There is a difference between joy and bliss. The old saying promises that ignorance will lead to bliss. And in my view, wisdom leads to joy. Long ago, a prophet of the LORD rebuked the people for their bliss. They were not joyful, because they were blinded by ignorance. But they were in a pretty good mood. They were partying, carousing, and having an all-round good time. Unfortunately, it was, as I said, rooted in ignorance.
Isaiah 22:12-13 [NKJV]
And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts
Called for weeping and for mourning,
For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
But instead, joy and gladness,
Slaying oxen and killing sheep,
Eating meat and drinking wine:
"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
I truly wonder if this isn't the prevailing attitude in today's church. Preachers get the people all revved up with talk of new cars and bigger houses. People buy books meant to help them live a life according to God's purpose, but the words are no different than the self-help psychobabble peddled by the world's celebrities. The music on Christian radio stations sounds like second-rate country, and the words all but ignore the very God they are purporting to worship.
Wisdom is the direct result of having the appropriate fear and awe of God so that we listen for His voice, hear His words, and obey His commands. And when we think, speak and act out of true Godly wisdom, we absolutely will have joy in our lives. Ignoring the word might serve to fool the flesh into believing that it can live as it pleases. But when God calls for repentance, and His people heed that call, the spirit will have joy that lasts beyond the end of time.
Be encouraged,
Jose
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