Invasion of the Joy Snatchers
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV
It’s December. Christmas celebrations are on their way. There is a promise of joy in the air. And yet, they’re everywhere. You can run, but you can’t hide. Just when the sun breaks through to your heart, they attack, conjuring up a dark cloud to squelch your joy. They put joy in jeopardy daily. No one is immune. Even believers can fall victim to … the joy snatchers.
Habakkuk sure had trouble with the joy snatchers. Don’t know Habakkuk? He authored one of the minor prophetic books of the Old Testament the late 7th century BC. Habakkuk was a Levite associated with the temple singers, which means he normally would have been the one to encourage joy. But, instead, Habakkuk was wrestling with joy snatchers. The presenting snatcher was the Babylonian Empire which was devouring nations and soon Babylon would take God’s people into exile. Habakkuk saw it coming figuratively and literally.
He saw it coming because the people of God had abandoned God, had walked away from God’s directives for living, and had worshipped other gods. Over and again God had reached out to his people and over and again God’s people pushed him away. Now, the outcome God had told them through Moses would happen was about to be fulfilled. Habakkuk saw it coming.
What’s frightening is that I look around and see the same things happening today. People who claim to be believers, God’s people, abandoning God, walking away from his principles for living, and, whether they realize it or not, worshipping other gods. Joy is being snatched up all around us and even from within us.
Now most prophets, most of the time, speak to us call us to listen to God’s words of judgment and salvation, of confrontation and comfort. They bring us face to face us with the God who is, not the God we imagine him to be. But Habakkuk speaks our word to God. He gives voice to our bewilderment, frustration, disappointments, and dark clouds. He has identified the joy snatchers, looks to God and seeks an answer. By doing so, Habakkuk teaches us how to deal with joy snatchers: First, identify the joy snatcher. Then seek God’s answer.
Let’s consider a few of the most dangerous joy snatching culprits.
Anxiety and Fear. Solomon wrote, “An anxious heart weighs a man down” (Proverbs 12:25). When we worry it feels like we’re constantly carrying around a 100 lb. sack of potatoes: heavy, lumpy, and hard. Ever try to dance with a sack of potatoes on your shoulder? It’s nearly impossible. It’s nearly impossible to experience joy, too. David encourages us to “Cast our care on the Lord” (Psalm 55:22) and Peter says to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). When worry gets the best of you and takes your joy away, envision the weight of all your anxieties on your shoulders, reach back, grasp it with your hands, and, with all your strength, heave that sack right into God’s lap.
Comparing and Coveting. God pours many blessings into our lives. But our joy quickly runs down the drain when we covet. Discontent and ungratefulness are like two greedy hands that pull the plug on our tub of joy. When we focus on our perceived “lack” and others’ assumed “much” we are questioning God’s goodness, faithfulness, and love and worshipping other gods. We are substituting artificial happiness for real joy. David reminds us that God has “given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine” (Psalm 4:7) and, as Paul told Timothy, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Gratefulness is the water of joy and contentment is the plug for the drain.
Sin. Anything that pulls us away from God’s presence pulls us away from joy. David declares, “In [God’s] presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11) and “Strength and joy [are] in his dwelling” (1 Chronicles 16:27). Sin is like a fishing lure. It appears enticing and satisfying; but once we take a bite, it hooks us and pulls us away from God. We will find that when we follow God’s directives for life they actually “give joy to the heart” (Psalm 19:8).
Busyness and Over-commitment. I’ve allowed this joy snatcher in my life far too often; perhaps you have, too. The reason this joy snatcher is so dangerous is that it can overtake us without our knowing it. Near the end of one particularly busy week I just sat down and said, “Lord, what’s going on?” God revealed that in the busyness I left no space for Him. He also revealed two dangers: 1, the work and commitments were getting in the way of my relationship with God and so could become gods and 2, the attitude that it was all up to me take care of the tasks, get the answers, and solve the problems was causing me to become god instead of God. Solomon warns, “Unless the Lord build the house, its builders labor in vain… in vain you rise up early and stay up late, toiling … [God] provides even while you sleep” (Psalm 127).
Holding on too Tightly. When we hold back any area of our lives from God, we subject ourselves to the whims of circumstances, which we now must control, because we won’t let God be in control. The more we try to control our circumstances, the more we squeeze out joy. Abraham was surely tempted to give in to this joy snatcher. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his dearest treasure, his only and long-awaited son. Though he had no idea what would happen as he hiked up that mountain, when Isaac asked where the lamb was for the sacrifice Abraham responded, “God himself will provide” (Genesis 22:7-8). When tempted to tighten our grip and take control, remember what God told Jeremiah to tell Israel, “I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (29:11).
Joyless People. When Israel celebrated the return of the Ark of the Covenant, “Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. When she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart” (1 Chronicles 15:29). A bitter or heavy-hearted person can feel jealous of or cynical about the joy in others. While being sensitive to others, we must not allow their negativism and cynicism to poison our joy. Cynicism – the distrust of the goodness of God or of others and their motives – throws cold water on the flames of joy. If we allow ourselves to buy into it, we not only jeopardize our joy, we will also be less able to enjoy or even carry out simple acts of kindness, compassion, and grace – especially needed by those who are bitter or heavy-hearted.
Unbelief. What would you consider the opposite of joy to be? It’s not sorrow. Outward circumstances may cause sorrow, but it is what we believe about God in the midst of them that impacts our joy. If afflictions and sorrow were the true joy snatcher, Paul would have been the heaviest and most joyless person in the New Testament. Instead, Paul was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). It allowed him to say, “In all our troubles my joy knows no bounds” (2 Corinthians 7:4).
The opposite of joy is unbelief. In fact, most of the joy snatchers are rooted in unbelief. Satan is the great deceiver, the father of lies. He whispers to our spirit and into our minds thoughts such as God doesn’t really know what’s best for me. What others think about me is more significant than what God says about me. His deception slowly chokes out the joy. That is why Paul prays, “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
We may assume that since we are children of God, chosen and loved, that we will somehow get special treatment, that we will somehow be protected from the joy snatchers. But it is perhaps because we are God’s chosen and loved that joy snatchers lurk in our lives, threatening to rob us of our joy. I have a little secret for you: Jesus promised the disciples, “No one will take away your joy” (John 16:22). Joy snatchers can’t take our joy; we have to give it up.
I also have a rather large secret for you: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Even if you feel compelled to give it up or to have lost it, the joy that God has already given you will enable you to endure and overcome. Even though the joy snatchers were coming in strong against Habakkuk, God reminded the temple singer to trust him. Israel’s circumstances didn’t change but Habakkuk did (read the text above) and you can, too.