Joy - This is the great theme of Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always, and, again, I say, rejoice” (4:4).This joy is not a superficial emotion. It’s a confidence which is deeply rooted in God. When we see that true joy is joy in the Lord, we understand why the Word of God can speak of both the joy of the Lord and the fear of the Lord – “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). Scripture tells us that “perfect love casts our fear” (1 John 4:18). This is the Good News that “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” should be understood in connection with “the joy of the Lord” which is “our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). In receiving the joy of the Lord, we receive strength to live to His glory. We live to His glory when we learn to honour our God. Honouring Him as our God, we become more deeply aware of His holiness. This inspires in us a desire to live a holy life. Thus, we come to appreciate the truth of the words, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Thus, we see that “the fear of the Lord” is very different from the kind of fear which is cast out by perfect love. We come, led by God’s grace, to see that the fear of the Lord is part of God’s way of leading us into a life of loving Him who first loved us (1 John 4:19) ...
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