Tag Archives: joyful heart

The Death of Discouragement, The Lord our Courage

Courage For the Dis-Couraged

2 Comments

Zerubbabel started out well. He’d led a group of Jews returning to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity. His mission was to rebuild the destroyed temple. 

He had the credentials;  a descendent of King David [1] and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. [2] But there were difficulties.  Zerubbabel, along with the rest of the people, got side tracked from building God’s house while they built houses for themselves. Work on the temple slowed to a standstill for a number of years. [3] 

Part of the problem was the opposition Zerubbabel faced from the Samaritans, who wrote slanderous letters to the Persian kings and hired counselors to intimidate and frustrate the workers. [4]

Zerubbabel and the Jews were discouraged. Amidst todays social and political unrest, as well as as economic instability, many of us can relate.

So what turned the tide? Four years later we read about a joyous dedication of the temple:  And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16 NASB).

Along the way, discouragement was replaced by courage to accomplish what God was calling them to do.

That kind of courage would serve us well today.

What was the recipe for the courage which turned the whole affair around?

Turning the Tide from Discouragement to Courage.

A Call to Obedience

First, the Jews had to change their behavior. This was prompted by a call to obedience from the prophet Haggai: Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house … (Haggai 1:7-9 NASB) 

This rebuke from God was a call to stop focusing on their paneled houses and complete the job of rebuilding the house of the Lord, which remained in desolate ruins. [5]

God’s word was heeded and the Jews obeyed. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the Lord (Haggai 1:12).

Obedience is always the first step.

A Call to Courage

Then the Lord told the people, “I am with you.”  Hearing this, the spirits of Zerubbabel,  Joshua, and all the people were stirred up. They pushed past the apathy and opposition and resumed work on the house of God. [6]

Then came the call to courage. But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’  (Haggai 2:4-5).

The promise of God’s presence stirred up the spirits of the Jews and gave them great courage.

God’s presence turned the tide and mustered the hearts of His people to accomplish what He desired. 

But it’s not just a one time reminder. We need to continually realize God’s nearness, especially when facing our own challenges. This awareness of His presence changes everything.

Rebuilding the temple was never easy. Zerubbabel the the Jews needed to constantly know they weren’t alone as they went about God’s business.

How about us? 

Paneled Houses

Like Zerubbabel and the Jews, are we focused on our concerns while God’s work is being neglected? What are our paneled houses? 

It’s a great question to ask. God was not condemning the Jews for having nice houses. The problem was their focus. Their desires had taken the place of what God desired.

What’s our focus? Are we consumed with our “needs” above God’s business? God tells us that if we focus on His kingdom, not our own, He’ll take care of what we need.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33 NASB).

“Aim at Heaven and you get Earth ‘thrown in’: aim at Earth and you will get neither.” (A Joyful Christian  C.S. Lewis) 

God is With us

As we endeavor upon what God is calling us to do, we’re never alone. The things God asks us to do, and to endure, are often extremely difficult. In our work for God, our weaknesses are exposed. 

This a good thing. We sometimes face what we might call God sized problems – tasks which are impossible to accomplish without God working through us.

In our weaknesses, God is strong. [7]  

As God’s children, we’ve been given His Spirit, which Paul calls the Holy Spirit of promise, [8] to indwell us.

The Holy Spirit, the promised presence of God, is to guide and empower us and give us courage for whatever we face. Right this moment, God’s Spirit indwells His children. Though we may not feel His nearness, He never leaves us.

Whatever our circumstances, we can embrace God’s presence. When we do, courage rises.

Prayer

Lord, what great encouragement You’ve given us with the story of Zerubbabel and the rest of the Jews. Though they were discouraged and distracted, they obeyed You. They drew great courage from their belief in Your nearness and from Your powerful presence. Thank you.

Today, You are as close as breath to us, Your children. You are with me right this moment, indwelling me, empowering me, guiding me, comforting me and loving me. Thank you!

Please help me abide in Your nearness and live my life in utter dependence upon You. Apart from You I can do nothing of eternal worth. I want to be about Your kingdom and Your business.

Please show me quickly when I focus on my own paneled houses and neglect what You desire for my life.

I love you.

  Amen

Journal Time

With your journal in hand, spend time thinking about things of this world which tend to consume your focus. Ask God to bring clarity and write down your own “paneled houses”. Ask Him to show you what business of His you might be neglecting, like Zerubbabel and the Jews leaving God’s temple in ruins.

Based on what you believe He is telling you, write a prayer of repentance and obedience, asking Him to guide and empower you by His presence.

Thank Him for giving up His life up to save you and giving you His Holy Spirit to be your constant Helper. Thank Him for the Joy of His presence and the courage He gives you by His nearness.

Come back to this journal entry often.

[1] I Chronicles 3:16-19

[2] Matthew 1:12-13

[3] Haggai 1:1-4

[4] Ezra 4:1-24

[5] Haggai 1:4

[6] Haggai 1:13-14

[7] 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10

[8] Ephesians 1:13

Other Posts in our Rhythms of Joy Series:

Joy is important because it’s an experience of God

The amazing connection between grace and joy

Please Check out the  Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Joy Flowing From Grace, Rejoice Evermore

The Amazing Connection Between Joy and Grace (Republished as Rejoice Always (Embracing God’s Grace) In the Moments

3 Comments

I’m in a very contemplative mood. In fact, I feel quite weary. There’s plenty of tough circumstances to go around. We’ve had two deaths in our family in the last couple of months. We also have a family member who is struggling with addiction and a number who don’t know Jesus. The thought of them facing an eternity without Him is very sobering.

And so many friends are dealing with hard situations as well. Even though, in John 16:33, Jesus told us this would be the case, it doesn’t make it easy to deal with death, broken relationships, addiction, illness and the like. This world is full of trials and problems and at the moment they weigh heavy on my soul.

Sometimes I handle the trials of life well and other times, not so much. I think it comes down to my perspective. If I get swallowed up in the details of the moment and see only what’s going wrong, life becomes a drudgery. However, when I can gain an eternal view, even in the midst of hard times, my outlook is different.

Right now, my heart is heavy, and I need God’s truth.

Turning to the Bible, I come across a verse that if someone said it to me right now, I’d take it as a trite answer and very insensitive.

But no one said it. I read it. It’s I Thessalonians 5 :16 – “Rejoice Evermore.”

Rejoice Evermore! This unconditional command seems impossible. With all that’s going on, rejoicing is the last thing I feel like doing. But, since God said it, I’ll take this as an invitation to dig deeper, asking Him to show me how this is possible.

Lord, how is it possible to rejoice evermore?

How is it Possible to Rejoice Evermore?

Rejoicing Requires Dependence Upon the Holy Spirit

After years of trying to obey God’s commands in my own strength, I must first recognize that obedience requires dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. Until I understood this, I literally wore myself out trying to be like Jesus in my own strength. A life of self-fueled “obedience” leads to burn out and deeper sin.

“It’s all up to me” is a lie from the pit of hell. It’s prideful and sinful. 

Learning what it means to rejoice evermore is no different than any other command. It can only be obeyed by yielding to the Holy Spirit within me.

What Does it Mean to Rejoice Evermore?

When Paul tells us to rejoice, he uses the Greek word “chairo”, which means to be cheerful, calmly happy or well off, be glad. “Chario” is derived from the root word “charis”, which means grace, or unmerited spiritual blessings granted to those who trust in Jesus Christ.

So, in the Greek language, “rejoice” and “grace” are closely related. Rejoicing is seen as a natural response to receiving and experiencing God’s grace. The bedrock quality of rejoicing is trusting and resting in what has been done for me, apart from anything I could ever do. The more I comprehend this unbelievable fact, the less I’ll strive for value and purpose based on what I do and how the world sees me.

“Evermore” comes from the Greek word “pantoteh” which literally means every when, or at all times, always.

So, I’m to be glad and cheerful, at all times, based on the fact that I’ve been freely given God’s spiritual blessings.

All times!

When I’m grieving, my joy comes from God, fullness of all joy, and the grace He’s given me.

When life is fun and my wife and I are loving hanging out with our grandkids and kids, my joy comes from God, fullness of all joy, and the grace He’s given me.

When relations are strained or broken, my joy comes from God, fullness of all joy, and the grace He’s given me.

When life seems stale and plain, my joy comes from God, fullness of all joy, and the grace He’s given me.

When I’m afraid and worried, my joy comes from God, fullness of all joy, and the grace He’s given me.

I’m always living in a physical world, with real trials, problems and heartaches. So, if I am to make this command to “rejoice always” a real, legitimate part of my life, certain spiritual truths, based on the “grace” or unmerited favor bestowed upon me, can’t be forgotten.

Rejoicing in God’s Grace

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace  which He lavished on us.  (Ephesians 1:3-8a NASB).  

Rejoicing in God’s grace, shown to me in His love and sacrifice for my sins, sustains me and gives me courage. 

Before the world began, I was chosen to be loved as a child by God Almighty. My eternal relationship with God, my new Father, was secured by the cruel death of His Son Jesus, the Messiah, on a Roman cross. This was all done for the praise of the weightiness or glory of God’s grace. His grace, was literally lavished upon me, abounding and overflowing, manifested in the shedding of Jesus’ life blood.

This is how I rejoice evermore. Regardless of what I’m going through, the root of joy is God’s grace, expressed in His love. It happened before the world began, so nothing can change His grace for me today.

In God’s grace, I rejoice evermore.

God’s grace gives me a peace which is greater than any circumstance I can face, including the very hard difficulties I face today. 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NASB).

In my opinion whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future God has planned for us  (Romans 8:18 J.B. Phillips Translation).

Prayer

Lord, You have totally answered my prayer. Though hard times continue, and problems are not resolved, I rejoice in You. Your word has given me great courage. Please help me to take each care, each concern and cast upon You because You care for me. I can stop striving to make everything “okay” for me to be all right. My hope and stability are in You. I rejoice in the grace You showed me, before I was even born. And I know nothing can change that.

In You, and in Your love and grace, I rejoice evermore.

  Amen

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NASB)

Journal Time

With your journal in hand, spend time thinking about things going on in your life which are hard. Write a prayer asking God how to trust Him in the difficulties you face. Even in the midst, ask Him to show you how to rejoice in Him during these and all moments in your life.

Other Posts in our Rhythms of Joy Series:

Joy is important because it’s an experience of God

Please Check out the  Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.

For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in an old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Please Check out the  Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy is Essential

Joy, an Experience of God (Published in Rhythms of Joy)

2 Comments

This is the first post in a series entitled Rhythms of Joy.

In this series we’ll explore why joy is important, how joy fits into suffering, what kills our joy and how to experience joy.

Joy, an Experience of God

Joy is important. It’s not just a nice to have part of our lives.

Joy is an experience of God’s nearness.

Joy is commanded.

Having joy is a mark of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Our joy in God brings Him glory.

Joy can easily be confused with happiness and sometimes they intersect, resulting in good feelings. Happiness is tied to happenings, but joy is much deeper.

The difference between happiness and joy might be illustrated by the difference between a ship and a submarine in a sea storm. The status of the ship is totally dependent upon the waves and the condition of the sea.

Whereas a submarine can travel several hundred yards below a hurricane and not be affected.

Since God is the source and fullness of all joy, [1] it has an eternal quality which is deeper than the circumstances we encounter. Like a submarine, joy is deeper than the storm.

Eternal Void

God created us with an eternal void. [2]     

Our hearts long to be satiated with a joy which can only come from God. He is the originator of joy. All earthy whiffs of gladness point to Him. Early in our lives we tend to experience joy much easier.

     

As we grow older, when the pains of life press in, we can lose the scent of joy and travel down long forsaken paths looking for lasting satisfaction.

Think about some things which brought you joy as a child.

Searching for Joy

As a child,  I remember the joys of snow, Christmas, the community pool and hanging out with my grandfather, Pop. My grandparents lived next to me growing up.

On summer afternoons, much to my delight, Pop hit me pop balls in the field in between our two houses.

As I got older and began to feel some independence, I remember thinking how happy and satisfied I’d be when I was old enough to drive and had my own car. I worked and bought an F85 Deluxe Oldsmobile and it did satisfy me for a short while.

Then I began to think that if I had a girl friend to ride in the car with me, I’d be happy and satisfied. I met Annie and that satisfied me for a short while.

Then I began to think that if I could move away to college, I’d be happy and satisfied. I moved away to Columbia, SC and attended the University of South Carolina and felt satisfied was for a short while.

Then I began to think about how satisfied I’d be when I  graduated college and began a life on my own.  And when I did, I felt satisfied for a short while.    

“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing, but only by God the creator made known by Jesus Christ.” Blaise Pascal

The endless search for joy continued.

Eventually, I would surrender my life to the God, the source of all joy.  But it would be years before I fully understood that God Himself would satisfy the deep longings of my heart. As a young believer, I still tried to draw my happiness and sense of well being from my circumstances. And sometimes I still do.

I’m realizing now that the joy which exudes from God, satisfies the deep longing of my heart.

On top of that, the joy of God fills me with courage and strength.

A Matter of the Heart

It’s really a matter of our hearts, the well spring of our lives. [3]

The condition of our hearts determine our courage.

No wonder the French word for heart—”coeur” is where we get the word “courage”. The state of our heart determines whether we’re en-couraged or dis-couraged.

God’s joy fortified us with strength [4] and infuses us with courage. [5]  

Joy is like a nectar for our hearts. 

Since joy is more than a feeling, we can choose it, even during the hardest of times.

Joy is an awareness of the nearness of God. 

In Your presence is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11b).

In the next post, we’ll continue to explore the importance of joy in our lives when we look at the commands to be joyful.

From 1 to 10, where would you say your joy meter is at this moment? 

Prayer

Lord, thank you for leading me to You. You are who I’ve been searching for all my life, though for years I didn’t know it. Only You satisfy me completely. I’m sorry for seeking my satisfaction in anything but You. Please show me quickly when I try and find lasting satisfaction apart from You. You are my Highest Joy. I praise You and rejoice in who You are.  Amen

Journal Time

With your journal in hand, spend some time thinking about your own journey. Write about the deep longings in your heart?  Document your search for joy. What have you tried other than God to satisfy your soul? How do you still depend upon your circumstances to feel okay? Write a prayer to God expressing your delight in Him. 

[1] Psalms 16:11

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11 

[3]  Proverbs 4:23

[4]  Nehemiah 8:10b

[5] Hebrews 12:1-2

Please Check out the  Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in a city.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Loved in spite of how we feel, Send Shame Packing

When We Don’t Feel Loveable

2 Comments

You’ve heard about the guy who had it all: riches, fame, prestige, complete, earthy autonomy. He had everything going for him, but made some really bad choices and crashed and burned. It’s hard to imagine how anyone can get on the other side of adultery, murder, and the hostile rebellion of a son. He certainly reaped what he sowed, but we can learn from him on steps we can take to salvage our hearts on the other side of sin.

His troubles began one evening, when he really should have been working. In his leisure, a beautiful lady caught his eye.  He did more than just take a second look. When the smoke cleared, her husband was dead and she was pregnant. 

You’ve probably figured out by now, I’m speaking of King David, the man who wrote a majority of the Psalms.  It would be written of David that, in spite of his poor choices, he was a man after God’s own heart. [1]

How can this be? How did his heart recover from such devastation? How do we recover when we sin? What do we do when we don’t even want to approach God because of the shame we feel? What do we do when we don’t feel loveable?

Steps to Recovery

Into the Light

David didn’t voluntarily bring his sin with Bathsheba into the light. Nathan, the prophet of God, called him on it by using a story of a lamb, recorded in II Samuel chapter 12.

David’s anger burned against the wealthy man in the story for taking the poor man’s lamb.

He said to Nathan,  “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die!  So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion.” (verse 6)

Then, in an instance, David’s sin was brought to light when Nathan said to him,  “You yourself are the man! (verse 7)

Nathan went on to say,  “Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’” (verses 10-12)

Not good outcomes for David when his sin was brought to light, but keeping things hidden is also very damaging. As hard as it is to bring the shame of our sin into the light, it must happen, and the sooner the better. 

Hidden secrets, not only stifle us spiritually, but they can affect us in other ways.  “The emotional, mental, physical and spiritual impact of secrets are well documented. In fact, research suggests keeping secrets can significantly boost stress hormones, impact blood pressure, inhibit sleep, contribute to mental health and substance use disorders and even increase chronic pain.” [2]

Confession

Big or small, God wants us free from the weight and shackles of unconfessed sin.

I believe one of the reasons David is called a man after God’s own heart is his quick, humble response.

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (verse 13a)

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die.  However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the Lord, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.” (verses 13b – 14).

As mentioned before, what David did had consequences which would follow him the rest of his life. But, in spite of this, David pressed into God not away from him.

God’s ultimate goal is for us to be like Jesus. [3] He wants us to experience the freedom and joy of casting down idols and digging deeply into God and His ways.

Pressing Deeply into God

What we see in David’s heart is an eager desire to draw closer to God. Rather than wallowing in shame, which would keep him from God, he asked for deeper cleansing and for the joy and gladness of being with Him.

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.                                                         Let me hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
And wipe out all my guilty deeds (Psalms 51:7-9).  

 From what David wrote, we see he valued fellowship with God over walking in deceit. So much so, that he invited God to do further work in his heart so that deeper intimacy could occur.

Create in me a clean heart, God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalms 51:10).

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise (Psalms 51:17).

It seems that because the sins were revealed and forgiveness was granted, David’s desire for God intensified. 

Potentially, as Jesus pointed out to Simon the Pharisee concerning the sinful woman who washed his feet, our sin can deepen our love for the Lord.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little (Luke 7:47 ESV).

But we must accept His grace, point our lives in a different direction, and depend upon His Spirit within us to live lives reflecting Jesus’ life. In other words, we need to follow Him.

Turning Evil on It’s Head

Joseph, as he was speaking to his brothers concerning what they had done to him, saw evil from a much broader, eternal perspective.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive (Genesis 50:20).

God uses our confession and repentance from sin to bring us His joy and freedom. This has always been the case in my life, as I follow David’s example of asking for a pure and contrite heart. As God shows me my sin, and I follow David’s example of dealing with it, I see God’s hand at work in it all, in spite of my sin. God’s grace and forgiveness leads me into a deeper love of Him.

Why would we ever want to hold onto that which causes us such inner turmoil instead of the joys of walking closely with God who created us?

Though we will still struggle, as we follow David’s example in our lives, we can experience God’s love no matter what we’ve done.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;  My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You  (Psalms 63:1-3).

Prayer

Lord, in Christ, I’m holy, blameless and beyond reproach. When I see this, and believe it by faith, I begin to feel Your lovingkindness, even in my failures and sin.

I rest in Your love right now and I desire to walk in it throughout the day. Even when I go through hard times, Your love shines brighter and brighter. You are faithful. You are good. You are kind.

Please continue to reveal sin in my life and give me the courage and strength to follow hard after You no matter what.

Amen

Instead of your shame you will have a double portion,
And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land,
Everlasting joy will be theirs (Isaiah 61:7 NASB).

[1] I Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22

[2] Secrets Can Make you Sick  Maggie Tipton, Psy.D

[3] Romans 8:28-29

Unless otherwise noted, verses are from the NASB version of the Bible.

Other Posts on God’s Grace and Forgiveness:

Joy in spite of Failure

Life After Addiction

Communing with God Because of the Precious Blood of Christ

Shalom – It Is Finished

Freedom From Guilt – The Exchanged Life

Lavishing Grace

Rivers of Living Water or Dying of Thirst

Withholding Nothing – Daily Surrender

Not My Will – Free Indeed

Weakness Which Drives us to God

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Eternal Thanksgiving, From Whom All Blessings Flow, To Be Thankful Always

Thanksgiving Never Ends.

2 Comments

When I see this picture of an elderly hand grasping a tiny apple, it brings emotion. I’m not sure what the feelings are, but I think it’s a mixture of sadness and humble gratitude.

I don’t know the story behind the picture, but I do know three billion people in the world make less than two dollars a day. To that portion of the world, this small apple would be precious, and the people would be thankful.

Am I thankful for a small apple? Sadly, much larger apples have spoiled in our fruit bowl and become chicken food. Compared to the poorest people, I live in a country with a medium income of over 50k. I’ve never wondered if I’d have food for the next meal. Has this deadened my heart to being appreciate for what God provides?

I don’t want to take for granted God’s blessings, but I have.

Lord, develop in me a continual heart of gratitude which extends beyond a single day of thanking.  

Gifts Point to the Giver

Moments after I pray about having a more grateful heart, my wife enters the room, fresh from her time of solitude.

“I was just reminded of the doxology,” she says. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

God had been showing her how easy it is to focus on the gifts and forget the Giver.

Every gift, from small apples, to turkey feasts, to breath for another day comes from God the creator of all things.

I take what she says as an answer to my prayer for God to develop in me a continual heart of gratitude.

When I notice any gift, from food, to provision, to creation, to relationships, to …,  may the gift send me directly into thankful praise to my King.

 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you .. (Philippians 1:3 NASB).

And When people give me praise or compliments may I also see these as reasons to thank and praise God.

When people come up and give me a compliment… I take each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of the day I lift up the bouquet of flowers I have gathered throughout the day and say, ‘Here you are, Lord, it is all Yours.’” Corrie Ten Boom

Being Thankful for Eternal Blessings

Something else which comes to mind is how many things God has done for me in eternity which will never change.

As I focus on these eternal blessings, life’s gifts become cherries on top of a continual thanksgiving feast.

The Bible is full of reasons to be thankful, but here’s a summary of the unchanging truths in Ephesians 1:3-14:

I have every spiritual blessing available to me in Jesus.

God loves me and chose me to be in Christ before the world began.

In Jesus Christ, I’m holy and totally blameless.

It’s God’s pleasure to adopt me as His child through Jesus.

God did these things for me so that His glory, His infinite greatness and His worth, would be demonstrated in kindness and mercy toward me.

I’ve been redeemed, rescued from God’s wrath because of Jesus’ life blood shed on my behalf.

 God lavished His grace and mercy upon me, forgiving my every sin.

God has made known to me His intensions to summarize all things into Christ Jesus, my Lord.

I have a secure inheritance because God’s purposes are never thwarted.

God has sealed me with the Holy Spirit as a promise and pledge of my inheritance.

I belong to God and my life is to be a testimony to the praise of His glory and grace.

These, and many more truths, give me reasons for unending thanksgiving.

May Thanksgiving day launch a mindset of thankfulness in me which will never change.

Prayer

Lord, what a gift today has been. You’re giving me a thankful heart. You showed how even the smallest apple is a gift from Your hand, never to be taken for granted. You are the source of every blessings. Please help me to be continually thankful for You and not just the gifts You give me.

There are so many blessings You’ve given me which will never change. Please develop in me a continual thankful heart for what You’ve bestowed upon me in Christ.

I’m so sorry for the apples I’ve allowed to spoil because I didn’t treasure them. Tender my heart so that I will never take anything for granted again. They all come from Your hand.

Amen.

For Further Reading 

The Connection Between Gratitude and Joy

Enjoying Unhindered Intimacy with God

Communing With God

Completely Loved

Why is Knowing God’s love Essential?

The Connection between Love and Joy

What Threatens us knowing God’s Love?

Experiencing the Freedom of God’s Love

God’s Love in a Broken World

Being Loved by God is our True Identity

Subscribe below to have the posts delivered to your email. We publish weekly. At least that’s the plan. (8^>

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

 Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Being Poured Out, Loving like Jesus, The Joy of Serving

Rhythms: IN (The Joy of Putting Others First)

6 Comments

Story

A while back, a grey cloud settled over my heart. It blew in suddenly and lingered for a while. My wife confirmed my outward mood matched my inward discouragement. She said it seemed as if someone had thrown a wet blanket on my heart to try and steal my joy.  As I shuffled around, what she said resonated, but I had nothing inside to fight it.

Frankly, the last thing I wanted to do was read scripture, but I knew I needed truth. I asked God to guide me and looked at some verses on joy.

As I read, I was struck by how much Paul cared about the joy of others.

He wrote to the Corinthians that he was working for their joy.

But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.  Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm (II Corinthians 1:23-24 NASB).

And to the Philippians, Paul wrote that he’d continue in the fight for their progress and joy in the faith.

 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again (Philippians 1:25-26 NASB).

What struck me was how committed Paul was to being sure the believers at Corinth and Philippi had a growing joy. He seemed to be equating joy with their progress in the faith. And he was willing to fight for them to have it. 

Continuing, I read what Paul wrote in Philippians 2 about considering other’s interest above our own. As these words settled in, a spark of joy flickered in my heart. Clarity grew and I began to understand some of what had killed my joy.

Looking back, I can’t even remember exactly what I was going through, but I had fixated on me and how I was doing. Unaware of the shift in my heart, I had taken up the familiar position of focusing on my own desires for ease of circumstances and comfort. My intense concern for me had zapped my joy.

Being Poured Out

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).

In light of what I learned in my “me focused” funk, what Paul wrote in the above verse is the exact opposite of where my heart was. Paul was selflessly willing to have his life blood poured out for the sake of others. 

To get a better understanding of what Paul meant by a drink offering, Old Testament passages mention them, along with other offerings, as sacrifices to the Lord.[2]

Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus.

In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, his life was characterized by a joy which flowed from his faith.

And here’s the interesting fact, which is undeniable when we study Paul’s life. His joy grew, and seemed to overflow, when he served others.

 Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him. It filled his heart with a contagious joy.

I ask myself if I’m willing to sacrifice what I want, and even my own life for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love?

This seems to be the call for us all. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).

But this sacrificial attitude of putting others didn’t originate with Paul. Following are the verses which sparked joy in my heart from the story above.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).

Jesus’ example

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him).

Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NASB)

He later promised that if we follow His example, of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)

As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on the Holy Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.

But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.

Conclusion

Kill Joy – The fastest way to kill your own joy is to focus on you. True joy flows as we delight in the Lord’s nearness and work on behalf of others.

As we lay aside our own interests, we’re invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus, and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance, we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me today?”

Prayer

Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on me, my duties, my circumstances, my happiness. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight John 12:1-8

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

[1] Philippians 1:25

[2] Exodus 29:41, Numbers 6:17

Previous posts in our Discipleship Rhythms Series:

UP:  God’s Amazing Love

UP: God’s Essential Love

UP: What Hides God’s Love

UP: Christ Lives in Me

UP: Raised up with Christ

UP: Who’s your Treasure?

UP: Obtaining the Joy of Jesus 

UP: Orienting Life from Above

UP: When Things Get Hard

UP: Communing with God

IN: Receiving God’s Love to Give it Away

IN: Having a Love First Mentality 

Please Check out the new Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child with the gospel.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Satisfying Joy, The Lord our Joy, The Source of all Joy

Rhythms: UP (Who’s Your Treasure?)

4 Comments

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21 NASB).

Baked into the heart of every human is the unaltered desire to find a lasting joy to satisfy our empty souls. This longing, this need for satisfaction, is so strong we won’t give up the quest, though we may die trying. The problem is we look for satisfaction in all the wrong places.

Wasn’t it the Rolling Stones who could get no satisfaction after trying and trying and trying?

King Solomon tried all manner of worldly delights to satisfy his emptiness.[1] Denying himself nothing he saw around him, he concluded that it was all “vanity and striving after the wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:11b (NASB)

Trying everything, but failing to find joy, Solomon was left hopeless and despondent. “I hated life, for the work which has been done under the sun was grievous to me, because everything is futility and striving after wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:17 (NASB)

He would later conclude, that God has set eternity in the hearts of men.[2] Solomon had the means to attempt anything the world had to offer to fill his need for satisfaction. None of it worked. At the end of his search, he hated life because he recognized the utter futility of trying to fill the eternal hole in his hearts with anything around him.

God designed our hearts for joy. We’re to be fulfilled by God  Himself, the fullness of all joy,[3] not in having a better life.

Until we realize true joy and fulfillment comes from God Himself, our lives will be endless pursuits of fleeting, temporal, pleasure which lead only to idols and addictions.

We must all ask ourselves – What is our treasure?

Is there something we’re looking forward to, or hoping for, which we believe will finally bring fulfillment and lasting happiness?  Completing college? Getting married? Buying a house? Getting out of debt? Getting promoted at work? Having children? Starting a business? Publishing a book? Having good health? Having grandchildren? Retiring? Winning the lottery?

These can be good things, but will they provide lasting fulfillment?

Desiring happiness is not a bad thing, but true joy is a by product of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It’s built into our design by the Intelligent Designer.

But, how can we walk in a growing awareness that God Himself is our Highest Joy when all around clouds the truth?

Awakened

Truly realizing God Himself is the Great Satisfier of our Soul is something God Himself must reveal to us. If this is our desire, to believe He’s our Highest Joy, He will awaken our hearts to a deeper and deeper understanding and lead us into days of sustained Joy in Him.

Paul prays that the eyes of the Ephesians’ hearts would be enlightened to the marvelous spiritual truths of the gospel. [4]

God Himself is our Great Reward. Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward  Genesis 15:1b (NIV).

Joy is fully experienced in the presence of God. In Your presence is fullness of joy; Psalm 16:11b (NASB).

Jesus satisfies our deep hunger and thirst. I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35 NASB).

If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38 NASB).

Chew on these and other truths from Scripture which tell us God Himself will fill us to overflowing with lasting satisfaction. Ask Him to make these words come alive in your heart so that they will progressively govern how you live every moment.

Story: Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I felt like a failure – rejected and unloved.

This describes several “low” points in my life. I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. At the time, I was  miserable. But looking back, I see these very hard times as severe mercies.[5] Each played a part in further dislodging, me from an entrenched disillusionment.

These were extremely difficult times, but, looking back, totally worth it.

The fundamental truth in the human existence, that God Himself brings us the lasting satisfaction we so desperately need, is becoming REAL in my soul.

From time to time I still struggle. I put feeling good and having worldly peace above God Himself. But more and more these struggles are short lived. God is awakening me and bringing me back to the knowledge that NOTHING fully satisfies me but HIM. 

Conclusion

Where we are is not as important as where we’re headed and Who we’re with. Where are we headed? What’s our aim, what motivates our heart as our treasure?

Idealistically, we long for our lives to go smoothly. We’d love to have our bills paid, be in good health, have stuff that’s not always broken and get along with the people who matter most to us. These are all wonderful things, but we must recognize two things about these life goals.

First of all, these longings for our circumstances to go smoothly almost never work out as we hope.

Secondly, even if they did, our inner longings would still ache and scream out for satisfaction. 

Let’s recognize now that God Himself is Who we’ve been searching for all our lives. He’s our Reward, our Pearl of Great Price, the Bread of Life, our Rivers of Living water filling our souls to overflowing.

We need to believe this and ask God to awaken our hearts to the reality that He’s our Highest Joy.

When we find ourselves longing for lesser treasures, let’s acknowledge it, confess it and turns our hearts quickly back to seeking Him above all else.

Prayer

Lord, it’s so amazing that you created me for fellowship with You. It’s profoundly simple, that the key to life is being with You. Yet, it’s also so difficult when my heart drifts to what I see around me. But you are showing me more and more, in the depths of my soul, how complete I am in You. I can rest  now and enjoy who You, no matter what I face. Thank You for the loving way You show me when I stray, tenderly pointing me back to You.

By Your Spirit, please  keep me on the path of seeking You as my Treasure every  moment of every day.

Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight Matthew 13:44-46

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

[1] Ecclesiastes 2:1-10

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[3] Psalm 16:11b

[4] Ephesians 1:18

[5] I first heard this term from a book entitled A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

Previous posts in the UP series:

God’s Amazing Love

God’s Essential Love

What Hides God’s Love

Christ Lives in Me

Raised up with Christ

.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

In Christ, Our Union with Christ, Seated with Christ

Rhythms: UP (Raised up With Christ)

Leave a comment

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6 NASB)

A central thread of the Bible is God’s desire to be WITH us. As believers, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Christ, not our own striving, is our source of Life.

In addition to Christ being in us, there’s another amazing dimension to our union with Him. When Christ was raised into newness of life, we believers were raised up with Him. Not only is Christ in us, but we are also in Him.

In his book, Union with Christ, Rankin Wilbourne writes that the word “Christian” is only used three times in the New Testament letters. However, Paul uses ” in Christ” 165 times to describe those who follow Christ. [1] 

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1 NASB).

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30 NASB),

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (II Corinthians 5:17 NASB).

Being raised up in Christ is essential to who we are. Paul puts in this way in Colossians 3:3-4, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Being dead, and now hidden in Christ, adds far-reaching, glorious implications to our daily lives which we don’t want to miss. Let’s look at a few.

In Christ, We have a New Self

..in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:22b-24 NASB)

We know our lives are now hidden in Christ. We’ve been raised with Him in newness of life. However, as mentioned before, we can still choose to walk in our old manner of life.

Paul gives a command to lay aside our old self, reminding us that it’s steeped in corruption. Lay aside – put off, put away.

So when we’re tempted to walk in our old ways, and we certainly will be, we’re to make a choice based on our renewed minds. Seeing clearly that our former way of living leads only to death, we can now choose life.

In this divine realization, we’re to put on our new self, turning away from the corruption of the old.  “Put on” has the connotation of sinking into as with clothing. It literally means to clothe ourselves. So, since our lives are hidden in Christ, we’re to walk in our new selves, created in righteousness and holiness.

What possible benefit, other than coddling fleeting, empty pleasures can come from engaging our old ways of living? It’s exactly what our enemy wants us to do, but we are not unaware of his lies. Our minds have been renewed.

and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27 NASB) 

Story: Wilborne writes of a friend who was the person inside the Mickey Mouse costume at Disney Land. Reflecting on her time “in Mickey” she felt safe and loved, hidden in a different identity. “She recalled praying, ‘Lord, is this what it’s like to have masses of people run towards you with joy, excitement, and eagerness?'” [2] 

Rankin’s friend’s identity changed every time she took the Mickey costume off. Our identify in Christ does not change. The question for us is clear. Do we choose to put off our old self, steeped in corruption, and put on our new identify in Christ?

For me, it’s a moment by moment choice to put off the lies of the enemy and trust that in Christ I  walk in newness of life.

In Christ, We Have a New View

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians  3:1-2 NASB).

In the above verses, Paul tells us how the truth of our position with Christ should change our perspective.

 Even though we physically live on earth, our view is to be from above where we’re spiritually seated with Christ. This means we’re to focus on  what God cares about, even in the midst of our daily activities. We’re to keep seeking (require, be about, aim at) the things above.  As our days unfolds, our higher desires should be on what God wants, not just a happy life.

What are God’s higher desires for us? Among other things, He’s at work conforming His children into the image of Christ [3]. He wants us to love others as Christ loves us. He desires for our words to be His words and our deeds to be in His strength, that He would be glorified in all we do. [4]

Focusing on what God desires for us, above our personal desires, doesn’t mean a joyless life. In fact, it means just the opposite. Orienting our lives from above means God Himself is our delight, not the trappings of the world. [5] Christ, the Source of all Joy, is our life, no matter what we face.

Story: Like many others, hard circumstances have occurred in my life which I can’t change. And believe me, I’ve tried!

Sad circumstances have threaten to discourage me and steal my joy. But I have a  growing trust in what God is doing from His eternal throne. I don’t want to ignore my grief, so I try and invite Him into it, but I don’t walk around in sadness. Over time, and through the difficulties, God is skillfully and lovingly, uncovering the lie that I need happy circumstances to be okay.

From my new view with Christ, I’m more an d more seeing my life from what God is doing to conform me into His image. With this is in mind, joy is growing, even in the midst of pain.

In Christ, We are Complete 

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10 NASB);

In the 1600s Bliase Pascal wrote that man’s cravings for true happiness can only be filled with an infinite, immutable object. He wrote that man tries in vain to fill this void with everything around him, seeking in (what is not) only what God Himself can give us. [6]  This came to be known as our God shaped void.

To summarize, we were created with an incompleteness that only God can fill .

Incomplete: not having all the necessary or appropriate parts, not full or finished. [7]  

Our problem is that, in our nagging sense of need, we attempt all manner of temporal ways to fill the void and feel complete.

  • Being loved by people
  • Our success in our different roles
  • Accumulating possessions
  • Happiness from smooth circumstances
  • Overloading our senses by living an epicurean lifestyle

These and other pursuits may partially fill the vastness of our souls, but each leads only to longings for more. We simply can not satisfy the deep longings of our soul with anything temporal.

The word “complete” in the above verse also means to make full, render perfect, fill to the brim, to receive fulfillment.

So, in Christ we’ve received the fulfillment our hearts have longed for. We are filled to the brim with Christ, lacking nothing.

But we must believe it and walk in it.

in Him (Christ) you have been made complete

Story: One evening, a few years ago I felt utterly undone.  My heart was filled with failure, disappointment and relational pain. It was close to midnight and I decided to take a walk up our road and across the two lane highway at the top. On the way “out” I surrendered my burdens to God the best I knew how.

When I  got to the end of the cul-de-sac across the highway and circled around to head back home, a deep peace invaded my soul. The problems seemed to be overshadowed by the Lord’s nearness. I pondered the truth of my completeness in Christ. I thought of being filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ. In those moments, all the burdens and pains were swept away in the awareness of this marvelous truth.

I’m complete in Christ, in need of nothing, no matter what I face.

Since that time, I’ve sometimes felt the same feelings of discouragement and incompleteness. But, I go back to the truth etched in my heart those years ago.

In Christ Jesus, I’m complete, lacking nothing. 

Conclusion

As believers, though we walk on this earth, we’ve been raised WITH Christ into heavenly places. Being “in Christ” is the best description of who we now are.

Though, as long as live on earth, we fight our fleshly tendencies, in Christ we’ve been made new creations. We can now choose to put off our old ways, laced in death, and put on our new selves, in Christ.

In Christ, we’ve been raised above the temporal view. We can see things from God’s greater purposes. As we orient our lives from God’s eternal perspective, what He desires becomes more and more what we want. The sufferings of this world, though very real and painful, do not define us or remain our focus. Setting our minds on God and His Kingdom, fills our hearts with joy, no matter what we face.

In Christ we’ve been made complete. Our deep inner longings, placed in our hearts by Father God, are completely satisfied in Christ. In Christ Jesus, we are completely forgiven, completely loved, completely valued and completely satisfied. In Him, we lack nothing.

Prayer

Lord, Wow! When I ponder these amazing truths about me being in You, it’s beyond belief. But You say it’s true and I trust You. Please help me not to loose sight of these facts as my days get busy and hard. When I’m tempted to try and make life work out for me in my own flesh, please remind me to put off my old self and walk in You, my Life. When I get caught up with the smaller story of how circumstances work out for me, please remind me there’s a greater, much more important story going on; Your story.

When a feel the nagging emptiness of measuring my life by temporal values, please remind me that in You I’m complete. When I’m tempted to live life apart from You, please remind me quickly that I’m in You. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight II Corinthians 5:17-21

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

 [1] Union with Christ, Rankin Wilborne, David Cooke 2016, p. 13

[2] Union with Christ, ibid p. 53

[3] Romans 8:29

[4] I Peter 4:11

[5] Psalm 37:4

[6] Pensées, Blaise Pascal (Published in 1670 after his death)

[7] Siri Dictionary

Previous posts in the UP series:

Amazing Love

Essential Love

What Hides God’s Love

Christ Lives in Me

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Loving like Jesus, The Joy of Serving

Our Highest Joy (The Joy of Being Poured Out)

2 Comments

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).

The above verse is shocking. But, considering Paul’s longing to be with Jesus, it’s understandable. Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus. In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, he wrote to the Philippians, “I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”[1] Joy flowing from faith, and from serving others, characterized Paul’s life. As followers of Jesus, our lives can have the same markings.

Being Poured Out

In the verse quoted above, Paul mentions being poured out like a drink offering. In the Old Testament, drink was poured out, along with other offerings, as sacrifice to the Lord.[2]  Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him, but filled his heart with a contagious joy.

To follow, we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love.

To the Roman disciples, Paul wrote, I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).

To become a disciple of Jesus, we’re to follow His example of presenting our lives for God’s purposes. Jesus put aside His rights and reputation for our sakes. He obeyed even to the point of death, pouring out His life for us.

 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).

Jesus’ example

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him). Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NASB)

He later promised that if we follow His example of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)

As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on His Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.

But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.

Conclusion

As we lay aside our own interests, were invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me now?”

Prayer

Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on my duties. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.

[1] Philippians 1:25

[2] Exodus 29:41, Numbers 6:17

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

God with Us

Fixing Our Hope

Remaining Cheerful

Not My Will

Mustering our Faith

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Strengthening our Faith, When God seems Distant

Our Highest Joy (Mustering Our Faith) (Republished In the Moments)

Leave a comment

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NASB)

It doesn’t take a pandemic and a nation marred in disunity to render us faint at heart. Life can be discouraging even without that stuff.

 And when we get a full dose and need to pause to catch our breath, life keeps on coming at us. To remain courageous, we must muster our faith.

Muster – to assemble troops as for a battle, to gather, to summon, to rouse

On a regular basis, we have repeated opportunities to gather and summon our faith. Like workouts in the gym, rousing our trust, when things aren’t smooth, builds muscle memory and strengthens our faith.

How do we muster our faith when we feel weak and God seems distant? Following are a few musts.

We Must Remember God’s Sovereignty

God is always in control. His purposes can’t be thwarted. He’s able to work all things together for His greater purposes.[1] Even the very hard situations we face are no surprise to God. In His omnipotence, the sinful choices by men, the state of this fallen world and the schemes of the enemy can not change what God is doing.

Joseph told his brothers, “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”[2]  

God used Jonah’s disobedience to illicit praise from the folks on the ship to Tarashish.[3]

The evil intent of the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus led to the salvation of all men.

God has entrusted us with each circumstance we’re in and desires us to trust Him and not our own understanding of our situations.[4]

We Must Orient Our Lives from God’s Greater Story

Paul tells believers that since we have been raised up with Christ, we’re to set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth.[5]

We need to see our lives from an eternal perspective, knowing God is at work for our greater good. He’s working all things for the purpose of conforming us into the image of Christ, not for us to experience a smooth ride.[6] It’s vital for us to understand this. If not, we can view God as a distant dictator, out to destroy our hopes and dreams.

We need to live now with the end in mind. Being more like Christ is what this life is about, not temporal happiness. For we died and our life is now hidden in Christ.[7]

We Must Realize Being with God is Our Highest Joy

The Bible has an overarching theme, woven into the fabric from Genesis to Revelation. Us being with God. We were created for fellowship with Him.

David, wrote that even in the shadow of death, he would not be afraid because He knew God was with him.[8] He also wrote that in God’s presence, joy is full.[9]

 After crying out to God concerning the unfairness of life, Asaph concluded that God’s nearness was his good, not his lot in life.[10]

From a Roman prison Paul repeatedly instructed us to be full of joy in the Lord. Not just when we feel like it, but at all times.[11]

We Must Remember God’s Love for us Never Fails

No matter how often we fall short in actions and faith, God’s love for us never fails, it’s everlasting.[12] His lovingkindness never ceases. His mercies are new every morning.[13]

 As believers, we are His children, a fact established before the world began.[14] Nothing can separate us from His great love.[15] His love for us can be described as deeper and wider and longer than an ocean and higher than the heavens. It surpasses our ability to comprehend.[16]

Prayer

Lord, we come to You now. You know the place we’re in. You’re not surprised by any of it. You’re with us and have allowed it for our greater good. Help us not to doubt Your ways. May we draw near to You and walk in utter dependence upon You. We were never to face these things alone. We depend upon Your strength in our weakness. Amen.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”[17] The Apostle Paul

[1] Ephesians 1:9-12

[2] Genesis 50:20 (NASB)

[3] Jonah 1:14-16

[4] Proverbs 3:5-6

[5] Colossians 3:1-2

[6] Romans 8:28-29

[7] Colossians 3:3

[8] Psalm 23:4

[9] Psalm 16:11b

[10] Psalm 73, 73:28

[11] Philippians 3:1, 4:4

[12] Jeremiah 31:3

[13] Lamentations 3:22-23

[14] Ephesians 1:4-5

[15] Romans 8:35

[16] Ephesians 3:14-19

[17] 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

God with Us

Fixing Our Hope

Remaining Cheerful

Not My Will

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains