Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

A Greater Hope, Joy in the Midst

(In the Moments) No Lose Situation (Even with ….)

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According to Wikipedia, game theory defines “no win” as a scenario where every outcome is disadvantageous to all players. How about the game called life? Most of us have experienced a time when we feel completely cornered and trapped. A step in any direction seems detrimental, producing feelings of hopelessness.

Chris’ Cancer

Consider my friend Chris. A successful business executive with a loving wife and two God honoring sons, he found out in February 2015 that he has brain cancer. This news devastated us all. You hear about folks dealing with cancer, but when it happens to your family, it hits home. I say “family” because Chris is my brother in Christ. We’re both adopted sons of the Lord Most High, bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus. We’re brothers on the same commission: to live and speak the love and grace of Christ to everyone God brings our way.

Long before the cancer, loving like Jesus has been Chris’ heart. His multiple trips to India ignited his love for its people. So much so, he and his wife, Sharon, moved their whole family to an apartment complex, where many of his Indian business associates lived. Chris did it to be near them. He taught them to swim and loved them in ways the Holy Spirit directed him.

We Can’t Lose

Though the news of his cancer was certainly devastating, Chris and Sharon have clung close to each other and trusted God in the midst. Amazingly, Chris sees this whole situation as giving him a unique platform to continue his commission. Chris is a walking example of someone who sees God as his good, no matter what circumstance he faces. Chris is a vessel of the Lord’s joy, and his life speaks of God’s nearness, infusing courage to others daily.

He shared with me that the dire spiritual conditions of some of his family are far tougher for him than dealing with cancer. Chris knows where he’s going and his faith in the truths of his future centers him and gives him eternal hope. He’s ready to see Jesus, but he knows some of his family members are not.

With conviction, he recently told me we Christians are in a ‘no-lose situation’. As adopted children of the King, given the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance [1], our lives on this earth are our journeys home. We know how our story ends. We literally cannot lose. This brings joy inexpressible and full of glory.

Chris’ life reminds me of the following verses: “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For 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)

Challenge

What ‘no-win situation’ do you feel you’re in right now? Do you feel trapped, like no move could get you out? If Chris focused on his cancer, he might feel this way. And maybe he did for a while. But Chris has ongoing conversations with his Savior. He and Sharon share a deepened faith and intimacy. Christ is Chris’ life.

What’s your situation? Bring it to the Lord. Consider this a chance to entrust yourself further to God. Embrace God’s higher purpose for your life, a greater story which is about Him conforming you into being more like Jesus.

If you don’t know Jesus, He invites you into His fellowship. When you do, you too will know how your story ends, no matter what you face at this moment.

Prayer

Lord, I must confess, I’m not where Chris is with such a frightening word as cancer. But you’ve given me courage through my own difficulties, because I know You’re near. You’ve grown my faith because You’ve used really hard things for me to learn that I can’t, and You can.

Please continue to grow my faith through all the days You’ve numbered for me. Keep me aware of Your nearness and keep me from running ahead of You.

Like Chris, may I use the platform You’ve given me to tell what wonderful things You’ve done for me and how You’ve shown me mercy.

May my days be filled with love for You and for those You bring my way. Guard me from ever choosing any worldly pleasure above you.

You are my King, my Highest Joy.

My life pales compared to knowing You. I give all of me to You, Lord Jesus. You are my life. [2]

Amen

 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21 NASB).

Epilogue

After seven years of fighting the good fight with much courage, Chris completed his journey here on earth in 2022. He used his platform to proclaim the goodness of God to so many. Knowing Chris deeply touched my life. I will see him again.

Christopher Ward Mercer

July 10th, 1963 – February 18, 2022

[1] Ephesians 1:13

[2] Colossians 3:4

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

It is Finished

Behold the Moments

Tranquility

Stop Striving

Simplicity In Christ

What is Good

Yet Will I Rejoice

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Escaping the Rat Race

When I don’t Feel God’s Loving Kindness

Experiencing Completeness in Christ

Overcoming Pain Through Faith

Recalibrating Our Hearts

The Joy of Waiting

On the Fifth Day God Created Dog

When Things get Really Hard

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

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

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

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

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

Novels by the Author:

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

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

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

Marlee and me in Pompano Beach, Florida.

(In the Moments) When Things Get Really Hard

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A few of years ago, I lost my little sister. Although we noticed increasing signs, her rapid death still surprised us. She literally worked the same week she died. 

Her loss has been harder for me than the death of my parents ten years earlier.

Even though she was my only sister, I would tell her she was my favorite. Truly, she was the best sister anyone could ask for. I can’t think of an argument we ever had during her entire life. Except once when she disapproved of the girl I was dating.

Being the two oldest, we were foxhole buddies during the divorce of our parents. She was always there.

Her death is allowing me to access unshed tears from years gone by. For the first time, I’m learning to grieve.

Days after her death, I cried out to the Lord in my journal, not knowing how to process my concern for her eternal state and the huge, gaping hole in my heart. I asked Him if He wanted to say anything to me.

In my spirit, I sensed Him say, “I am enough.” 

No matter how sad I am and how much I grieve, God is enough. He is with me. I call out to Him, especially in my pain. He is and always will be my El Shaddai, my All-Sufficient One. 

Since then, as I travel this path of grief, I’m knowing God in a deeper way. It seems the greater my pain, the greater His sufficiency.

What I’m Learning

There’s great value in:

  • Knowing the love of God.

  • Knowing the Holy Spirit indwells us to empower us and guide our ways.

  • Knowing we were raised with Christ and given an eternal perspective.

  • Knowing God alone is our Highest Joy.

  • Knowing that loving like Jesus fills our lives with joy.

Rocks of Stability 

Nearness

Because God is with me, I don’t fear, though the shadow of death doesn’t leave me.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me (Psalm 23:4a NASB).

Comfort

God is always available to provide abundant comfort in all my afflictions. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 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).

Peace and Courage

Jesus tells me not to be surprised by troubles. They will come. But in Him, I find peace and the courage to endure. 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).

In my toughest times, I receive courage because God will never leave or forsake me.

Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9b NASB).

The Greater Story 

Jesus tells me that He came to give me abundant life. 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10 NASB).

But is abundant life the same thing as happy, smooth circumstances? Or is it the abundance of Christ’s nearness, like Rivers of Living Water, welling up from within? 

God wants more for me than a better life. When Paul tells us God is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes, he’s referring to something better than good circumstances. God’s purpose for me is to give me the freedom and joy of being conformed into the image of Christ.  

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).

There are profoundly sanctifying forces at work when I cling to Jesus in my pain. Trials loosen my grip on lesser loves, freeing me to fully enjoy Jesus. 

Conclusion

Life is hard. We face troubles. What’s important is how we respond.

Do we keep ongoing, striving best we can, ignoring what we’re going through?

Do we dedicate ourselves to many false affections which temporarily numb the pain? 

Do we curl up in a fetal position and shut life out?

Or do we recognize that what we’re going through is no surprise to God? Our God of all comfort is an ever-present help in our afflictions. He is near to our broken hearts. God can use our pain in marvelous ways we would have never perceived. Like a master surgeon, God is at work to free us and to allow us to fully enjoy Him.

Prayer

Lord, I don’t grieve well. I don’t know how. I’m sorry for the many times I’ve minimized my pain because I didn’t know what to do with it. But You’re showing me that living with You in my pain gives me an opportunity to know You in uniquely deeper ways.

Thank You for the great comfort I receive in Your nearness, especially as I suffer loss.

Please guide my grief of my sister. I miss her so much. Thank You that You are enough, even now.

 Amen.

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

It is Finished

Behold the Moments

Tranquility

Stop Striving

Simplicity In Christ

What is Good

Yet Will I Rejoice

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Escaping the Rat Race

When I don’t Feel God’s Loving Kindness

Experiencing Completeness in Christ

Overcoming Pain Through Faith

Recalibrating Our Hearts

The Joy of Waiting

On the Fifth Day God Created Dog

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

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

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

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

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

Novels by the Author:

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

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

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

Waiting on Jesus

(In the Moments) The Joy of Waiting

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Stepping back can seem like quitting but think of it as waiting for another. I’m not usually good at it. When we’re taking a walk or shopping, my bride tells me she loves my butt, but would prefer not to be looking at it when we should be together. This slows me down and I take her hand. The point is being with her, not finishing the walk or checking shopping off our list.

Walking with my wife is about savoring our moments together. It’s also that way when I’m with God. Problems and duties give me various opportunities to walk with God and to wait on His timing. When I forge ahead on my own, I’m missing out on being with the Source of joy. I’m also detached from the Source of Life, who guides and empowers my life.

Why I Step Ahead

I’m realizing that I step ahead because I don’t really trust God is in control of certain situations. It’s a terrible idea to try fixing life on my own terms, but I still do it. God is at work in all situations to conform me into the image if Christ. [1] Though I may not like His methods, stepping ahead doesn’t save time. It prolongs the process.

I also step ahead because I’m compelled to accomplish. My sense of self-worth seems linked to my perceived success. This is exhausting, especially when I take on things God never intended me to do. The result is futility. Apart from God’s life working in me, what I do has no eternal worth. [2]

I’m a slow learner with this one. How quickly I convince myself that this or that is a good thing and forge ahead. I’ve worn myself out doing what seems good, instead of waiting on God’s best for me.

These actions are doubly harmful because when I don’t wait on God and the empowerment of His Holy Spirit, I operate in my power instead. So, not waiting on God causes me to wear myself out doing things which have no real value.

Nobody has time for that.

Waiting Starts with acknowledging Weakness

After Paul repeatedly spoke to the Lord about his weakness, the Lord responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” [3]

His response, “Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So, I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (II Corinthians 12:9b-10 CSB)

What I’m realizing is that waiting often depends upon the value I place in my weaknesses. If I truly believe my weakness is good, which is often hard to admit, God’s power can be perfected in my weaknesses.

This is by far the best route to take.

My weaknesses remind me to wait for God’s direction and power.

In the Waiting

Waiting is the best. If I trust Him, God promises to guide me. God is at work. In His timing, He’ll show me when and how to join Him along the way. If I’ll wait, He’ll show me.

In the waiting, I learn to trust in His control, His love, His strength. Stepping back is making way for another. Stepping back is waiting for Him to initiate and allowing His power from the vine to produce true fruit in my life.

In the waiting, I’m with God, digging deeper into His love, basking in the joy of His presence, depending on His glorious power.

Being with God really is what it’s all about. I don’t want to miss out on the most important thing by stepping ahead without Him.

Challenge

Is there a situation in your life where you’re waiting for God? Most of us have several. Perhaps you’ve already inserted yourself to no avail. You may have even made matters worse.

It’s okay. God’s mercies are new every morning. He can use even our bad choices for His ultimate plan to make us more like Jesus.

Step back. Wait now.

Waiting is hard but take courage. He is with us in the waiting.

Prayer

 Lord, I’m sorry for moving ahead of You. I see now how utterly futile it is. Please keep me from rushing ahead. Please build my trust. You’re in complete control of every situation and You will show me my part. I open my heart to understanding Your great love for me. I look forward to the marvelous adventures which await in my communion with You as I wait.

Amen.

 [1] Romans 8:28-29

[2] John 15:5

[3] II Corinthians 12:9

Post image generated by AI

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

It is Finished

Behold the Moments

Tranquility

Stop Striving

Simplicity In Christ

What is Good

Yet Will I Rejoice

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

Escaping the Rat Race

When I don’t Feel God’s Loving Kindness

Experiencing Completeness in Christ

Overcoming Pain Through Faith

Recalibrating Our Hearts

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

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

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

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

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

Novels by the Author:

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

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

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

The Joy of Love

(In the Moments) Finding Joy in Love and Relationships

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Close to thirty years ago, I was mowing the lawn with the small tractor I inherited from my grandfather. D.B. Leatherwood was a famous lawyer in upstate South Carolina, but to me he was Pop. We were close. I grew up with only a rolling hill separating me from the house he lived in with my grandmother, Nene.

Pop was a self-made man. Orphaned at an early age and raised by his older sisters in the hills of North Carolina, he worked hard to earn a law degree from the University of North Carolina. He moved to Greenville to open his practice, and that’s where he met my grandmother.

Pop didn’t show affection, but I knew he loved me. On late summer afternoons he’d hit fly balls to me down the hill. His batting was pristine. I don’t remember him ever even fouling a ball. At dusk, as the cicadas began their serenade, he’d invite me up for a Pepsi and a bowl of cashews and Fritos. We’d sit in between the massive white columns on his front porch and “watch the world go by” along the busy street in front of his house.

As I navigated Pop’s old tractor around our small plot of grass, I thought of him. He took such good care of us when my father moved out. In my mind’s eye I could see him cutting our grass with his brimmed hat and plaid shirt, leaning in to keep the tractor balanced on the hills. He was like a father to me.

Remembering Pop that day, I felt what I must call joy. It was deeper than happiness and more than just a feeling. Briefly, the difficulties of balancing leading a young family, with four children, and a stressful IT job appeared insignificant. My joy became an eternal, larger-than-life experience.

Looking back, I recognize part of the sweetness was the nostalgic remembrance of my childhood, but the gladness and joy stemmed from my relationship with Pop and our mutual love for each other.

My encounters with joy seem to always involve a loving relationship, mostly with God, but also with the people I cherish.

The Joy of Loving

Scripture confirms how tightly coupled love and joy really are.

David, who loved God with a passion well documented, wrote in Psalm 16:11 (NASB) “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

When David was with God, soaking in His presence, he experienced fullness of joy. 

David’s loving worship dripped with joy.

“For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done. I will sing for joy at the works of your hands.” (Psalm 92:4)

And David’s continual posture of loving God brought joy to his heart and gave him courage, especially in the face of many difficulties.

As Saul’s men watched the house to kill him, David wrote to the Lord, “But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your loving lovingkindness in the morning.” (Psalm 59:16).

Our love of God, which extends to others, fills our hearts with joy. 

The Joy of Jesus

Jesus showed the interwoven connection with loving and joy in His life.

After Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34)

He went on to say that if we loved others in the manner in which He has loved us, two amazing things would happen: We would live in His love, and His complete joy would be ours. [1]

And concerning Jesus’s joy, the love connection is clear. In Hebrews, we read that His love for us gave Him the joy He needed to endure the cross and secure our salvation.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The Challenge

Check your heart. At this moment, circumstances may be pleasant, or you may face hard trials. Are you encouraged or discouraged? Do you have courage or not? Courage, fueled by a joyful heart, is what we need each day. 

Where do we find joy? It’s very easy to seek it from the world’s commodities: fortunate circumstances, pleasantries, and fleeting affections that promise much but produce nothing but pain.

Do we depend on the happenings of life to keep our hearts glad? Certainly, there is much in this life to enjoy, but genuine joy, the kind that yields lasting strength and courage, comes from loving God first and then loving others as He’s loved us.

When this occurs, we taste the freedom God desires for each of us, freedom to love and truly enjoy what He’s given us.  

Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 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. 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).

In these verses the requirement to love for us to experience joy cannot be clearer. May we determine to fill our days in worshipful love of God, thanking Him, praising Him and adoring Him. May we bask in His lovingkindness and love Him with everything within us. As we love and draw near to Him, joy overtakes us because He is fullness of joy.

Prayer

Lord, if I’m not careful, my heart gets attached to my circumstances. When this happens, my courage to face life’s challenges wanes and flows based on my sense of how I’m doing. You have repeatedly directed me to love. This redirects my heart to You, my fullness of joy.

May I continually yearn to praise, thank, and love You each day. Please help me slow down enough to listen to You and to love the folks You bring my way, even those who hurt me. For this is the example You set for us when You washed Peter and Judas’ feet.

When I love, You fill my heart with gladness and joy, giving me the courage to face what comes my way.

When I stray from this single focused determination to love, please guide me quickly back.

I love You, Lord.

Amen.

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b NASB).

[1] John 15:9-12

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

It is Finished

Behold the Moments

Tranquility

Stop Striving

Simplicity In Christ

What is Good

Yet Will I Rejoice

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

The Cake Maker’s Blunder

God at Work (No Trespassing)

Hidden with Christ in God

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

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

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

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

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

Novels by the Author:

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

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

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

Fearless

(In the Moments) The Cake Maker’s Blunder

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The bride had waited for this moment. She’d be marrying the man of her dreams. And she had the perfect verse for her wedding cake. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18 NASB).

She struggled with fear and wanted God’s perfect love to cast it out.

Wedding week had arrived. Final preparations were underway.

She received a call from the cake maker. “Are you absolutely sure you want I John 4:18 on your wedding cake?” he asked.

“Very sure. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Okay,” the baker responded. “It’s your wedding.”

The bride didn’t have the brain space to give the call much thought, but later she wished she’d followed up.

 The cake maker wasn’t familiar with the Bible. He thought 1 John meant the first book of John he came across. So, the surprised bride got John 4:18 on her cake instead, “for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”

The bride felt deeply humiliated. Eventually, the couple laughed about the cake maker’s mistake. And they continued to ask the Lord to show them how perfect love casts out fear.

How Does Perfect Love Cast Out Fear?

Perfect Love

The Greek word John used for “perfect” means completed, finished, lacking nothing.

God’s love is perfect, like a swaddled child, safe and warm in its mother’s embrace. God’s presence yields a transcendent peace which surpasses all comprehension in the face of any fear [1].

Paul describes the quality of God’s perfect love, in Ephesians 3:14-19. He prays we might comprehend it, though it surpasses our knowledge.

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

When I read Paul’s description of God’s love, I picture a love as deep and long and wide as the ocean and as high as the sky.

God’s perfect love truly surpasses our knowledge. Paul prays that what won’t fit in our heads will come alive in our hearts, our love receptor. [2]

Disagreeing with Lies

God’s love grounds us. So, it’s no wonder our enemy uses doubt and fear, trying to block our awareness of it.

As much as God is love, Satan is fear. He’s a defeated foe and his tactics don’t change. He relentlessly uses deception and empty fear, luring us away from resting in God’s great love for us.

But our weapons of truth and prayer are divinely powerful to demolish these fortified strongholds, destroying his work in our lives and casting out his fear.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 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).

Our job is to take every thought captive. Soaking in the truth of God’s perfect love, we learn to disagree with Satan’s lies and cast away his fear.

Remaining in Perfect Love

Besides praying for our hearts to be enlightened with God’s perfect love, and disagreeing with Satan’s lies, Jesus gives us explicit instruction on how we can continually live in His perfect love.

 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:9-12 NIV)

In these vital words, Jesus helps us understand the depth of His perfect love toward us. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” Love can’t be more perfect.

Then He tells us how to abide or live in His love. To remain in His perfect love, which dispels fear, we’re to love others as He’s loved us. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

And the love we’re to love with comes from Him. “We love, because He first loved us” (I John 4:19 NASB). (The verse after the bride’s verse).

The great cadence of our lives, which dispels every fear, is to receive God’s perfect love and give it away.

Challenge

Can you identify a lie which the enemy uses to keep you from fully experiencing the love of God in Christ?

It’s important to identify these viscous strongholds which have created ruts in our hearts. Our adversary is only out to steal, kill, and destroy us. [3]

For me, I’m easily seduced by the lie that my value is based on what I do.

How about you? Do you have lies you’ve agreed with and have allowed strongholds to remain?

Now is the time. Stand firm in the authority of God’s truth, despite feelings and swirling half-truths.  Speak the truth and pray. 

Believe the words of Jesus in John 16:23b-24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.  Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

Pray and keep on praying. The healing He affords, in lies we’ve believed, requires fervent attention to Christ and His ways, disagreeing with the lie of our advisory and agreeing with the eternal truth of God.

The love of God, His love for us, casts out all fear.

 Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You that You’ve provided a way for me to live in Your perfect love.

Please give me the power to recognize and refute any lie about your complete love for me. When fear arises from the evil one, I want to give it to you quickly. I don’t want to give the enemy a seat at my table. (From the title of a book by Louie Giglio) [4]

Please give me a love first mentality throughout each day. I don’t want to be too busy to appreciate the people you bring my way. I yield to You to love through me.

I depend upon You to work this in me. I can’t do them without You.

Fear has no place in my life.

Amen.

[1] Philippians 4:6-7

[2] Ephesians 1:18-20

[3] John 10:10

[4] Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table, Louie Giglio, Passion Publishing 2021

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

It is Finished

Behold the Moments

Tranquility

Stop Striving

Simplicity In Christ

What is Good

Yet Will I Rejoice

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Exploring Grace and Joy together

Stay Present My Friends

Quiddity. It Could Change Your Life

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

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

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

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

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

Novels by the Author:

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

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

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

Joy Flowing From Grace

(In the Moments) The Remarkable Link Between Joy and Grace

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It’s a cool late summer morning. Fall is in the air.

As I sip my dark coffee, laced with sugar free peppermint mocha (not sure it’s good for me, but it is tasty), I listen to the sound of our man-made mountain brook outside the porch. A cool breeze whips across my face, carrying the scent of tea olives in full bloom. Looking up from my writing, I notice the multiple shades of green leaves awaiting the signal to change colors and float to the ground.

I’m in a very contemplative mood. In fact, I feel quite weary. There are plenty of tough circumstances to go around. We’ve had three deaths in our family in the last few years. Folks we love are struggling with addiction. Some don’t know Jesus. The thought of them facing an eternity without Him is sobering. So many are dealing with lost jobs, broken relationships and life-threatening illnesses.

Even though, in John 16:33, Jesus tells us this will be the case, it doesn’t make it easy to deal with such pain. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

Sometimes, when I remember the nearness of Jesus, He infuses me with the courage to handle these troubles. Other times, I get lost in the details and negative situations. I think it comes down to my perspective. When I can gain an eternal view, even during hard times, my outlook is different.

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

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

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 want to do. 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?

To Obey God Requires Abiding Dependence Upon the Holy Spirit

Before digging into the verse more fully, I have to pause and admit my inability to obey any of God’s commands in my strength. After years of trying to be like Jesus without Jesus, I’m fully convinced the Christian life requires an abiding dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit of Jesus to fully follow Him.

Abiding is not just a delightful idea, it’s the essence of the Christian life. Paul summed it up beautifully in Galatians 2:20-21:  “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.  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Our life now is a life of dying to self and yielding to the indwelling Holy Spirit. Christ gave Himself up for me and, if I revert to living independently, I’m nullifying His death for me.

Living a life of self-fueled “obedience” leads to burnout 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 doesn’t differ from any other command. Yielding to the Holy Spirit within me is the only way to obey it.

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, to be glad. The word “chairo” originates from the root word “charis,” which means grace or unmerited spiritual blessings granted to those who trust in Jesus Christ.

The Greek words for “rejoice” and “grace” share a close connection. Feeling joyful is a common response to receiving and experiencing God’s grace. One of the fundamental aspects of joy involves having faith and seeking peace in Christ’s righteousness, rather than focusing on my own achievements.

“Evermore” originates from the Greek term “pantoteh,” signifying always, or at all times. I’m to remain glad all the time because of the spiritual blessings God has freely given me. 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 actual trials, problems, and heartaches. So, if I am to make this command to “rejoice always” a legitimate part of my life, I can’t forget certain spiritual truths based on the “grace” or unmerited favor given to me.

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, God Almighty chose to love me as His child. The cruel death of His Son Jesus, the Messiah, secured my eternal relationship with Him, my new Father. This was all done for the praise of God’s grace. He lavished His grace 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).

 Challenge

What is your current weariness? Can you name it? Or perhaps you’re in a season free of troubles. These are rare. Be extremely thankful.

For the rest of us, sink into the deep connection between God’s grace and our full joy. People never earn God’s grace, and it doesn’t change with each passing circumstance or human choice.

Ours is to choose His grace for our life, both now and forever.

With grace, as an unbelievably interlinked component of the same root word, there’s rejoicing.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV).

Come. With all that burdens your heart, come and stay with Jesus. It’s what He wants.

With Him, we have grace and full joy, which results in true rest for our souls.

Prayer

Despite the ongoing hard times and unresolved problems, I find joy in You, Lord, as Your word has given me courage. Please help me take each care and concern and cast them upon You because You care for me.

Please help me to stop striving to make everything “okay” in my world. Your nearness is my good. My hope and stability are in You. I rejoice in the grace You showed me before I was even born. And I know nothing can change that.

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

Amen

Other posts in our series In the Moments:

As Sea Gulls Fly

The Gift of Presence

It is Finished

Behold the Moments

Tranquility

Stop Striving

Simplicity In Christ

What is Good

Yet Will I Rejoice

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

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

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

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

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

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

Novels by the Author:

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

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

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

Daily Rhythms, Discipleship

Packages (Epilogue, Walking it Out)

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Part 1 

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

The Dream Ends

Since I didn’t have to be at work until later that day, Alfred and I continued discussing the dream until 9:30. He found it encouraging too. Through our conversation, we established some daily routines:

  • As much as possible, begin each day with unhurried time with God
  • Talk with Him about who we know we’ll be encountering that day and ask Him to allow us, through His Sprit, to love each person, planned or not, with the same quality of love He loves us
  • Be prayerfully intentional about loving and leading our families, especially our wives
  • Be deliberate about being present during the moments of the day
  • Don’t look past people in order to return to duties
  • Continually cast each responsibility and care upon the Lord and trust Him to weed out what’s unnecessary
  • Orient our lives from the fact that we’ve been raised with Christ and are, even now, seated in heavenly places with Him
  • Find our joy and satisfaction in the Lord, not our circumstances and accomplishments
  • See each moment from an eternal perspective, being bold to explain our hope in Christ and to announce the Lord’s great mercy towards us

A Hundred Days Later

As much as I wanted it, the dream on the packages never returned, but the impression it made has grown stronger.

Alfred and I agreed to meet weekly to support each other in our daily routines. We weren’t perfect, but we managed to have unhurried times of solitude with Father God at least five times during most weeks.

We began our times along with God by praising Him, acknowledging His presence, and listening for His guidance. Although we didn’t follow the same Bible reading plan, due to different programs in our churches, we always shared at least one impactful truth from God’s word to uplift each other during our weekly breakfasts.

Aware of whom we might encounter each day, we established a rhythm of morning prayers and spontaneous prayers throughout the day. We sought to remain in Jesus’ love, relying on the Holy Spirit to help us love others with the same depth of love He has for us.

Additionally, we encouraged one another to create margin in our lives for unforeseen chances to show God’s lovingkindness.

We extended grace to each other when we fell short and ended each time in prayer.

Alfred excelled in the practice of being present throughout the day. He endeavored to employ all his senses while performing his duties as an administrative assistant at a large law firm. Whenever someone entered his office space, be it in person or electronically via phone, text, or email, he sought divine guidance on how to fully engage and serve each “customer”. He admitted that initially, it was challenging, and there were times he went half a day without a thought of God. However, he persisted, and during those gaps He thanked God when He was brought again to an awareness of His presence. Then he resolved to concentrate on maintaining his focus on Jesus as often as he could going forward,

I was more irregular in my practice of abiding, but Alfred’s encouragement led me to increasingly and consciously surrender to the Holy Spirit of God within me multiple times a day.

Passing it On

One morning, Alfred couldn’t hide his huge grin as Tammy, our regular waitress, poured our coffee. Tammy must be the finest server in the South. Alfred and I alternate paying for our weekly breakfasts, always leaving her generous tips. As a single mother and now a grandmother, she’s familiar with our routine and usual breakfast bowls, to the extent that, by 6:30 every Wednesday morning, our table was waiting for us and our condiments already laid out.

“Tammy,” Alfred said, as she finished pouring my coffee. “Set us up for four next week.”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. “The usual?”

We both nodded. Occasionally one of us will be enticed to go with chicken fried steak, eggs, grits or hashbrowns and grilled biscuits. But that usually happened when the other was paying.

When Tammy had gone, I asked Alfred what was up with the table for four.

“Apprenticeship,” Alfred began, “What if you wanted to become a bricklayer? And you knew of a master who had been a successful bricklayer for years and years. What would you do first to learn how to follow his path?”

I thought for moment and then replied. “First, I’d want to be with him as much as possible during the workday to watch him, learning to become like him in his brick laying methods.”

“Great answer,” Alfred replied, his grin getting even larger. “Then what?”

“Eventually, I’d begin laying brick on my own doing what he did.” 

“Exactly!” Alfred said, as Tammy brought our bowls and refilled our coffee. “And that’s the answer to your question.”

“What question?” I asked as I poured white pepper gravy on my bowl and passed the deliciousness to Alfred.

“Your question of why I asked Tammy to set four places next week,” Alfred answered. “You and I have been intentional about being with Jesus alone and meeting together to talk about our experiences. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we’ve sought to be like Jesus, praying for each other along the way.

“We’ve sought to follow Him as His disciples.  I believe the next step in our apprenticeship is to do what He’s taught us to do to others. [2]

“I have a young man I work with who recently decided to believe in Christ’s finished work for his salvation. And I’d like to ask him to join us, if you’re okay with that.”

“Sure,” I answered. “But what about me? Who could I ask?”

“How about your son?”

[1] John 15: 9-12

[2] The concept of apprenticeship is from the book Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer, Copyright 2024 by WaterBrook Publishing.

 

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. 

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

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

By finding two undelivered letters in 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

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

 

Turning the To-Do List on its Head

Packages (The Dream Ends)

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Part 1 

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Then I awoke, not on the packages, but in my own bedroom. Beside me, my wife, whose name isn’t Jill, was still sleeping. I’d experienced a lucid dream spanning a week, yet in reality, it was only a few hours.

It was predawn. I dressed, brewed a cup of Cuban coffee and proceeded to the porch, my favorite place to watch the sun rise.

I took out my journal and detailed the events and individuals from the seven days encompassed by the dream. The scenarios and characters were fictitious. However, some elements were familiar.

I don’t have a neighbor named Alice. Nevertheless, I’ve engaged in discussions with colleagues, in my field of IT, about Jesus and Him not being religious. 

I don’t have a friend named Fred suffering from pancreatic cancer, but I do have several close friends who are facing serious illnesses.

I don’t have friends named Sammy and Milly with a son named Alton, but I wish I did.

I don’t have a co-worker named Kevin facing personal challenges and showing interest in my faith. However, I do work closely with someone I pray will stop believing God and science can’t co-exist.

I don’t have colleagues like Harrison and Mike who desire to inflict as much pain on me as possible, but I have a person, who is closer than a co-worker, who seems to have that agenda.

As the sun started to tint the grey sky with soft pastels, I jotted down the themes that came to me while I rested on the packages. 

During the seven days of dreams, as I listened to His voice, I learned:

  • To love others as Christ loves me
  • To converse with God, who is ever-present, and to listen as I go
  • That He will guide me in loving each person He places in my path
  • To fully “see” people around me and not quickly move past people to the next obligation
  • To yield to His kindness as I love
  • That my life is brimming with the abundant grace of God
  • That I am appointed as an ambassador of Christ to convey His grace
  • To always be prepared to discuss the Hope of Christ within me
  • That difficulties, such as Fred’s cancer, are not surprises to God
  • To recall God’s love for me during tough times
  • Not to gauge my happiness by my circumstances
  • That individuals like Alton, with special needs, bring extraordinary joy
  • When I seek comfort from God, He endows me with joy and courage
  • That I possess no righteousness of my own, only the righteousness of Christ

By then the sun was in full view and I knew exactly what I needed to do. I called my spiritual mentor, Alfred. He agreed to meet me for breakfast.

After ordering our usual bowls of grits, poached eggs, crumbled bacon, and biscuits, I shared the dream with him. Confident in his wisdom, I believed he could provide some meaningful insights.

I also shared with him the notes I’d written earlier that morning.

He was patient as I recounted my story, asking a few clarifying questions.  Afterwards, I asked him for his overall thoughts and possible interpretation. 

Alfred paused a moment, then said, “Your times on the packages seem like a picture of our position in the heavenlies with Christ. The timeless dawn, vivid colors, and what I’m calling an ocean of love, give me a sense of what heaven must be like. I had goose bumps as I listened.

“Reminds me of verses like Colossians 3:1-4, and Ephesians 2:4-7 where it speaks of believers being raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places. Your dream gave me a glimpse of being with Christ in heaven, yet still living on earth.

“This is a real gift, Bobby. You’ve been given an eternal peek into our heavenly position, an almost “real life” perspective of what Paul meant when he commanded us to set our minds on things above, not on temporal things. [1]

“What do you think the packages represent?” he asked.

“At first, I thought it was up to me to deliver them all, I responded. “That speaks to how full of duties my life feels. I can be so busy that people, and opportunities to love, can seemed like obstacles to taming the task list. But now I’m realizing much of my to-do list is from me and not God.  

“Those packages are not tasks, they’re bundles of God’s love: His kindness, His peace, His joy, His presence to be given as presents to others.

“Though I’m very saddened at how I’ve been, I can hear you tell me that God’s mercies are new every morning.” 

Alfred nodded.

My eyes began to sting as I continued, “Alfred, I’ve waisted so much of my life striving to fill a bottomless chasm in my heart that screams – ‘I’m not enough.’

“Though in my head, I’ve known it’s about Christ’s righteousness, my heart hasn’t caught up yet. It believed it was up to me to earn His love, to succeed, to please.

“Until now,” I said, a spark of joy rising in my heart. “Because of the gift of a dream, my whole world has been turned upside down. 

“Alfred, you’ve patiently loved me and guided me all these years. You know how distracted I’ve been.”

Alfred smiled and nodded.

“This dream has turned my to-do list on its head. My duties are no longer the main thing. My goal now is to love. 

“I feel so much more present. I want to truly see the Sammys God brings my way and not just pass them by to check off another task on my never-ending task list.

“No! Completing my tasks without problems is no longer my main goal. Delivering God’s daily packages of love is what I want to be about. 

“I’ll trust Him to get done what needs to get done. The tasks are now simply the paths God uses to bring me to the folks He wants me to love.”

Alfred laughed with joy. I knew at that moment it’s what he’d been praying for me all these years.

Stay Tuned for The Epilogue, Walking it Out. 

[1] Colossians 3:1-4

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. 

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

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

By finding two undelivered letters in 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

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

 

Rest

Packages (Part 7)

2 Comments

Part 1 

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

The next morning on the packages the events of the previous day swirled in my soul.  I checked with Kevin after Alice’s party, and he predicted the batches would be completed by early evening.

Alice’s party was hard for me. I’m not a good chit-chatter with folks I don’t know very well. I did have a good conversation with one of Alice’s grandson’s Jeff, who’s studying Computer Science at the University of South Carolina.

His eye’s widened when I told him about carrying around punch cards for writing COBOL programs back in the late 70s. Things have changed so much Jeff wasn’t even sure what COBOL was.

“It stands for Common Business Oriented Language,” I explained. “It was developed by Admiral Grace Hopper. COBOL emerged 1959.  and it’s still used a lot today in banking, insurance, and other large data industries.”

As I shared my enthusiasm about computing history with Jeff, I could see his eyes beginning to glaze over. I shifted the conversation and asked some questions about him.

Then he surprised me, “Granny says you’re a religious person, is that right?”

Simultaneously, I heard. “Be very real.”

“Actually, I’m not, Jeff.”

I could tell my answer took him back. I was ready to say more, but heard, “Wait. Give him space to process and respond.”

After a moment, he said, “But I thought you went to church a lot.”

“I do, but that doesn’t make me religious,” I replied. “Growing up, I saw religious people as judgmental, fun zapping and stuffy, so I avoided them.”

“I don’t understand,” Jeff replied. “How can you go to church and avoid religious people?”

I went on to explain that religion is following rules, Christianity is following a Person, Jesus Christ. I told him there are two ways to get to heaven; be perfect or be carried in by Someone who is. 

He seemed very interested and asked a lot of questions, especially about what Christ’s crucifixion really meant.

I gave him some passages to read and showed him how to get the Bible app on his phone. He was amazed when I told him how Jesus was not a religious person either.

“In fact,” I said. “Take a look at Matthew 23:1-12. You’ll see how angry Jesus was at the religious leaders of his time. They were all about rule following, not God following.”

It was a nice conversation, but I had a restless night thinking about all that was going on.

As I continued to think about the day before, I heard Him say, “Rest. Bobby, you are worried and bothered by many things,”

Recognizing that these were the words, Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10:38-42, I responded, “But only one thing is needed.”

In the story of the two sisters, I’d always identified with the busy older sister, named Martha. But I’d longed to be like Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His words.

Mary cared more about Jesus than accomplishments.

I wanted to be like Mary, but I was much more like Martha.

“You can be like Mary, but you must trust Me deeply,” He responded to my thoughts.

How?

“To be like Mary, thoughts of yourself must end; thoughts of doing, thoughts of pleasing, thoughts of measuring up must be replaced by trust; trust in what My Son did on the cross. He did it all for you. He brought you back from annihilation. He freed you. He completed you. He is worth all your attention.

When you do, He’ll take care of everything else.”

He said no more that morning. 

Later, Sammy and Milly joined us for church. The sermon was on Psalm 27, particularly verse 4.

Again, I would hear about “one thing.”

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.

“How’d you like the sermon,” Jill asked Sammy and Milly, as we enjoyed our lunch at Lizard’s Thicket after church.

“I liked the focus on worship,” Sammy replied.

“Yes,” Milly chimed in. “Could life really be as simple as the one thing of worshipping God? What about all the things we have to do? We can’t just forget about them.”

“I’ve thought the same thing,” Jill added. “I was reading about this verse in a book about worshiping. The author mentioned that David’s one thing of desiring God above everything else was the mainspring for everything else in his life, his commanding, his ruling, his writing, everything.” [1]

“Wow, that makes a lot of sense,” said Sammy. “That softens the conflict in my head. Like the story of Mary and Martha and how Jesus told Martha that one thing is needed.” 

I couldn’t believe what was happening. The very thing I heard on the packages that morning, was playing out before my eyes in a deep conversation. I was about to mention the packages for the first time to anyone, when my phone vibrated.

Glancing at my watch, I saw it was Kevin.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I need to take this.”

As I stepped outside and answered the phone, I heard, “Rest.”

“You okay,” I asked.

“Not at all,” Kevin exclaimed tersely. “I knew you were at church and wanted to be sure our process was still going. On my way in, I passed Mike driving away. I don’t think he saw me.

“When I got upstairs, the server was off. When I rebooted, I was able to restart the remaining batches. But the abrupt termination of the one which was running has corrupted a large block of data. And it was for the new client.”

I tried to console Kevin, but he came unglued. He was going to resigned on the spot, but I told to hold on until I got there

To Be Continued

[1] How to worship Jesus Christ  by Joseph S. Carrol, pages 22-26

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. 

 

Robby Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

Because joy is rooted in God and is eternal, it doesn’t ebb and flow with the waves of circumstances. In fact, as we grow in our understanding of joy, we can even experience it more acutely when life is hard. Why? Because God uses trials to conform us into the image of Christ. With this awareness, which gives us glimpses of God’s greater purposes, we rejoice because of His masterful work to free us from needing anything but Him.
For these reasons, and many others, joy in the Lord is commanded in scripture. It’s not just a good idea, it’s vital to our journey as human beings. Rhythms of Joy

Novels by the Author:

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

By finding two undelivered letters in 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

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

 

A Stunning Comparison

Rubbish

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As unsightly and detestable as rubbish is, you’d be shocked to know what one man equates it to. 

There are many things we might take pride in as individuals – our ethnicity,  career status, education, passions, accomplishments, keeping of societal rules, etc. 

Around the time of Jesus, there was a man named Saul who could brag of all these things. He was proud to be a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, a model Hebrew. He followed all the rules in his law with great zeal. He’d risen to the heights of his religion and considered himself blameless when it came to following rules. (See Philippians 3:4-6)

Then he met Jesus and this changed everything.  He was given the new name of Paul and his priorities were turned completely upside down.

In his growing intimacy with Jesus, Paul was given clarity to understand what has real value and what does not. We’d be wise to consider and apply what he learned.

Counted as Dung

From a Roman prison, approximately twenty years after his conversion to Christianity, Paul wrote, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:7-8 NASB).

In these mind blowing words, Paul compares his very impressive worldly resume as a net loss compared to knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord. In fact, he literally revalues what he once held dear as having the same worth as rubbish, or dung, compared to gaining Christ.

This is shocking. How do we get our heads around such a comparison, especially when it comes to what we work so hard to gain?

If we grasp the meaning of what Paul is writing, it can forever change the trajectory of our lives. If we can regularly see things from the perspective he’s offering, it can reduce stress and fill our lives with exuberant joy.

As believers in Jesus Christ, Paul is telling us that the earthly things we’ve poured our lives into are actually detestable compared to something of much greater value.

What is so much greater?

Gaining Christ.

By receiving Jesus as our Savior, and knowing Him more and more, we’ve been granted something so fabulous that everything else is like crap in comparison. 

If we’re able to adopt and maintain Paul’s new value system, our earthly “rubbish,” when surrendered to the cause of Christ, can actually be used to glorify God. 

Prayer

Lord, as I allow the truth of what Paul wrote to sink in, it changes everything about everyday. I see that my accomplishments, social standing, and influence are only valuable to the extend that they aid in seeking Your kingdom and loving those You bring my way.

Knowing You, and living all of my life to glorify You, is what really matters. Earthly credentials do not define me. I offer all I have and all You’ve allowed me to accomplish back to You for Your glory. 

I love you.

Amen.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24 NASB).

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. 

 

Robby Buck

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