They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD–
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden
Jeremiah 31:12
Joy is a gift, a gracious gift. We can never earn it. Who among us could ever be worthy of the joyous presence of God? Yet despite our rebellion, He has graciously stooped to join us on this desert planet, first in flesh and now in Spirit. No wonder the New Testament Greek word for grace, ‘charis’, actually comes from ‘chara’, the word for joy. In that language, grace originally meant ‘that which causes delight’.
The Spring of God that flows within us flows freely. Nevertheless, the land around a spring doesn’t become a garden until it’s cultivated. God greatly desires each of our souls to become ‘a well-watered garden’.
He supplies the water, because His presence brings with it joy (Psalm 21:6). But He calls us to prepare our hearts to receive the flow of joy so that we can bear fruit.