To the unsaved man or woman the Christian way of life seems gloomy and unhappy. In their opinion, when one becomes a Christian he gives up things which are pleasant and attractive and undertakes a life of long-faced monotony and pious misery. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Christian life is a way of happiness. Faith in Christ implants joy in the human heart. The Saviour came that men might have abundant life. A life without joy is barren and empty. The apostle Peter speaks of the Lord as the One in whom "believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8).

The heart of a child of God has every reason to rejoice. The Christian rejoices because of what Christ has given him and because of what He has taken away. He has been given salvation. He has passed from death into life. He has been given the assurance of God's presence now and hereafter. From him has been removed a sense of guilt and a weight of sin. He has been freed from the domination of old habits and old impulses. He has been led out of darkness into light. Surely, this is enough to cause springs of joy to well up in the heart.

A day-by-day experience of God's mercy develops the Christian's joy. As he trusts his Lord for comfort in the time of sorrow and finds the comfort supplied, as he leans upon Him for strength in a moment of weakness and finds himself upheld, as he turns to Him in the hour of need and finds the need met, he cannot help rejoicing.

This joy is increased as the Lord speaks to him through His Word, the Bible. Christ Himself said to His disciples, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full" (John 15:11). From the Word of God a joy ever new and fresh comes to the Christian as he reads, studies and meditates on its holy pages. The command to rejoice seems almost superfluous, yet he is told to "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). When he walks with His Father, the Christian will always be filled with joy.

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