Joy for a Season

By Larry Doyle Crenshaw

MeditationsInLight.Blogspot.com

Works of Godly light and truth bring gladness and joy

But if deeds are of darkness, and with evil aligned

Then comes the end and those in the devil’s employ

Who joyed in evil for a season, to evil will be consigned

Sometimes the pursuit of the upward-bound Christian life is tempered and slowed as we pause and look at passersby who are moving in the opposite direction, and who appear to be happier than us, more prosperous than us, and, in many respects, seem more content than us.  We may be tempted to consider, “Should not our good works produce good fruit leading to ever greater prosperity, progress, and happiness?”  “Why does it appear that their road is freer of obstacles, roadblocks, hurts and pains?”  These inner spiritual questions usually give way to standard answers that require our patience, and persistent faith, but most of all, require a re-orientation of our line of sight – not on those going the other way and their path, but a re-focus on ourselves and our path.

God has said that those taking a downward direction may have “joy” for a season, but it will be short-lived in the eternal scheme of things. (Book of Mormon   3 Nephi 27:9-12)   Further, He has said that what they appear to experience is not really joy at all for “wickedness never was happiness,” (Book of Mormon  Alma 41:10). So, we assume that what they call joy must be something else – perhaps what is called “temporal pleasure” – things that please the “carnal, natural man.” (Book of Mormon   Mosiah 3:19)

However, despite, and perhaps because of, our afflictions, we may experience joy as declared by the Apostle Paul, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (2 Corinthians 4:17) – “Difficult, but worth it,” we often say.  This truth leads us to testify:

Patient, Godly works will yield a divine noblesse

By obedience to God and by His saving grace

And consecrate us thru His veil and profess

Our reunion with Him by His heavenly embrace

Joy for a Season

Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you;  And if it so be that the church is built upon my gospel then will the Father show forth his own works in it. But if it be not built upon my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the works of the devil, verily I say unto you they have joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return. For their works do follow them, for it is because of their works that they are hewn down; therefore remember the things that I have told you.

Book of Mormon   3 Nephi 27:9-12

Joy can be rather constant or a fleeting thing

Oft determined by our attitudes and actions

Beliefs, feelings, and works to which we cling

Thus, joy is a choice in our daily transactions

Works of Godly light and truth bring gladness and joy

But if deeds are of darkness, and with evil aligned

Then comes the end and those in the devil’s employ

Who joyed in evil for a season, to evil will be consigned

Remorseful in a place from whence there is no return

Their evil works will follow them and hew them down

Such is the fate of the ungodly who will fall and burn

Refusing the atoning grace of Him who wears the crown

Joyful transactions can seem few and far between

As joy is waylaid by pain, chaos, and strife

Ambushed by things capricious and unforeseen

Some forego joy and succumb to the temporal life

Life can seem like a despairing judicial sentence

For the hapless who may have joy for a season

But remain lost and refraining from repentance

They reject the truth and the light from its beacon

Patient, Godly works will yield a divine noblesse

By obedience to God and by His saving grace

And consecrate us thru His veil and profess

Our reunion with Him by His heavenly embrace

Larry Doyle Crenshaw