“The Communists believe that happiness comes from material satisfaction; but alone in my cell, cold, hungry, and in rags, I danced for joy every night.”
Richard Wurmbrand knew what it was to have material satisfaction. By the age of twenty-five he had become a successful businessman. He had wealth, influence, access to everything the world had to offer. But he lacked one thing – happiness.
It hadn’t come with the wealth or influence. He couldn’t find it in the pleasures of the world. The Communists believed happiness came from material satisfaction. But Richard knew it didn’t.
Do You?
Many are trying to find happiness, or joy, in the world – in people, accomplishments, or possessions. But they are looking in the wrong place.
In Count it All Joy, I shared how God transformed Richard from a man who refused to accept salvation, for fear of the difficulty it would bring, into a pastor who prayed he might bear a cross for his Saviour’s sake. It was in Christ that Richard Wurmbrand found the happiness material goods could not supply.
Suffering starvation, isolation, and cold as a prisoner of the Communist government, Richard didn’t feel joy because of his surroundings. Sessions of physical and emotional torture didn’t leave him in a good mood. Yet despite his feelings, rather than because of them, Richard Wurmbrand had joy. How?
He chose it.
He Chose Jesus
Richard found an abundance of joy in the presence of his Savior – Jesus Christ.
It was true joy. Joy that didn’t come and go. That did not cease to be available to him when he was locked into a prison cell.
He was not the only one to find it. Paul and Silas flogged, thrown into a cell and fastened into stocks rejoiced. (Acts xvi. 22-25)
In Psalm xvi.11 David wrote, “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (ESV)
A Feeling or a Choice?
Over and over again, God instructs His people to rejoice. This word means “to choose or show happiness or joy; to be glad.”
In the English language emotions, like sad or happy, are adjectives. Feelings simply describe the state you are in. The word rejoice, however, is a verb – an action word. To rejoice is an action we choose to take.
“Obedience to God is always possible. It is a deadly error to fall into the notion that when feelings are extremely strong we can do nothing about them.” – Elisabeth Elliot
As Christians we have access to source of joy – Christ Himself. However, it takes a conscious decision to go to Christ and receive the joy He offers. Paul, Silas, and Richard Wurmbrand all made that decision. They took their eyes off of the prison cells which surrounded them, pushed aside feelings of sorrow, self pity, and despair, and looked at Jesus instead.
Rejoicing in Action
“Sometimes I was so filled with joy that I felt I would burst if I did not give it expression. I remembered the words of Jesus, “Blessed are you when men come to hate you, when they exclude you from their company and reproach you and cast out your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!”
I told myself, “I’ve carried out only half of this command. I’ve rejoiced, but is that enough? Jesus clearly says we must also leap.”
When the next guard peered through the spy hole, he saw me springing about my cell. His orders must have been to distract anyone who showed signs of breakdown, for he padded off and returned with some food from the staff room: a hunk of bread, some cheese, and sugar. As I took them I remembered how the verse in Luke went on: “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy – for behold your reward is great.” It was a very large piece of bread – more than a week’s ration!”
As he had chosen joy, so then did Pastor Wurmbrand choose to stand up in his cell and leap. In both cases God rewarded his obedience. He will reward ours as well!
In Christ
Quiana
*Quotes and excerpts were taken from Richard Wurmbrand’s book, In God’s Underground
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