424. Joy and Gladness
Zechariah 8:19 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.
God turns mourning to joy, sadness to gladness, weeping to rejoicing along with sickness to health, brokenness to wholeness, and death to life. This fundamental transformation is central to God’s character and activity. It is who He is and what He does. This promise of change from the worst to the best is what happens in life all the time under the ruling hand of the Lord God. This transformation is recorded in Zechariah with the image of fast to feast (as it happens, a change of one letter).
The contrast of hunger and fullness is often used in Scripture, as well as poverty and riches, humility and greatness, sin and righteousness, death and life. Jesus has effected this Great Exchange by His death and resurrection. Joy, gladness and cheer are some of the results of believing in Jesus Christ. The Lord promises joy and gladness for the church. Joy and gladness is a promised spiritual reality. We are full of joy and gladness, whether we feel joyful or not. The Christian lives by faith, not by feelings. When we are not feeling joyful we can remember that we are full of joy and gladness. The truth and the fact of joy never go away, it does not change, and the Lord never takes it away.
We can, and we do, go back to and look to the Lord Jesus Christ and His cross and empty tomb, and the Spirit fills us with joy. That inner joy gets covered over and obscured by sin and evil surrounding us all the time. We are able to peel away the sadness caused by sin and uncover the joy caused by grace. We do this by repentance and faith in the gospel. Joy and gladness and cheerful feasts are always available and ready at hand. The Holy Spirit will help us take our faith in the promise and apply it to the heart. When we are reminded we remember.