Blaise Pascal once said: “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.”

I think he is spot in saying this. We cannot escape the fact that we act according to what we desire and we can't escape the fact that we desire joy. However, once we recognize that, a significant question arises... How does our pursuit of joy fit with God's pursuit of his glory? On the one hand the Bible clearly teaches that the world is about the glory of God (all things are from him and through him and to him - Rom. 11:36) and that whatever we do, we are to "do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Yet, we wonder, is there any room for our joy in this radically God-centered universe? And the answer of the Bible is yes!

These two great realities are intimately linked together because one of the ways that God intends to get glory for himself is by bringing great joy to his people. This is one of the realities that we see in Psalm 65 and that this sermon focuses on.

Here's a great quote from the famous Pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones when asked to give a definition of a Christian:

“If you were to ask me to give a definition of a Christian I should say that he is one who, since believing in Christ, feels himself to be the happiest man in the world and longs for everybody else to be equally happy!”

This sermon was originally preached by Jackson Hankey at River City Church on Sunday, June 15th, 2025.