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Strengthening our Faith, When God seems Distant

Our Highest Joy (Mustering Our Faith)

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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

All our Worship, The Bounties of God

Our Highest Joy (Remaining Cheerful )

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All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15 NASB).

Solomon wrote that all the days of the afflicted are bad. Afflicted – poor, humble, wretched, needy and lowly. Though this might not describe all our days, most of us have experienced times of affliction. But, in his wisdom, Solomon gave us a remedy. We need a cheerful heart. If we have that, he says we’ll have a continual feast, the longings of our hearts will stay satisfied. No more searching for someone or somebody to fill our deep desires. A cheerful heart will fill us up to overflowing joy.

This sounds exciting, but how does it play out in the moments of our lives? Sometimes the condition of our hearts hang in the balance, based on how we’re feeling or what’s going on around us. What’s the secret of having and maintaining a cheerful heart and how do we walk in continual spiritual nourishment?

What is a Cheerful Heart?

The Hebrew word translated as “cheerful” in the above verse has a wide variety of meanings. Agreeable to the senses, such as fair to the sight, sweet to the taste, fragrant to the smell and as a cooling shadow of a tree. This brings the word into a context we can relate to in our experience, but it also encompasses terms of a broader, higher nature such as beautiful, pleasant, excellent, fruitful, fertile, advantageous, choice, fine, pure, goodly, valuable, better, merry, glad.

As I read these descriptions of the word Solomon used, I sense its magnitude and  “out of this world” richness. It congers up thoughts and feelings of complete peace and bliss, like being nurtured under the mighty wings of God.

He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and wall (Psalm 91:4 NASB).

I think of what David declared in Psalm 4:7 You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound (NASB).

And verses like: “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1b NIV)

and

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good (Psalms 73:28a NASB)

The bottom line is that God Himself is the true source of our joy. As David wrote, In your presence is fullness of Joy” (Psalms 16:11b NASB).

Though our hearts are cheered by the beauties of His creation, only God Himself can give us the kind of continual gladness which produces an ongoing buffet of spiritual nourishment.

Maintaining a Cheerful Heart.

It doesn’t have to take a difficult trial or sadness to get me off track. On any normal day I can easily rely on what’s around me to keep my heart encouraged. But eventually, this always leaves me empty. In my experience, it’s not what’s going on around me or even how I’m feeling which strengthens my heart and gives me courage.  Maintaining a joyful, cheerful heart has everything to with the focus of my worship.

Worship – to give worth or worthiness.

We all have an ongoing decision to make. Are we going to choose, as David did in the following verse, to worship God as our one desire? One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple (Psalm 27:4 NASB).

Or, are we going to put greater worth on our circumstances and how we feel?

This is not a one and done decision for the day. Delighting in the Lord, and not in how we’re doing, is a moment by moment choice. 

Over time, in countess turnings of our gaze back to Him, we begin to understand.

God Himself is not only the reason for our cheerful hearts but also the source of nourishment which fully satiates our souls with the bounties of His goodness.

Prayer

Lord, You fill my heart to overflowing with the beauties of Your magnificence. Please keep me focused on You. I want You to always by my one true worship. I depend upon You and Your Indwelling Spirit to keep me in the shadow of Your wings. Show me quickly when my hearts shifts to worshipping my own comfort. Teach me to trust in Your love and Your greater purposes.  I lay my life and my story at Your feet. I delight in the rich, sweetness of Your goodness.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)  

Amen.

 

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

.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:

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

 

Enduring Joy

Our Highest Joy (Joy which brings Endurance )

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“If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.[1]” Jesus

Jesus speaks of us having His joy, a quality of joy which is unaffected by circumstances, a joy which motivates and gives endurance. He wants us to have this complete joy.  Seems joy is more than a “nice to have” optional part of our lives. It’s something Jesus intends for us.

Jesus spoke the above words the night before His crucifixion.  Yet, even knowing what awaited Him, Jesus speaks of full joy. What’s the quality of His joy and how do we step into it?

 Joy Defined

As a noun, joy is defined as a feeling of extreme cheerfulness related to acquiring or expecting to acquire something good.[2] Others would argue that joy is not an emotion at all, but a deep attitude or belief which soothes even the most sorrowful situations. [3] These two aspects of joy seem contradictory, but we see both in what we read about the joy of Jesus.

The Joy of Jesus

Motivated by Joy

The writer of Hebrews says Jesus’ joy motivated Him to endure the cross:

Looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2 ESV).

Jesus, in anticipation of something good (our redemption) had a deep joy which gave Him the strength to endure the cross.  His trust in God’s plan of our reconciliation motivated Him to bravely hold fast in the midst of excruciating[4] pain.

Question: When you think of the joy of being with Jesus forever, does it give you strength? Does your trust in this benefit motivate you to endure a difficulty you’re currently facing?

Joy in what pleases God

Luke writes that after the seventy two returned with joy after having been sent out two by two to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near, Jesus greatly rejoiced and praised the Lord. It gave Him great joy that what was happening was pleasing in His Father’s eyes.[5]

Jesus was full of joy and exceedingly glad to experience what pleased His Father God.  

Question:   What is happening around you now that is pleasing to God?

Spend a few moments rejoicing that your Loving Father is a Sovereign King whose greater purposes will not be thwarted.

Joy of Salvation

In Luke 15, beginning at verse 4, Jesus gives the parable of the lost sheep. He tells us of how the owner is full of joy when the sheep is found and urges others to rejoice with him.  Comparatively, Jesus speaks of the joy experienced in all of heaven when one sinner repents.

Salvation means obtaining the gift of the Holy Spirit now and being with God now and forever. Reasons for great joy.

Challenge: Spend a few minutes pondering the far reaching joys of your own salvation.  And don’t take for granted the salvation of those you love. Rejoice in salvation.

Receiving the Joy of Jesus?

Jesus wants us to have joy, His joy; the kind of joy which gives us the courage and motivation to endure life’s toughest challenges.

Jesus’ kind of joy comes from us loving others as He’s loved us.

Jesus’ kind of joy is tied to what pleases His Father.

Jesus’ kind of joy is full when a sinner repents and believes in the finished work of Christ for salvation.

Prayer

Lord, I want Your complete joy. I know You want me to have it. I know all difficulties fade in the joy and peace of Your nearness. You tell us our present sufferings are less than nothing compared to the glories to be revealed to us.[6] When I ponder the reality that You want me to share in Your joy, I can scarcely take it in. Lord, I desire the complete joy You intend for me to have.  I open my life to receive it. Teach me to obey Paul’s command to rejoice in You at all times.

Amen

And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10b ESV).

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

.[1] John 15:10-12

[2] https://wikidiff.com/gladness/joy

[3] healthpsychology.org/is-there-a-relationship-between-happiness-and-joy

[4] Unbearable pain, literally “out of the cross”

[5] Luke 10:21-22

[6] Romans 8:18

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

To Be Thankful Always

Our Highest Joy (Remaining Thankful)

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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB).

Eternal Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is here. However, in this COVID-19 year, nothing is normal. Perhaps shaking things up a bit is a good thing. So far this year I’ve learned, among other things, to detach from sports and politics, to truly quiet myself and rest, and to more fully appreciate the people and world around me. What will this year’s Thanksgiving be like?

In a recent message, Pastor Steve Berger[1] used the term “Eternal Thanksgiving” in describing how we have reason to be forever thankful for blessings which do not change. If we can latch onto this concept of always being thankful for what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, life’s many blessings become like cherries on top of a continual thanksgiving feast.

These Things do not Change

Pastor Steve used Ephesians 1:3-14 as an example of unchanging things we can be eternally thankful for as believers. To paraphrase these great truths as God might state them to us:

I have given you every spiritual blessing available in my Son Jesus. I chose you to be in Him before the world began and for you to be found in Him as holy and totally blameless. In My pleasure and love for you, I’ve adopted you as my child through My Beloved Son. I did this so that My glory, My infinite greatness and worth, would be demonstrated in kindness and mercy toward you. In Jesus, you have been redeemed, rescued from My wrath because of Jesus’ life blood shed on your behalf.  I’ve lavished My grace and mercy upon you to forgive your every sin. In Christ, I have made known to you My intensions; that in the fulness of time all things will be summarized and brought to completion in My Son. You have an inheritance, which is secure because My purposes are never thwarted. And I’ve sealed you with the Holy Spirit as a promise and pledge of your inheritance. You are mine and your life is a testament of praise to My glory and grace.[2]

Certainly, as mentioned before, this is a paraphrase, but the truths stated are right out of Scripture. May they begin to form in us reasons for unending, eternal thanksgiving. May this holiday season launch a mindset of ongoing thankfulness which is not dependent on any circumstance?

Thanksgiving Leading to Joyful Living

We’ve been discussing God Himself is our highest Joy. How can thanking the Lord be a pathway to a deeper experience of our Joy in Him? What’s the connection between being thankful and being joyful? In Nehemiah’s account of the Israelites celebrating the dedication of the wall after their captivity, we see songs of thanksgiving erupting into overflowing joy.

Thanksgiving – Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they could celebrate the dedication with joy, with songs of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres (Nehemiah 12:27 NASB).

Joy – and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, and the women and children rejoiced as well, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away (Nehemiah 12:43 NASB).

Our continual thankfulness in all that God has done leads to enjoyment of who He is, drawing us near to Him, the very source of Joy.[3]

Challenge

Think of at least one circumstance which threatens to steal your sense of gratitude? Now, think about reasons for to be thankful, like the ones mentioned above, which are certain and unaffected by this circumstance.

Genuinely thank God for these things.

Now think of one or two blessings which truly gratify your heart. It could be family, friends, your Thanksgiving meal, etc. Continue your thanksgiving  by thanking God for these things on top of all He’s done for you in Christ.

Rinse and repeat.

Prayer

Lord, You’ve opened my eyes to a treasure of riches to be thankful for. I see from Your word all You’ve done for me. These eternal blessing in Christ begin now and forever flow into eternity. You’ve given me so many things to be thankful for which are beyond corruption and unaffected by anything in this world. Please keep me from forgetting how thankful You make me. And please keep my heart steadfast no matter what the future holds. No matter what, I have a reasons in You to always be thankful.

Amen.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6 NASB).

[1] Steve Berger is Senior Pastor at Grace Chapel in Franklin, Tennessee

[2] Ephesians 1:3-14

[3] Psalm 16:11

Dealing with Sadness and Disappointment

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

God of all Comfort

Our Highest Joy (Dealing with Sadness and Disappointment)

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ (II Corinthians 1:3-5 NASB).

Guarded Heart

I first saw my father drunk when my mother wasn’t at home. I was around ten years old and the oldest child. When I saw him stagger and fall, I couldn’t process the emotions. I felt numb. A few years later his drinking would cost him his job, his marriage and almost his life.

A trusted counselor once told me the armor I used to guard my heart as a kid served me well, but I’ve outgrown it now. I needed to learn how to explore and process some ancient pain. But I wasn’t really sure how.

The Difference Between Sadness and Disappointment

One of the characters in a novel I’m reading mentioned being disappointed with God. I don’t attribute my disappointment with God, but I do recognize the feeling of disappointment and wonder how it differs from sadness.

Research tells me sadness implies grieving something we’ve had and lost. Disappointment deals with the lost of the hope of something. The distinction seems helpful in sorting through some of the feelings of loss I still need to deal with.

Jesus is our Highest Joy, but Emotional Pain Shouldn’t be Ignored  

Our Highest Joy (Unmasking the Lie)

Though, as children of God, we’re hopefully growing in our heartfelt understanding that He Himself is what gives us lasting fulfillment, satisfaction and happiness, dealing with our emotional pain is very important. Exploring old wounds and freeing captured parts of our hearts can free us to enjoy the presence of the Lord more authentically.

In a recent journal entry, this is what I sense God was saying to me concerning my emotional pain: Don’t deny the sadness and disappointments in your life. Keep bringing it all to me. The old ones, the new ones. There’s hurt, but like light and salt heal physical wounds, there’s freedom and healing when you call Me near. I’m the God of all comfort. I want to bind every crevice of your broken heart with the Joy of My presence. To the extent you allow My Oil of Gladness in to soften and soothe your pain, true compassion will grow. And as the more hidden places in your heart are brought to My Life and Light, the more you’ll experience the Joy of us being together.

Challenge

Do you have sadness or disappointment which has caused or is causing great grief? Bring an especially painful one to mind. Have you denied the gravity of how this has affected you?  Have you minimized the impact to your own detriment and to the harm of others?

Though accessing this great pain may take your breath away, it may be time to unlock, deep crusted over parts of your heart, long ago abandoned. Ask Jesus to draw near. He is near to the broken hearted.[1]

Prayer

Lord, thank you for showing me how important it is to call you near in my sadness and disappointment. Thank you for showing me that denying my deep emotional pain is not what you intend. Some of these losses are extremely hard. My heart and eyes still sting when I embrace the magnitude of hurt and loss. But You are my Life. These feelings are not a surprise to you, Jesus. Isaiah described you as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.[2] You know my inner most parts. You knit me together.[3]

Amen.

Epilogue

Within hours after writing this, as I invited the Lord into deeper layers of my own sadness and disappointment, a sense of undefined discouragement began to creep in. This feeling lasted over a day. I felt zapped of strength, with little motivation to perform life’s normal duties. I’ve been told this mood is common-place for some folks. It’s rare for me and gives me an appreciation for those who battle depression.

Though I didn’t feel it, I clung desperately to what God says about His love for me. The next day, the cloud began to lift. I’m learning to believe God’s love and hold on to it, even when I don’t understand it or feel it.

The Lord appeared to him long ago, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you out with kindness (Jeremiah 31:3 NASB).

My father came to saving faith in Jesus Christ later in life. Though he struggled with his alcoholism even after his conversion, his eventual total dependence upon the Lord with his drinking problem led to sober living the last fifteen years of his life. Dad’s story

[1] Psalm 34:18

[2] Isaiah 53:3

[3] Psalm 139:13

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

Choosing our Affection, Complete Joy, Eternal Gladness, God is our Life

Our Highest Joy (Unmasking the Lie)

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You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound (Psalm 4:7 NASB).

God Shaped Void

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. [1]  This came to be known as our God shaped void.

Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived, concluded that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [2]

Deep within every human lies an unquenchable longing. Some have the means to try filling it with all the world has to offer, but coming up empty, they despair. Others hope the next accomplishment, relationship or pleasure will curb the longing. Unless awakened, folks keep on searching, endlessly hoping the next big thing will finally satisfy.

Awakened

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.[3] Each played a part in further dislodging me from an entrenched disillusionment. Only God Himself brings me the lasting satisfaction I so desperately desire.

Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward  Genesis 15:1b (NIV).

Deep Joy, the nectar our hearts were made far, can only me found in God Himself.

In Your presence is fullness of joy; Psalm 16:11b (NASB).

The Joy of God exudes from every sunset, every flower, every breathe.

I’m to draw near and stop trying to make happiness happen. I’m to take time to celebrate.

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).

 Hidden Truth

There are forces at work to hide the fact that God Himself is our Highest Joy.  The world, enforced by Satan’s lies, can keep us pursuing fleeting pleasures to maintain fragile happiness. It is a moment by moment battle to keep our hearts centered on God for our fulfillment. These truths must move from things we believe as facts to principles we live by.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ  (II Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB).

These lies must be captured, thought by thought, and unmasked, revealing them for the hideous deceptions which they are. The truth is that only in Jesus Christ will we find the lasting satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy we were created to experience.

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for all I’ve chased after to try and satisfy the deep longings of my heart. Satisfaction can’t come from success because I’ve failed. It can’t come from pleasure because it quickly fades. It can’t come from people because they disappoint. It can’t come from trying to live a good life because I can’t.

You’ve given me so many things to enjoy: sunsets, puppies, flowers, ocean breezes, people I love, tea olives, chocolate, coffee, beaches and mountain streams. You are the Creator of it all. You alone are my Highest Joy. Only with You are other pleasures fully enjoyed. Apart from You, other pleasures can become addictions and idols. But with You, all moment by moment pleasures can erupt into praise for who You are and all You’ve provided for us to enjoy.

I delight in You Lord above all else. Please guard my heart.

Amen.

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

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11b

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

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

Declaring God's Truth, Delighting in God's love

Smell the Gardenias

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Jesus said to His disciples, “Come away by yourself to a lonely place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31 NASB) I’m trying to build a daily habit of being alone, sitting and listening. Elijah heard the Lord in the sound of a gentle breeze.[1] The Lord is always speaking. I’m to watch and listen.

What you’re  about to read is truth, though I don’t always feel it.

Delight

The Lord is here. Right now. There’s sweetness in His nearness; full joy in His presence.[2] He brings gladness to my hearts more than any worldly bounty.[3] The Lord delights in me.[4] He rejoices over me. I make His heart glad. He exults over me with loud singing.[5] I delight in Him and His love for me.

Present

NOW. Only at this present moment can a feel the wind in my face, smell the gardenias, sip my coffee and hear the fountain flowing. Only NOW can I see the vivid crimson cardinal fly in and perch, only feet away in a tree next to my chair on the deck. Only NOW are my senses active. NOW is a gift, a present. Sometimes I’m absent because my mind is elsewhere. When this happens, I miss out on so much.

As I go, I’m to watch and listen. God is always at work. I’m to present each person, each opportunity before His throne. May His will be done in every person’s life. May His Kingdom come in every situation.

Watch and listen. Follow Jesus. He did only what He saw His Father doing,[6] He desired only His Father’s will.[7]

Lead with Love

No matter how I feel, I’m to lead with love. Jesus said, “This is my command, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 NASB) Sacrificial love. Considering the needs of others before my own.

Friends come by. They gladden my hearts. Their little daughter smiles. She smells a gardenia and marvels at the sweetness. But my friend cuts his finger. We’re not sure how bad. We scramble for a turnicid.

At urgent care. He’s okay. Five stitches.

The focus on loving our friend, gladdens my heart. Joy emerges when I take my eyes off of me.

Speaking of loving others, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11 NASB)

 Lord, thank you for Your Word. Today I felt gloomy. Yet, you urged me on. You ushered me into Your truth despite how I felt. Thank you for loving me so much! I really can’t fathom  your delight in me. The fact that I make You glad blows my mind. Please teach me to delight on Your love for me. This alone should chases away the difficulties of this world. 

Thank you for the gift of your sweet presence. Teach me to always watch and listen. Thank you that our friend is okay.

Amen.

[1] I Kings 19:12

[2] Psalm 16:11

[3] Psalm 4:7

[4] Psalm 149:4a

[5] Zephaniah 3:17

[6] John 5:19

[7] John 5:30

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

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 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

The Source of all Joy

How do we Find Joy in Our Journeys?

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Teddy is outwardly friendly and easy to talk to. This afternoon, at the drive through window we struck up a conversation. I mentioned I was a blogger and handed him my card. He asked what my blog is about. I told him I write about finding joy in our journeys. He smiled and said he was my target audience. When he handed me the chicken and rice soup, he smiled and said he’d be reading my blog tonight. It would give him something to do.

Teddy, this one’s for you.

Why do we need joy? We’ve been created with cravings which must be satisfied. These deep longings for completeness are like a ravenous hunger which won’t ease up until we have our fill.[1][2] This internal cavern will only be satisfied by Joy.

But what is Joy and how do we find it? First, we must realize lasting joy can’t be found in circumstances. Consider a person who has all the success, fame, riches and appeal the world has to offer. Wouldn’t that person have joy? History is dotted with folks who had it all but were utterly empty. Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Earnest Hemmingway and Howard Hughes were just a few. Solomon wrote about the empty pursuit of worldly satisfaction in Ecclesiastes chapter 2. Happy circumstances will not fulfill our deep longings.

There are strange verses in the Bible which say just the opposite. James[3] and Peter[4] wrote of a joy associated with trials and difficulties. How could this be? Both reveal that once we stop searching for joy in this broken world; once we give up chasing the wind, we’re in position to find Everlasting Joy.

God spoke though the prophet Jeremiah, “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.”[5]

Living water, to satisfy our deepest thirst, can be found in God’s nearness. God Himself is the source of all Joy.[6]

But what if life is really hard? What if we’ve said I’ll be okay unless this happens and then it does? What if there’s illness, separation, poverty and loneliness? Where’s the joy then?

There’s a greater story going on, an eternal story which can chase away every tear. Our lives are so short, but eternal Joy can start today. We can’t live good enough lives to be reconciled to God. Going to church, being nice won’t cut it.

Jesus invites us, “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me.  For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” (Matthew 11:28-30 TPT)

Teddy, you told me you hadn’t been to church in years and you said you didn’t know why. Perhaps you’ve been disillusioned. Maybe life is hard. I’d love to hear about your journey. We didn’t have much time in the drive through line.

Perhaps you’d say as I did, “I need to clean up my life before I can begin a relationship with God.”

Must we take a bath before we take a shower? God wants us just as we are. He’s waiting to give us all Everlasting Joy, even in the midst of life’s sadness.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2nd Corinthians 5:21)

Teddy, how do you find Joy in your Journey? Only one way. Being with the One who created the longing in you in the first place. I hope we can talk more.

Joy is a person.

[1] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[2] Psalm 16:11b

[3] James 1:2-4

[4] I Peter 1:6-8

[5] Jeremiah 2:13 (NASB)

[6] Psalm 16:11b

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

Refresh, Replenish

Turning Drainers into Gainers

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My bride and I have begun to identify and communicate aspects of our lives which replenish as well as those which deplete us. Inspired by a friend, we call them “gainers” (gives energy) and “drainers” (takes away energy). This practice has helped us to be more intentional about seeking to fill our souls, as well as brace for, and avoid if possible, those things which drain us.

We’re noticing an overall improvement in our mood, especially as we work together. We’ve found activities, like walking outside and extended quiet times which are mutual gainers. We’ve also discovered that what might be a drainer for one (wrapping presents for me, doing the dishes for her) could be a gainer for the other. Identifying these things, and taking on the drainers of the other, is allowing us to communicate more deeply and support each other in ways we wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Recently, we took on a mutual drainer (Walmart, in the cold rain, right before Christmas). 

Acknowledging the shared experience, and jokingly coaching each other through, almost turned that drainer into a gainer. 

I’m also bringing my feelings of depletion to the Lord. Rather than ignoring and stuffing how I feel, I’m asking Him to bring truth to the areas which tend to drain my courage and cause dis-courage-ment.

Lately, I’ve become aware of an increasing amount of anger and hatred in the world. It seems see a lot of people are in pain and hurting people hurt others. Relational pain can be accentuated during the holidays and be very draining.

Another drainer can be our current circumstances compared to how we thought our lives would turn out.

Following are a couple of truths to bring courage to our hearts when we feel depleted.

We’re Completely Loved by Christ

On the night before He gave up His life to reconcile us into intimate fellowship with the Father’s love, Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in my love.” (John 15:9)

Paul tells us we’re complete, filled to the brim in Christ.[1] God’s love for us fills every crevice of our longing hearts.

When people treat us in hurtful ways, deserved or not, it can be a real heartache. We can deny the pain or try and numb it, but these copings never work. We need to tend to our hearts.

 

Ponder the love of God which surpasses knowledge. Accept by faith that God delights to be with you. Allow the Joy of His nearness to soothe and comfort your heart; the Oil of Gladness to replenish what was lost.

Our Life is Hidden in Christ

As believers in Jesus Christ, Paul tells us we died and our life is now hidden in Christ.[2] One implication of our spiritual death is that more and more we’re surrendering what we want to what Christ wants for us. He wants us to be conformed into His image[3] and that God be glorified in every word and deed of our lives.[4]

When circumstances are rough, we can feel depleted. But God has an eternal story for each of us. He’s working, especially in the hard times, to help us realize He’s all we need. This knowledge can turn circumstantial drainers into eternal gainers.

 Prayer: Lord, thank for Your unconditional, eternal love for us. Please destroy all lies which hide this amazing fact from us. Allow us to walk around in the completeness of Your love, no matter how we feel. Thank You that you have an eternal story going on for each of us, plans which can’t be thwarted. You desire for us to delight in You above all things. Thank You for not allowing us to settle for earthly happiness. In Your presence is fullness of joy.[5]

 [1] Colossians 2:9-10

[2] Colossians 3:3

[3] Romans 8:28-29

[4] I Peter 4:11

[5] Psalm 16:11b

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 once a week. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Christ - Our Life, God is our Reward, Treasured by God

This Moment is a Treasure

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“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45b-46 NASB)

Two years ago, my wife and I took a trip to Destin, Florida during some very hard times in our lives. It was a powerful few days to focus on each other and our relationships with God. This afforded long stretches of unhurried time pondering, listening and taking in the beauty of God’s white beaches, emerald waters and western coast sunsets. During one of these times with God, the following words began to flow from my heart to the pages of my journal, along with a tune.

            Lord, You never leave me,
            Lord, You never leave me,
            Lord, You never leave me,
            For this I know is true.

            You show me how to listen,
            You show me how to listen,
            You show me how to listen,
            To the words You want me to.

             I don’t know what will happen,
            I don’t know what will happen,
            I don’t know what will happen,
            But I know You’ll see me through.

            I just got to trust You,
            I just got to trust You,
            I just got to trust You,
            Forever me and You.

            This moment is a treasure,
            This moment is a treasure,
            This moment is a treasure,
            As You show me something new.

            I live this life now for You,
            I live this life now for You,
            I live this life now for You,
            And I love You through and through.

 As soon as the words stopped flowing, I made a video to capture the tune and sent it to my wife and two daughters.

A year later, one of my daughters, who is a musician, professionally recorded the song and gave it to me for Christmas. Priceless. It was truly one of the wonderful gifts I’ve ever received.

Recently, as I continued to enjoy the song, one of the lines took on a deeper, more intimate meaning.

“This moment is a treasure.”

God loves me more than I can ever understand. He was willing to be pierced and crushed in my place [1] that we might commune. Right now, the Creator of the universe treasures me.

But also, the Lord Himself is my Treasure. In the last couple of years, God has lovingly, but violently revealed idols that needed to be surrendered. I’m asking Him to teach me how to love Him more. He’s showing me things I value more than Him; areas in my life I need to surrender to Him for my own freedom and joy.

God doesn’t want me to settle for anything less than Him to fill my heart. He alone is my Treasure. In His presence is fullness of Joy. [2]

You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. (Psalm 4:7 NASB)

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”                   (Genesis 15:1 NIV)

In this hard road, Lord, I turn to You. You’re acquainted with grief. [3] You understand. I trust You with my life. As I look back at the last couple of years, I see that the hard times are extremely valuable. In the midst, I’m learning that you alone are my Peace, my Hope, my Joy and my Life. Nothing else will  do. I’m sorry for seeking happiness in the things you’ve given me and not in You alone.  All joys flow from my nearness and dependence upon You. Please continue Your work in me.

“I myself preached Christ some years, when I had little, if any, experimental acquaintance with access to God through Christ; until the Lord was pleased to visit me with sore affliction.” John Owen [4]

Conclusion

This moment is a treasure, no matter what I face, because God Himself, is my Treasure. He’s always with me. As I travel with Him, I can slow down and truly enjoy His creation around me. Moment by Moment.

Note: Contact me if you’d like to hear the song. It’s very moving.

 [1] Isaiah 53:5-6

[2] Psalm 16:11b

[3] Isaiah 53:3

[4] Puritan Theology, ed. Beeke and Jones, 112

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 once a week. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains