A few years ago, a man by the name of Homer Owen owned a golf driving range in Waco. He purchased a huge golf ball that was 28 feet tall as a sign to draw attention to it, but Waco had a city ordinance that no sign at a business in his location could be over 20 feet tall.
Since he already had the gigantic ball, Homer decided to appeal the ordinance. He said, “I spent a lot of time preparing my speech to be delivered to the city council. I was going to point out just how foolish their ordinance was and try to make the inspection department look bad. When it came time to address the council, I found myself being addressed by the Holy Spirit. I heard very clearly in my inner man that I should ask for mercy. Naturally I felt foolish and speechless as I approached the microphone. I stood there for a moment working to get my thoughts together and the mayor had to encourage me to give my reason for coming before the council. I finally told them that I had come to ask for mercy concerning my golf ball.”
The entire council began to laugh, and they voted unanimously to grant a variance for me to erect my golf ball.
None of us can go before God on our own merits. We come as sinners, asking for mercy. St. Peter said, “On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth” (I Peter 1:3, CEB).
None of us can get right with God on our own, we are solely dependent upon his mercy and grace. When we receive that gift, we are born into a new relationship with a God who joyfully loves us. Jesus rejoices when his lost sheep are found. One of my favorite pictures is the laughing Jesus. He loves to have mercy. We can have joy in our daily lives because Jesus has mercy on us and accepts us as part of his family.
We can also have joy because we have been given the gift of eternal life. St. Peter said, “You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:4, CEB).
If you have been born into a living relationship with God, that relationship will last for all eternity. Rejoice. If you have Jesus in your spiritual bank account, you will never run out of the currency of life. You will share God’s vibrancy forever.
We can also have joy even when trials come, because we know that God is at work to bring us to wholeness. God uses all our trials to refine in us the image and character of Jesus Christ. St. Peter said, “You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials” (I Peter 1:6, CEB).
We are limited by our pasts, our shortcomings, our immaturities, and our weaknesses, but Jesus is doing a good work in us to build life in us. Our troubles cause us to seek Him, ask Him for His mercy, and depend upon Him to see us through the tough spots. Even when we don’t understand why we are stressed, we can have joy because God loves us, has mercy upon us, and will carry us through to victory. Rejoice, the Resurrection power of Jesus Christ lives in us.
Finally, we can have joy because “You are receiving the goal of your faith: your salvation” (1 Peter 1:9, CEB). Salvation has come to us in this life. When we find Jesus, it changes us from the inside out. Never again will we go back to the old ways of darkness and despair. We now walk with Jesus and He is leading us on a path of transformation, wholeness, and overcoming. Even death cannot defeat us. Though our bodies will die someday, we will receive new spiritual bodies and live with the Father for all eternity.
We can have joy because God is merciful and saves us from our sins and spiritual deadness. He helps us through all the trials of this life and uses them to perfect us. He bestows upon us an eternal relationship with Him.
Rejoice.
Dr. Dan Darby is a retired United Methodist pastor.
