There is a medicine that you cannot buy at any price. It’s not for sale at any pharmacy. Neither is it for sale on the illicit drug market. And yet it is highly desired and coveted. People go to extremes to get it through risky means, such as counterfeits and placebos.
That coveted medicine is joy. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, CSB) We know the truth of the proverb. When our spirit is broken, depressed, moody, and blue, we feel it in our bones.
Joy can’t be bought, although many have tried. If only… then life would be good. If only I could get the promotion. If only I could buy that thing. If only this problem could be fixed. If only I could eat that fruit. But even if we get that thing, the effect is fleeting, and something else becomes our if only. Neither can joy be found in the many counterfeits. Risky behavior, sexual conquest, drugs, and booze mask the pain of a broken spirit instead of providing true joy.
But there is a joy that is long-lasting, is good for body, soul, and spirit. While that joy is freely offered, it came at an incalculable cost. That joy brightens our face (Prov 15:13), lights up our eyes (Prov 15:30), and is like a continual feast (Prov 15:15). It is a joy that cannot be bought, manufactured, faked, or bottled. It is the joy of knowing Jesus.
Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, CSB) He prayed, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, CSB)
Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11, CSB) That joy that cannot be bought is Christ’s joy in us. It is His joy bursting from our new life in Him. It is not anchored in feelings or circumstances but in the cross. Yes, life will be difficult. We will suffer loss and hardship. “So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.” (John 16:22, CSB) As we turn our eyes toward Jesus, joy reigns in our hearts. That joy is the best medicine in the world.
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