“We should, to begin with, think that God leads a very interesting life, and that he is full of joy. Undoubtedly he is the most joyous being in the universe. The abundance of his love and generosity is inseparable from his infinite joy.” –Dallas Willard

He is risen! Alleluia!

How does the idea strike you, here in the midst of this joyful Easter season, that God is the most joyous being in the universe? Is it possible that one of the reasons we might find it difficult to sustain a celebration for fifty full days is that, perhaps without knowing, we think of God as emotionless, or worse, as grumpy? Might we carry an unrecognized belief that God is somewhere “up there” (or otherwise separate from us), watching, evaluating, and judging us, ultimately annoyed with our failures? Let’s think about that for a moment.

I have a new grandbaby, my first granddaughter after four grandsons. And I am full of joy! Does she fill her diaper with ick? Yes. Does she cry a lot? Yes. Is she demanding with all of her many needs? Also yes. And I am full of joy! My joy has absolutely nothing to do with what she produces, or how she behaves, or anything like that. No. I am full of joy simply because she exists.

My joy is but a pale echo of God’s, because I believe joy is truly part of God’s nature. But the truth is that God, too, rejoices over us (Zeph. 3:17b) simply because we exist—God is the one who chose to create us, after all. And in his resurrection, Christ pulled us up from the grave with him and joyfully filled us with newness of life. New life! My granddaughter is but a tiny, squidgy, beautiful reflection of this astonishing truth.

If you question God’s joy over you, just meditate a bit on this verse: “For the joy set before him he endured the cross….” (Heb. 12:2b). What was that joy set before him? It was you. It was me. It was a redeemed humanity fully embraced within the infinitude of God’s love. Friends, that is a truth that will always be worth celebrating! Let’s continue walking, filled with joy, in newness of life, together!