In the epistle to the Philippians, we have written these words concerning our Lord: “…God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). From this passage of Scripture we learn there will be a time when every knee will bow to Jesus Christ the Lord. Therefore you and I ought to joyfully bow before Him now by humbling ourselves to live a life of faithful obedience to Him so that once this life is over or the Lord comes again we can enter into the joy of our Lord (Matt. 25:21, 23).

In order for an individual to become a Christian he’s got to give up some things. However, after he’s done so, he gains more than all the things the world could ever offer. For example, he gains: (1) a place among the people of God, (2) the assurance of being an heir of the promises which God made to the patriarchs, (3) the great expectation of living with his Creator for all eternity, and (4) a relationship with God (Eph. 2:12-13). With this in mind, we can see the things which ought to initially bring joy to a person when he bows down before Jesus in humble submission to His will.

A child of God can find joy during the darkest and most difficult times of his life. You may be asking yourself, “How can this be?” To answer this question, I want to remind you of what our beloved brother James wrote Jewish-Christians who were undergoing trials. James said to them: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:2, 3). From this passage of Holy Writ we learn that one can find joy during trials when he looks beyond it to how it will benefit him after he overcomes it, that is, the endurance that will be produced after he’s gained the victory over it. Thus the spiritual truth of a hymn we sometimes sing becomes clear, which says: “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin. Each vict’ry will help you some other to win” (Yield Not to Temptation, Palmer).

The epistle to the Hebrews is a letter that can and will ignite the flame inside of a Christian that may be on the verge of going out, as it did for those to whom it was originally written. This missive, or letter, written to Jewish-Christians who were on the verge of apostasy was the letter of exhortation they needed to hear. In the twelfth chapter we have written these words: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1, 2). This Scripture says that a follower of Jesus ought to have his gaze permanently fixed on Him and to look to the joy that is set before him, as the Lord did while He was on this Earth. Moreover, we learn that the Lord Jesus overcame Satan, sin, and self due to Him having his focus on the hereafter. Therefore if you and I do the same then we can come over to be with our God after everything’s said and done.

In summary, we took notice of how one day everyone will bow down before Jesus. That being so, we ought to make the conscious decision to devote our lives to Him and follow up this commitment with the appropriate actions. Moreover, we learned of the threefold joy that every Christian has. This includes (1) the things that initially bring joy to a person when they become a Christian, (2) the joy a Christian can find during trials that arise along his  walk with God, and (3) the joy a Christian has set before him after this life is over. We can see the joys that an individual can have when they bow before the Lord and Savior. However, even with all of these things which ought to cause a Christian to have constant joy, it sadly may be the case that at times a Christian may have no sense of joy. If this is the case with you my dear brother or sister, I beg you to regain the joy that come with being a child of the Most High God (ref. Phil. 4:4). I leave you with the words of our Lord: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).