December 22

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, — 1 Pet 1:8 BSB

Here, we see faith, love, joy, and glory linked together. The word translated "rejoice" means a high degree of joy, literally a joy that causes one to leap. Spiritual joy, holy joy, is different from earthly joy, not just in nature but also in degree. Earthly joy can never rise very high or last very long. It is of the earth, and as such, it is always marred by some disappointment or interruption. As there is always a secret sweetness in the bitter cup of the righteous, so in the sweetest cup of the ungodly, there is a hidden bitterness. Even "in laughter, the heart is sorrowful," and the end of worldly joy is heaviness. God's frown overshadows all worldly pleasures, and the conscience often condemns it, leaving the heart weary, sick, and unsatisfied.

But the joy of faith and love is different. It is unspeakable because it is one of those things that "eye has not seen, nor ear heard." Human language cannot fully describe it because it transcends human thoughts and feelings. Those who have experienced it understand when others speak of it, but not because of the words themselves. The words are like dim shadows or incomplete hints that only make sense when interpreted by personal experience.

"And full of glory." This joy is glorified; God Himself honors it by stamping it with divine glory. It is a foretaste of the glory that will be revealed.