Tag Archives: courageous

God With Us, God's Greater Story

In the Shadow of Emmanuel

2 Comments

Have you ever had a situation which completely changed the trajectory of your life? One day your minding your own business and bam, everything changes. It could be a phone call, a text or an unexpected visitor. These events can rock us and cause us to wonder how we’ll get through.

What you’re about to read is just such a situation. Though it’s about a particular man, this story is also about us in our hard, unexpected situations. The God sized problem this man faced sent him reeling. He was  worried and fearful and he let God know it.

But God had a gift for this man which allowed him to proceed, step by step, with strength and courage. And God has the same gift for us today. 

During the Christmas season, we acknowledge God’s story of redemption in the gift of His son Jesus, the promised Messiah. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us (Matthew 1:23 NKJV).

Isaiah foretold the event 700 years before. Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14 NASB). 

The birth of Jesus is one of the climaxes in God’s story of redemption. He was willing to allow the death of His own Son to reconcile our relationship with Him and save us from eternal separation.

Being with the Lord is our point. He is our source of true courage and overflowing joy. 

In the shadow of Emmanuel, before Jesus was born, this man, experienced God’s “with-ness”.  His name was Moses. While he was tending his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness near Mount Horeb [1], he turned aside at the sight of a brush fire. From within the burning bush, which was not being consumed, God called to him.

“Here I am,” Moses replied. [2]

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob commanded Moses to remove his sandals in the presence of His holiness. Then God told Moses He was aware of the sufferings of His people. [3] He always is.

 He charged Moses, “Therefore come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10 NASB).

Moses would have shook in his sandals if he’d had them on. “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”  (Exodus 3:11b NASB)

Moses felt far from adequate to accomplish what God was expecting of him. He thought God had chosen the wrong guy. Perhaps you can relate. But God makes no mistakes.

God didn’t back down, but gave Moses the most powerful gift possible. “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12b NKJV).

He is God Almighty, the Great I Am. [4] Whatever is needed, Eternal God always is that, for Moses and for us. He Himself is our peace, courage, hope and joy in any situation. The gift of God’s presence was meant to give Moses all the above and more. But Moses was still afraid and offered a flood of excuses. Perhaps you can relate.

God has a greater story going on in each of our lives. He wants more for us than just happy, comfortable circumstances. He’s conforming us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. 

I’ve been guilty of reading the familiar Romans 8:28 without understanding the good God is working for each of us. I didn’t notice how the next verse defines His purpose.  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:28-29 NASB).

We’ve been predestined to become like Jesus. And part of the process of us becoming more like Jesus is learning to stop relying on ourselves and to trust more and more in God alone. This happens when, by the trials of life, we come face to face with our weaknesses and inabilities. 

See what Paul wrote about his own experience with this very thing.  For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead (II Corinthians 1:8-9 NASB).

For Moses, going to Pharaoh and leading 600,000 men, excluding women and children out of Egypt was way beyond his abilities. And this is the point.

Though our journeys are hard, God is at work to free us from “needing” anything but God.

This is why James could write the following, very bizarre verses about the connection between joy and trials. Until I experiencing the process first hand, what he wrote made no sense at all. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4 NASB).

As we grow in our intimacy with the Triune God, He teaches us the sweetness of living our lives in singular devotion.

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 24:7 NASB).

Like Moses, we also live in the shadow of Emmanuel; not in the times before His birth, but in the times before His return.

Like Moses, God speaks to us now, but not from a burning bush. The Holy Spirit of God indwells us. For us, The Great I AM is closer than breathe.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the truth that, right now, You are certainly with me. You see me and all I’m facing. You’ve entrusted all these situations to me. They are no surprise to You. 

 I’m sorry for longing for a carefree life more than deeper intimacy with You.

I trust You and embrace Your workings in my life. I surrender all the people in my life Your care. Please, remind me often to pray. I believe You’re at work, even when I don’t see it.

I love you Lord. 

Amen.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (II Corinthians 4:16-18 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 8:18a J.B. Phillips)

[1] Exodus 3:1-3, Mount Horeb is referred to as the Mountain of God. Most agree that Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai, where Moses would later receive the ten commandments, are the same place.

[2] Exodus 3:4

[3] Exodus 3:6-7

[4] Exodus 3:14

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

Moving from Discouraged to Encouraged

Coming to Terms with Hard Things

What About Me?

Pleasing Pop

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

 

Addiction to Pleasing People

Pleasing Pop

1 Comment

My first year of Little League was a bust. I couldn’t connect with even an eleven-year-old fastball. Though our team won the championship, I felt like a worthless hindrance. By obligation, Coach Goodnight would send me to the plate, once every game or so, to take my three swings and sit down.

I felt like giving up, but I loved baseball. During the offseason, I spent a lot of time working on my eye hand coordination and improving my bat speed.

When I showed up for tryouts the following year, I imagine Coach Goodnight couldn’t have been thrilled to see me. But, to my delight, my training paid off. I could connect on pitches, even from a twelve-year-old. And, since I was a decent fielder, I was assigned the role of starting second baseman.

One Saturday morning, as we warmed up for one of our home games, I saw that Pop, my paternal grandfather, had joined my mother in the stands. This delighted me and I especially wanted to play well for him.

There were runners on first and second base when I came to bat for my first plate appearance. I can still picture the details in my mind, over fifty years later. I swung hard at the first pitch. It was a bit outside, so being a righthanded batter, the ball lined between the first and second basemen, heading for the fence. As I rounded first base, I decided to keep running past second and head for third. I slid in ahead of the tag for a triple, driving in two runs.

It wasn’t a Mickey Mantle home run, but I couldn’t have been more excited. When the dust cleared and I stood on third base, I looked up into the crowd and singled out Pop.  He had a huge grin on his face, wildly clapping. He was proud of me.

People Pleasing

As I think back on that moment and others like it, I see how important it is for us to please those we care about. As children, parental acceptance and love is important, but we can easily equate our performance with our value. After all, we learn from an early age how our achievements bring us favor. Passing marks in school mean we get promoted to the next grade. Doing well during tryouts earns us a part in the play. Obeying our parents keeps us from being punished.

It’s easy to conclude that what we do determines how much we’re loved. But this is in direct contradiction to the  good news of Jesus Christ. Paul said some very stern things to the Galatians about their tendencies to follow a “gospel” of works righteousness, especially for the purpose of people pleasing.

As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

 For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ (Galatians 1:9-10 NASB).

Focused

We’re to live Godly lives but not to earn affection. Only God’s approval is necessary. Our right standing with God is based on what Christ has done, not on anything we could ever accomplish. [1]

Jesus modeled a life of setting aside His own will and living only to please his Father [2]. This focus freed Him from being bound by the actions and opinions of men. Resting in His Father’s love, Jesus freely and lovingly washed Judas and Peter’s feet, men who would betray and deny Him. [3]

Jesus was fully aware of God’s great love for Him, so He didn’t need to depend on the opinions of men. And neither do we.

But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, because He knew all people, and because He did not need anyone to testify about mankind, for He Himself knew what was in mankind (John 2:24-25 NASB).

As Christians, we’ve been adopted into God’s family as His children [4]. Were hidden in Christ Jesus [5], united with Him.  In Christ, we please God already.

and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:8-9a NASB).

As believers, we’re left with a huge paradigm shift. We must leave behind our dependence upon others for approval. We live now only to please our Father God. And, as we rest in Christ, His life in us is what pleases God.

We get to set aside all worries of what people think of us and live every moment for our Audience of One.

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,  knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve (Colossians 3:23-24 NASB).

Prayer

Lord, as I picture Pop smiling and cheering me on that day so many years ago, I remember that You delight in me even more than he did. [6] Help me to rest in Your love and acceptance, no matter how folks treat me. I trust in You alone. I release my addiction to worrying about what people think of me.

I know I can’t successfully focus on You without You. Help me never to depend upon any human for my well-being. May I continually trust in You alone.

Please keep me focused on You throughout each day.  When I stray from living only for You, please remind me quickly.

Amen.

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)

[1] II Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:4-7

[2] John 5:30

[3] John 13

[4] Ephesians 1:3-10

[5] Colossians 3:3

[6] Zephaniah 3:17

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

Moving from Discouraged to Encouraged

Coming to Terms with Hard Things

What About Me?

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

 

Free from Me

What About Me?

2 Comments

At the turn of the century, our family went on a short term missions trip to Mexico. During some of our down time, we decided to visit the local market. As we entered, we were amazed at the wide variety of colorful local fare, from flowers, to fruits and vegetables, to intricate crafts. 

Immediately, vendors called their products to our attention for purchase. One of us, I can’t remember who, told them we wanted to look around and that we’d come back.

We spent a good bit of time enjoying the massive amount of tables, reaching deeper and deeper into the space, to the point we almost lost our way back to the front. Most of us bought at least one thing.

Suddenly, it dawned upon us how late it was, so we made our way to the front. As we exited, one of the vendors we first encountered yelled in English, “What about me?”

I felt bad and I’m not even sure we responded, but the question, “What about me?” has become a family catch phrase when one of us wants to insert ourselves.

As I continue to walk this journey with Jesus, the more I realize I’m asking the same question in my heart. What about me? Until recently, I didn’t recognize what a consuming quest this really is.

I know I’m not alone in this inward battle. Our Christian lives are a continual challenge, to live in the realities of Galatians 2:20, the great summary of God’s good news. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Living a life of “I have been crucified” is not easy.

 I see what happened to two of Jesus’ disciples in Mark 9:35-37,  “James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, *came up to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.’ And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.’”

They were asking, What about me?

What about me? seems to be built into the fabric of our hearts.

What I want to say is what John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 NASB)

What about me? is such a restricting, narrowing view. It limits the world and chokes my joy.

It’s You Lord! changes the game from introspection on my little kingdom, into full hope upon the glorious kingdom of God, waiting to explode into eternal ecstasy. [1]  

What about me? requires control and strain to produce circumstances which I hope will maintain my happiness. It puts me where God should be and steals any moments of abiding in His gladness.

It’s You Lord! releases care and trusts in a loving God, who is at work in a greater story of making me more like Jesus. [2]

What about me? longs for the love and approval of others. It produces competitiveness, envy and continual effort to be liked and admired by others.

It’s You Lord! produces gratitude and praise, which keeps me peaceful under the yolk of Jesus’ gentle and humble heart. [3]

I desire this change in my heart, the transformation of John the Baptist, more than anything I can think of. But, I know this kind of work is not a self study class. If I’m to move from What about me? to It’s You Lord! it requires the Lord, not me.

Lord, show me in Your word and empower me by Your Spirit to be less about me and more about You.

He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease.

During our family vacation last year, I was walking on the beach talking with my bride about some deep spiritual matters. This was a convergence of three of our very favorite things to do together: be at the beach, walk, and talk about spiritual things. 

As we walked, she said, “We all have swiss cheese hearts.”

This was a striking image as I pictured it and I’ve thought about it a lot since then. Certainly, God has created our hearts with a void only He can fill.  

Examining my own heart, I’ve identified five major holes which I’ve historically tried to fill myself. I know, with Solomon, that trying to fill my eternal holes with anything of this world is vanity of vanities. [4] Yet, I scream What about me? as I try and plug these holes myself. 

Perhaps others can relate.

The Need to Be Admired

In my heart, I see a deep longing to be admired. When people, especially those important to me, make me feel disliked or even hated,  What about me? screams out. The “desired to be admired hole” aches with a painful feeling of being unloved.

It’s You Lord!  points me to the amazing love God has for me, as revealed in His word and in His actions. Though there are many scriptures about God’s incomprehensible love for us, [5] I’ll focus on what Jesus told His disciples the night before He died, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.” (John 15:9)

The eternal love of God is the only thing which can fill my hole to be admired. Expecting this kind of love from others is toxic. It not only binds me to the approval of men, but produces a self-serving love for others, which is not sincere.

Ugh. This is really bad  When What about me? comes to mind about not being admired, I determine to saturated my heart to overflowing with God’s perfect love.

 It’s You Lord!

Lord, You love me with a love I’ll never fully grasp, which fills my heart to overflowing. Please remind me of this when people are mean to me and act hateful.

Resting completely in God’s love

Accepted

In my heart, I see a need to be accepted. When people, especially those important to me, make me feel rejected,  What about me? screams out. The “desired to be accepted hole” aches with a painful feeling of being excluded.

It’s You Lord! points me to what God did for all of His children before the world began:  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 and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6 NASB)

God chose me, to be His child before I was even born. The passage goes on to say that in His love for me, I’ve been lavished with grace, redeemed with His love, and given His Holy Spirit as an installment of my inheritance.

I’ve had some really important people in my life reject me. And the pain does not go away. But it’s a pain of loss, not a loss of value.

No person can define my value, no matter how important. Before I breathed a breath, God called me His own. No person can change that by rejecting me.

It’s You Lord!  

Lord, You’ve accepted me by Your blood. This is what matters. Please help me remember this.

 

Accomplished

In my heart, I see a insatiable need to accomplish things. This drive seems to always be running in the background, to the point that sometimes I have to force myself to relax.

I fight a fear of failure. What about me?  yells that nothing I do is good enough. And there’s the problem in the open. What “I” do.

It’s You Lord! points me to II Corinthians 5:21:  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Me trying to accomplish some righteousness of my own is the very essence of stupidity. Not only is it impossible, (all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) [5], but it’s an affront to what Christ has done for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. (Galatians 2:21 NASB)

Will I fail? Most definitely; every day. But am I a failure? By now means. 

But as for me, I stand on the righteousness of Christ. 

It’s You Lord!

You have given me Your righteousness. You have made me complete, fully accomplished in You. Please help me remember this when  I feel like a failure.

True Value

Affirmed

In my heart, I see a need to be affirmed, to be recognized, to have my achievements pointed out.  What about me? wants my glory to shine.

My, my, my. Me, me me. As I write it’s more than ludicrous. Yet, the temptation rises.

When I think about what Jesus did for me, I realize He wants me to consider myself dead when it comes to my glory. Paul actually wrote this 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.

It’s You Lord! helps me realize I’m hidden in Christ. That’s affirmation enough. It’s His life which is to be celebrated, His glory. Why would a dead man need to be recognized and given credit anyway?

Christ is my life. No need to be individually affirmed. One day, I’ll be revealed with Him in glory. His glory, not mine.

Lord, please help me remember this when I feel the need to be recognized and given credit for anything. No need to strive to be affirmed. I rest in You.

Christ our Life

Appeased

In my heart, I recognize the deep need to be satisfied, for my longings to be appeased. As mentioned before, God put longing in every human heart. [6]

Blaise Pascal wrote, “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.”

What about me? believes I must plug these holes myself. But I can’t.  I’ve tried being admired by people, accomplishing many tasks, being pliable to be accepted, and  competing to be affirmed.

I’m realizing that the sum of these searches for lasting joy only leave my wanting all the more.

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

I now agree with Asaph, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;” (Psalm 73:28a NASB).

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

It’s You Lord! is the answer to every hole in my swiss cheese heart.

Jesus said to them, “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)

These are some holes in my heart which begin with ‘A’. Lord, show me the whole alphabet. (8^>  

Joy, An Experience of God

Unmasking the Lie

Prayer

Lord, I depend upon me so often; even now, after decades of being Your disciple. But You are teaching me to rest in Your yoke. It’s not up to me anymore. It never was.

It’s Your glory, Lord, never mine. When a thought comes to highlight me, please remind me quickly that it’s You.

Lead me, I pray, to quickly disagree with the lies and agree with the truth that I’m complete in You, filled to the brim and overflowing with You in all areas.

In You, I’m always admired, always accepted, fully accomplished, affirmed in Your glory, and fully satisfied by You, my Bread of life. Your rivers of waters completely saturate my thirst. 

You want me free, really free.

Please continue to show me ways I choose me and not You, my will and not Yours.

I must decrease and You must increase.

I love You Lord.

Amen.

Not my Will

Journal Time

With your journal in hand, write down any What about me? areas in your own life. It could be one or more identified above or different ones.

When is it most often manifested?

Write down ways you think your self focus hampers your life.

What difference would it make if God was your focus and not you?

Write a prayer expressing your desires to make a change and be less self focused and more God focused, recognizing the need for the Holy Spirit to enable you. 

If you’re willing, ask Him to continue to reveal self focused ways in you. He will.

Come back to this journal entry often.

[1] Romans 8:18-23

[2] Romans 8:28-29

[3] Matthew 11:28-30

[4] Ecclesiastes 2:11-22

[5] Romans 3:23

[6] Ecclesiastes 3:11

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

Moving from Discouraged to Encouraged

Coming to Terms with Hard Things

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

 

God's Eternal Purposes, God's Greater Story

If God is With us, Why are These Things Happening?

2 Comments

It’s a fair question.

Why do difficult things happen to us even, in the midst of God’s presence?

Many an unbeliever has considered themselves on firm ground with this question. And they like to stoke up others into agreement.  It’s a perplexing dilemma which gives pause to even the most faithful follower of Jesus.

John the Baptist, sitting in a dungy cell, went from pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God, to wondering if another should be expected.

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3 NASB).

Jesus responded, telling John’s disciples to report to him that blind folks were seeing, the lame were walking, lepers were being cleansed, the dead were being raised, and the good news of the gospel was being preached to the poor. [1]

Then He said, “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me” (Matthew 11:6 NASB).

Offense. From the Greek  – to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey, to cause to fall away.

Jesus goes on to praise John and to say, Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11 NASB).

Jesus calls John the greatest among those born of women, yet He realized offense can be taken when circumstances don’t turn out as expected.

Others have had similar confusion.

After the angel of the Lord said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”  [2] He asked, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13b NASB)

Since God is good and powerful, it seems natural to expect His presence to produce pleasant times. Like John and Gideon we can become disillusioned by how difficult our lives become, especially when we believe the Lord has the power to work things out.

In the midst of our hard times, how do we keep from stumbling and keep on trusting? How do keep on obeying and not become discouraged?

Jesus’ early disciples, who lived lives which were anything but smooth, had to learn to look at life from a higher perspective in order to begin to understand this dilemma.

And so do we.

What can keep us from taking offense when our lives get hard?

Blessed Are Those Who Don’t Take Offense.

Jesus’ message to John the Baptist about folks being blessed when they don’t take offense at Him, let’s us know it’s possible to see things in a different way.

But how?

We get some ideas by reading what a couple of Jesus’ disciples wrote after years of following Him.

Peter

The early life of Peter is widely known. Most have heard about how he denied Christ three times, even with a curse. [3] At that point in his life, though he was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, he hadn’t grasped how God can use hard times to achieve something far greater than carefree days. He was afraid that being truthful about knowing Jesus would be very dangerous to him. 

Later, scholars think between 35 to 40 years after his denial, he wrote the following verses: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the  dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,  who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (I Peter 1:3-9 NASB).

Through these years, God had been at work, through Peter’s own trials, to give him a view of God’s eternal ways. 

Here’s what he learned about God’s children:.

  • We will eventually earn an imperishable inheritance
  • We are being protected by the power of Christ for a salvation yet to be revealed
  • Various trials may be required to prove our faith, and deepen our trust in God.
  • Eventually these trials will result in praise, glory and honor
  • Even in the midst of trials, there’s great reason for us to rejoice and have expressible joy

Peter’s transformation is a miracle. And God is at work in us to achieve something similar.

What we learn through trials is better than life itself.

Paul

Paul’s early years are also well known. Until Jesus radically called him, he thought he was doing God’s bidding by killing Christians. He was on the wrong team.

But, like Peter, years of walking with Christ taught him how hard times can deepen his trust and build his relationship with God.

Take a look at some of the difficulties he faced for the sake of Christ recorded in 2nd Corinthians 11:23-28:

  • labors
  • imprisonments
  • beaten times without number
  • often in danger of death
  • five times he received thirty-nine lashes
  • three times beaten with rods
  • stoned
  • three times shipwrecked
  • spent a night and a day in the deep
  • dangers from rivers and robbers
  • many sleepless nights
  •  in hunger and thirst, often without food
  • in cold and exposure     

He knew personally what Jesus meant when He wrote, “These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NASB)

Like Peter, Paul learned to see things from a much larger perspective. See his personal testimony, written for us: 

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction which occurred in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead (II Corinthians 1:8-9 NASB).

It’s not easy to see the good when things are really hard, but Paul saw that it took utter despair for him to learn to stop trusting in himself. The situation was so dire, he could only cry out to God.  And, in the process, his faith grew.

The Greater Story 

Like John the Baptizer, Gideon, Peter and Paul, we have and will face circumstances which are beyond our abilities to endure. During these times, we need to be aware of God’s greater purpose for us.

God wants more for us than happy circumstances. When Paul tells us that God is working in all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes, he’s referring to something better than an easy life. God’s purposes are to give us the freedom and joy of being conformed into the image of Christ. [4] 

There are profoundly sanctifying forces at work when we cling to Jesus in the midst of our pain. In our trials, our grip on lesser loves is loosened, freeing us to fully enjoy Jesus. 

See what James wrote about the redeeming qualities of our afflictions and trials:

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4 NASB).

Trials can bring us joy because they develop endurance which lead us to becoming complete, lacking nothing. Nothing means nothing. Trials can show us we don’t need a life of ease to be joyful.

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry for ever assuming that being with You meant my life would be easy. 

With Aspaph, I cry, “For me, the nearness of God is my good.” (Psalm 73:28)

You and You alone are my good, the source of all my joy [5] and my very great reward. [6]

I know You love me and that You want me to enjoy the moments of my life with You. But I also know, like Paul, from first hand experience, that You’ve used some really hard things to show me that I can’t depend upon anything in this world for my “okayness.” 

Though I would have never chosen these particular trials in my life, I’m amazed at how I love you with greater ferocity because You use them to dislodge idols from my heart.

Please continue to show me anything and anyone I’ve chosen instead of You. Free me of these I pray.

I love you.

  Amen

Journal Time

With your journal in hand, write about a hard situation in your life or in the life of someone you love. You may have more than one.

Write a prayer to God honestly telling Him how you are doing, in light of what’s going on. Don’t be afraid to express anger and disappointment, if that’s what you’re feeling. God can handle it. He wants us to come to Him in honesty. The real us coming before the God of all truth.

Consider ways He might have already been at work in these trials to conform you into the image of Christ. Write these things down.

Ask Him to give you the courage of His presence as you face life’s challenges.

Write about your willingness to face God’s will, even if it’s not what you might want.

If you were around when Gideon asked, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13b NASB)

Do you have a response to his question? If so, write it out.

Come back to this journal entry often.

[1] Matthew 11:2-5

[2] Judges 6:12

[3] Matthew 26:74

[4] Romans 8:28-29 

[5] Psalm 16:11

[6] Genesis 15:1

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

Moving from Discouraged to Encouraged

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

 

The Death of Discouragement, The Lord our Courage

Courage For the Dis-Couraged

Leave a comment

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

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 others 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 is 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.

Be looking for the Living Waters YouTube channel coming soon.

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

 

The Joy of Communing with Creator God

Enjoying Unhindered Intimacy with God

6 Comments

Identifying and Eliminating what Hinders our Fellowship with the One Who Made Us.

The Story

Could a former addict, who lost his job and almost his family, now enjoy unhindered intimacy with the Creator of the universe? You might not think so, but think again.

A couple of months ago, at a Saturday morning men’s breakfast, a brother, I’ll call him George, shared about his life of addiction, which held him captive for many years. Tearfully, George shared how tough love, accountability and God’s grace transformed his life. With a gleam in his eye, he declared that he now enjoys unhindered intimacy with God.

Those of us who were at the breakfast were very thankful for George’s honest vulnerability. It took great courage to admit his weakness, but we all saw how in his weakness, Christ showed Himself as strong. Too often men hide behind thin veneers of outward goodness, while inside, joy withers and souls dry out.

Men need to be brave enough to talk about deeper subjects than sports, cars, and fishing. That morning, George’s vulnerability led to more meaningful, transformative connections and conversations.

We men need to fight for this level of openness. It starts with our own courage to stop hiding and talk about our struggles. This is the gift George gave us that morning.

Since then, I’ve explored George’s phrase, “unhindered intimacy,” and would like to share what I’ve discovered.

Intimate Fellowship

What is intimate fellowship?

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (I Corinthians 1:9).

Our fellowship involves a deep association with Christ, a community with Him and a joint participation.

But what hinders our enjoyment of this intimate fellowship?

The Hinderances

Distractions

These days, they are far too many screens to capture our attention. Even in our times with God, they cry out, offering politics, sports, TV, short video reels and the like. These and other distractions invade our souls with noise and crowd our minds. We tend to suffer from a lack of intentional solitude. 

May we be less like Martha and more like Mary. Less bothered and worried about what we do and more resting in the Lord as we love and serve.

38Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42)

False Affections

We were created with an eternal hole in our hearts which only God can fill.[1] But, we tend to dedicate our lives trying to plug the void with temporal, fragile, fleeting pleasures. We are tricked into thinking these false affections, such as substances, porn, gluttony, achievements, possessions, and even human relationships, will quiet our longing souls.

The truth of the matter is the these impostures only hinder our intimacy with our Creator. We can’t depend on any earthly thing, including our closest relationships, to make us feel okay. God alone must be our Highest Joy.

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

 Guilt and Shame

The guilt and shame of sin can make us feel unlovable and unworthy. As we pursue holiness, we can never depend upon our own strength to become like Jesus. Depending on God’s Holy Spirit within us is how transformation happens, not by our own strength.

Similarly, we can never depend on our own righteousness as the entrance into intimate fellowship with God. Any misunderstanding of the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation clouds us with guilt and shame, which hinders our approach to Father God.

We must not allow the enemy to hide God’s love and forgiveness from us. 

 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all  (I John 1:9 NASB).

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

Jesus says that the more we are forgiven, the more we love. 

 46 You (Simon) did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47 For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven” (Luke 7:46-48 NASB).

Doubt of God’s Love and Care

How many times have we heard or thought,  “How could a loving God allow this or that to happen?”

After all, didn’t Paul say:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 NASB). 

But what is our good? Is it pleasant circumstances? Is God’s purpose for us to live a comfortable life? The verse below gives us the answer.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29 NASB).

God’s purpose for us is to make us more like Jesus.

In the verses below, Paul despaired even of life. But, he saw God at work for His greater purpose of causing Paul to trust God and not himself.

8For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead (II Corinthians 1:8-9 NASB).

In Conclusion

Because of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, we have been given the ability to have unhindered intimacy with Almighty God.

To enjoy our fellowship:

We must fight distractions and pursue unhurried time alone with God.

We must not allow any affection to supplant God as our Highest Joy.

As we follow Jesus, we must not allow guilt and shame to discourage us from communing with God.

We must remember the power of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf to take away our sin and grant us His righteousness.

We must not forget that God is at work to give us the freedom and joy of being like Jesus.

Hallelujah.

[1] Ecclesiastes 3:11

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

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

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

 

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)

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