Inexpressible Joy

"I was within 10 feet of John Kerry!" boasted my co-worker as we rode home from work. It turns out that years ago, Kerry, who is married to one of the members of the Heinz catsup family, was frequenting the same Galena Lodge in Idahoe where my friend was eating. No words or recognition passed between them, but the memory of that encounter stuck in my friend's mind for all these years. 

The words that he shared struck me the following morning as our men's group was studying the first book of Peter. In verse 8 Peter says:

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I had to think that if my friend could retain  that indelible memory of joy from sharing that brief experience in the presence of John Kerry, how much more inexpressible and glorious was the joy Peter must have captured in his heart after spending years within Jesus' chosen, inner circle. How could words ever express the yearning that he was trying to share in these short letters to those whose hearts he wanted to set on fire with the joy of knowing salvation through trusting in Jesus? It's almost an "I'm going to grab you and shake you until you understand the wonder of this salvation" kind of evangelism! He is trying to ignite an explosion of joy in their lives.