy Person.

Later in the Bible the same doxology occurs in the very short chapter twelve of Isaiah's prophecy which is so full of the salvation which is in God Himself, and yet of which we can say "my salvation". The writer adds a wonderful promise - "And with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation". You will know that in some parts of the earth's surface there are several large groups of wells, some with hot or even boiling water, others with bubbling mud and others again full of an oily substance with flames dancing weirdly on the surfaces. These would be dangerous. But in the "land of the living" there are wells which always provide a joyful salvation to the drinker. I am thankful that the number of these wells is not specified since it means that there is one to meet each and every need. But we must ourselves "draw" this water since the joy-giving salvation is known by drawing on the Holy Spirit and involves communion with the Provider of the wells. Whether your vessel is a tiny one or a greater one do you come to these wells for satisfaction?

J.C.Evershed