The world contains far too many wicked people possessing no concern for God, the Bible, and eternity. Sometimes those who know the Lord as Saviour lose hope concerning others coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. Bible-believing Christians must always keep in mind that as long as a man remains breathing there is hope for his redemption. Isaiah told the Lord, “For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth” (Isaiah 38:18). Once death occurs, all hope ceases. The individual’s destination and/or his reward are settled. Yet, up until that point in time, there is hope for salvation, hope for growth, and hope for spiritual change.
Today's passage teaches several remarkable truths concerning joy. First, joy is given to man by God--but not indiscriminately given to every man. Apparently, joy is given to those who are not sinners in the sense of wallowing in it. Everyone sins, but this verse speaks to the fact that God does not openly bless the sinner who has no desire for God to help him overcome his sinful ways. Moreover, our passage further reveals that God considers it good in His sight for a man to have joy. This point may seem insignificant, but it emphasizes God's true desire for man. Just as God desires for men to have wisdom and knowledge, He wants men to know the joy that comes only from and through Him. Some may think the source of joy disputable, but James 1:17 affirms that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”
