JOY AND GLADNESS

 “…they shall obtain JOY and GLADNESS, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away”” – Isaiah 51:11b

In the Divine Dictionary, JOY and GLADNESS are Siamese twins. The Psalmist prayed: “Make me to hear JOY and GLADNESS; that the bones which You have broken may rejoice” (Psa.51:8). When a life welcomes and embraces Joy and Gladness, broken bones are rejuvenated to rejoice afresh! Joy and Gladness delete depression and regrets. Our meditation on the Fullness of Joy would be incomplete without touching on Gladness. The two go hand-in-hand, yet they are distinct. The witness of Scriptures confirms this. If Joy and Gladness were exactly synonymous, it wouldn’t be necessary to link them with the word “AND” in virtually every place where both are mentioned side-by-side. Consider these living words and personalise them prophetically:

“And He brought out His people with JOY, His chosen ones with GLADNESS” (Psa. 105:43). I declare that the Lord has brought me out of the bondage of darkness, with Joy; and all the days of my life I shall go out with Joy and move forward with Gladness!

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting JOY on their heads. They shall obtain JOY and GLADNESS, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa.35:10). I declare that I will never cease singing in Zion; sorrow and sighing have taken flight away from my life, never to return, in Jesus name!

“For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; JOY and GLADNESS will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody” (Jer.51:3). Lord, I pray that I shall enjoy Your comfort as You transform every waste place and wilderness in my life into blooming and blossoming gardens. Let Joy and Gladness never depart from my domain, along with thanksgiving and the voice of melody, in Jesus’ name!

“So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting JOY on their heads; they shall obtain JOY and GLADNESS, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa.51:11). By faith, I declare that I have obtained everlasting Joy and unending Gladness in Zion; sorrow and sighing are permanently severed from my life, in Jesus name!

“And you will have JOY and GLADNESS, and many will rejoice at his birth” (Lk.1:14). I declare that I have received and I possess Joy and Gladness, and the testimonies of my life will cause multitudes to rejoice, in Jesus’ name!

How then does Gladness relate to or differ from Joy? 2 Samuel 6:12 says: “…So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David WITH GLADNESS.” Here, we see David’s exuberant display of Joy. Gladness, like Joy originates from the heart, but it is that super-abundant overflow of Joy that can neither be caged nor hidden! You cannot stop or shut down a person who speaks, testifies, dances, sings, shares, gives or serves God with Gladness of heart. Gladness is Overflowing Joy – JOY in CELEBRATION: “So they ate and drank before the LORD with GREAT GLADNESS on that day.  And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time…” (1Chr.29:22). It takes gladness even to eat and drink acceptably before the Lord!

Gladness is part of the divine testimony: that the God of heaven still cares intimately for His creatures and His children on earth. God not only sends His rain to refresh our lives and nourish our grounds, He provides us with food to feed our physical bodies, and fills our hearts with gladness: “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and GLADNESS” (Acts 14:17). The inference from this scripture is that God is the Giver of Gladness; but what I personally do with the divine deposit of Gladness already poured into my heart is my responsibility! I choose to rejoice and be glad in the Lord! Alleluia!