Yikes!

Today, I am struck by something. From Jeremiah through Joel, virtually every reference to joy in the Bible is a bad deal. On several occasions, I find God telling people to rejoice because they’re about to be wiped out by divine judgment. I find Him promising to wipe the smiles from their faces. And I see Him calling them to stop their partying and revelry and start mourning. As I said, a bad deal. But why is God being so hard?

The one answer, in every single one of these situations, is sin.

Sin drains our joy. I’ve already seen that in my study. But sometimes, I must admit, sin is fun. It’s easy to enjoy a variety of sins. Even in these situations, though, God’s message is clear: be warned. Sin may be enjoyable right now, but sooner or later, it absolutely won’t be. So if I’m enjoying sin right now, I had better change my attitude. Because whatever joy I’m feeling right now, it most certainly isn’t the real, ultimate joy that God intends for me to have. And eventually, the illusion of fun will come crashing down when God’s justice comes due.