Tag Archives: joy

The Source of all Joy

(The Everlasting Way) Treasure That Never Fades

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Disillusioned. Hopes crushed. What I thought would bring deep happiness left me disheartened, disappointed, and empty. 

This describes several “low” points in my life. 

I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God Himself. But now I see these hard times as severe mercies. Each disappointment further dislodging my entrenched disillusionment that the things of this world, even the finer ones, could bring me the deep fulfillment and joy I longed for.

What every human must come to realize is that only God Himself brings us the lasting satisfaction we all so desperately need.

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

The Heart of the Matter

Baked into the heart of every human is the unaltered desire to find a lasting joy to satisfy our empty souls. This longing, this need for satisfaction, is so strong most never give up the quest. The problem is that we so often look for satisfaction in all the wrong places.

The Rolling Stones sung about the futile attempt to find lasting satisfaction when looking in the wrong places.

I can’t get no satisfactionI can’t get no satisfactionGonna try and I try and I try and I tryI can’t get no –I can’t get no –  [2]

King Solomon tried all manner of worldly delights to satisfy his emptiness. [3] Denying himself nothing he saw around him, he concluded that it was all “vanity and striving after the wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:11b 

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

He would later conclude that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [4] Solomon had the means to attempt anything the world had to offer to fill his need for satisfaction. None of it worked. At the end of his search, he hated life because he recognized the utter futility of trying to fill the eternal hole in his heart with anything around him.

God designed our hearts for joy. We’re to be fulfilled by God Himself, fullness of all joy [5], not in having a better life.

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

We must all ask ourselves: What is our treasure?

Is there something we’re looking forward to, or hoping for, which we believe will finally bring fulfillment and lasting happiness? 

  • Completing college?
  • Getting married?
  • Buying a house?
  • Getting out of debt?
  • Getting promoted at work?
  • Having children?
  • Starting a business?
  • Publishing a book?
  • Having good health?
  • Having grandchildren?
  • Retiring?
  • Winning the lottery?

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

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

But how can we walk in a growing awareness that God Himself is our Highest Joy when the world, the flesh, and the devil are all working overtime to convince us otherwise?

Awakened

Let’s consider the following verse from Psalm 37 written by David as an old man. [6]

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

Said a different way, if we seek God as our delight, our longing hearts will be satisfied. – Wisdom from an aged man.

We see this amazing truth other places in Scripture as well:

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

We fully experience joy when we are in the presence of God. In Your presence is fullness of joy; (Psalm 16:11b)

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

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

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

Prayer

Lord, it’s so amazing that You created me for fellowship with You. It’s profoundly simple that the key to life is being with You. Yet it’s also so difficult when my heart drifts to what I see around me.

But You are showing me more and more, in the depths of my soul, how complete I am in You. I can now rest and enjoy who You are, no matter what I face. Thank You for the loving way You show me when I stray – tenderly pointing me back to You.

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

Amen.

Reflections

Where are we headed? What’s our aim? What motivates our heart as our treasure?

We long for our lives to go smoothly. We want our bills paid, good health, reliable belongings, and harmony with those who matter most. These are fantastic things, though we have to take the following into account.

These desires for our circumstances to go smoothly rarely turn out as we hope.

And, even if they did, our hearts long for something far deeper. 

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

We need to believe this and ask God to continually point us to the reality that He’s our Highest Joy.

When we long for lesser treasures, may we quickly become aware, acknowledge it, confess it, and turn our hearts back to seeking Him above all else.

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

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

[2] (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Song by the Rolling Stones

[3] Ecclesiastes 2:1-10

[4] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[5] Psalm 16:11b

[6] Psalm 37:25

Please consider leaving a comment. Thank You.

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.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 Version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

Courage Rising

Recovering

Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend

Dying to Self

Loving without Expecting Anything in Return

We are Barabbas

The Joy of Being Poured Out

Like a Child: The Way Back to Wonder

Loving Like Joe

You Might Want to Pull Over

 

 

Rob Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Joyful Surrender

(The Everlasting Way) You Might want to Pull Over

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The Back Story

I’m a convertible guy. Being follically challenged, I love to feel the wind sweeping across my bald head and face. Even in the winter, I’ve been know to put the top down, with the heater on and windows up, just to experience the sensation of being engulfed by the outdoors. I guess you might call a convertible a tamed version of a motorcycle.

A few years ago, before we closed our IT training company, my accountant informed me that our current car, a Sebring convertible, had fully depreciated. She told me I needed to purchase a new company car, or I’d have to pay a lot more taxes. Smiling, I told her I’d be glad to comply. 😊

I had a limited amount of funds but hoped I could find a descent convertible for the money.  

Using Carvana, I found a hardtop 2010 BMW convertible for a bit over $20k. And it was in one of my favorite shades of blue. 2010! You might say that is pretty old, but it only had around 38K miles, with a nice body and no history of wrecks or damage from road salt.

After the purchase, I drove it up to our regular mechanic. When I asked him, “Do you work on BM..” I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth before he gave me an emphatic. “No!”

I found another mechanic down the road that said they were not afraid of them, but that there may be situations where I would need to take it to the dealership, a scenario I hoped would never happen.

Stalled at Dawn

Not too long ago, I was driving the BMW to my early morning breakfast with my son, Michael, and our friend Seth. Soon after I navigated onto the highway, I heard an alert sound (like a doorbell) and a yellow temperature light appeared on the dashboard.

Looking at the temperature gauge, it showed that the needle was barely past the bottom temperature of 160°, probably 180°. I wondered for a moment if it was a faulty alert, but as I slowed down, approaching the first exit, a new alert sounded and the red temperature light came on. The car went into a sort of “safe mode” and slowly allowed me to pull off at the exit.

Without going into a ton of detail, between Michael, Seth, and my friend Dean, I made the meeting and eventually drove it to the auto shop after stopping multiple times to add water and allowing the engine to cool.

You might want to pull over

Later in the day, I was coming home after picking up our grandsons from school, and I got a call from the auto shop. The technician asked if it was a good time to talk. I told him I was driving, but that I could talk.

“You might want to pull over,” he advised.

That didn’t sound good to me, but I kept on driving. He ended up telling me I had a blown head gasket, which he said they couldn’t fix.

However, if I wanted them to install a new, out of the crate 2010 engine, along with a new radiator, water pump, etc., they could do it for $37.000!!! I wish he had just said we couldn’t fix it and left it at that.

I don’t even remember what I said to him after that.

Stunned, I hung up and called Joseph, a friend of mine who works on European cars on the side. I told him what had happened. To my relief, he told me he could fix the head gasket, but it sounded like that would still be a lot of money.

But he also wondered if it might be the water pump. He told me my model has a mechanical pump which is known to fail at 50 to 60 thousand miles. My mileage was 65k.

I called the shop back to inquire about that, but they assured me it was not the water pump. 😑

Lee on the knee, Phil on the hill

When our grandsons and I got home, my bride, whom they call BeBe, had plenty of fun and snacks planned for them.

This gave me a moment to lick my wounds. I could sense a mounting stress invading my soul I hadn’t felt in a while. Almost like a mini-PTSD.

However, after spending just a little while with a three-year-old and a six-year-old, their childlike hearts wore off on me.

Like their dad, Nicholas and Zachary are extremely ticklish on their knees. So, I took time with each of them on my lap, using my fingers to walk up their legs from their ankles to their knees, where I jumped up and down as Lee on the knee and Phil on the hill. 🤣

It was hilarious. We all laughed so much!

Before long, my finger man walked back to their feet and became Pete on the feet, then Ben on the chin, Rose on the nose and Kit in the pit. I tried to stop, but Nicholas kept asking for more people to jump.  😁   

 “Let the little children alone… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

It’s amazing how this laughter chased the stress away!

The Next Morning

From my journal:

Morning Lord,

I woke up this morning with a deep sense of Your nearness. Sure, I’d love it if Joseph could figure out how to get my car running again for a reasonable price.

However, there’s a part about not having it in the driveway that’s a bit of a release. It’s one less thing to maintain, one less thing that could break, one less tie to the temporal world. 

This seems weird, but it was truly how I was feeling.

Then I prayed a very freeing prayer.

Prayer

Lord, I truly give this car to You. Do with it as You want. And please give us wisdom on what to do, transportation wise, if it’s no longer to be ours.

Thank you so much for giving me an awareness of the joys of childlikeness yesterday and the peace of your nearness today.

I love You Father,

 Amen.

Reflections

My soul seemed truly washed after bringing the situation to God.

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (I Peter 5:6-7).

I felt like I had truly given this care to my Lord  

Two days later, we were getting ready to go to one of our other grandson’s soccer games when I got a call from Joseph:

“Hello.”

“Well, it won’t be $37,000,” he said. “It’s the water pump.”

He told me that with parts and labor he could have me driving again for a tad over $1k. 

I felt immense joy. Because I do believe I’d done my best to surrender the outcome to the Lord, it felt as if He was giving me a gift right back.

I told him to go ahead. Within the week, he’d completed it and I picked it up and drove it home. Top down.

Take Aways:

  • Present problems can sometimes bring back feelings of stress from the past

  • Spending time playing with children and laughing can bring a lighthearted joy that can melt away feelings of stress

  • Surrendering attachments to temporal items brings tremendous freedom to my soul

  • I should always, always talk to God about the broken parts of this world 

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).

I’m very thankful to have a least a bit more time driving a convertible 😎

 

Please consider leaving a comment. Thank You.

 

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.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 Version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

Courage Rising

Recovering

Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend

Dying to Self

Loving without Expecting Anything in Return

We are Barabbas

The Joy of Being Poured Out

Like a Child: The Way Back to Wonder

Loving Like Joe

 

 

Rob Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Let the Little Children Come to Me

(The Everlasting Way) Like a Child: The Way Back to Wonder

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Last month I turned 70.

I’m shocked. I used to think 70 was so old. But now I know it’s not. Sure, my parts are breaking down, some more than others. I feel my knees when I stand up. And it takes me a few steps to gain stride. If I don’t work against it, I slump a bit in my upper back. Recently, an acquaintance asked if I had back problems. 😑 Sometimes it takes me a moment to remember the names of people or things. However, through it all, I feel a bit childlike, and I’d like to grow in this.

We have a couple in our lives whom we’ve known for over forty years. Great friends. They recently retired as missionaries and have settled down in the States. We get together with them at least once a year.

Being the senior of the group, I recently sent them, and my wife, the following message, with tongue inserted firmly in cheek.

 Hey friends.      

Great news. When you hit 70, everything relaxes. The pressure is off. You get to truly rest, and youth begins to return. You become more childlike and dependent. 

All illusions of appearance, affluence, and achievement dissolve in an instant, and the dance toward our true home accelerates. I’m glad to tell my three younger siblings that at 70, true life really begins.

But in the meantime, have y’all seen my keys? 😊

My comments were playful and lighthearted, but I have a growing belief that we can be young hearted despite our age.

Jesus told His disciples, “Let the little children alone… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Now, in the fourth quarter of my life, I sense a rising longing to understand and embrace what Jesus means when He tells us that His Kingdom belongs to little children.

Lord, please show me what You mean by this. Give me some childlike qualities to build into the rhythms of my life?

Three Childlike Qualities

Visio Divina

What comes to mind first is having the wonder of a little child, to marvel at the beauties of God’s creation all around me. What would it be like seeing spring flowers, green meadows and trees, the ocean, mountains, clouds, stars, etc. as if it were for the first time?

What if God would allow me to recapture the amazement of my first snowfall or the astonishment of seeing multicolored Christmas lights for the first time?

One of the many things I love about my bride is her ongoing childlike wonder at God’s creation. During our brief engagement, a ladybug landed on her hand as we walked along the beach. She stopped in amazement at how creative God is to “paint polka dots on a bug.”

In our 45th year of marriage, I continue to enjoy who God made her to be! 😊

She and I are focusing on some new rhythms to build into our lives from a book entitled Spiritual Discipline Handbook. [1]

One discipline is called Visio Divinia. It’s Latin for “sacred seeing.” The handbook calls it praying with our eyes. [2] I want to do this by:

  •     Slowing down enough to receive God’s beauty as a gift
  •     Allowing what I see to be a doorway into noticing God’s presence and giving Him thanks
  •     Listening inwardly and receiving what He may be showing me.

Humble Dependance

The next thing that comes to mind when I think of being childlike is a child’s total dependence.

I remember around thirty years ago when I witnessed this in my six- month-old nephew, Matthew, as he was being held in my brother-in-law’s arms.

At the time, I was at a crossroads in my career, having just resigned from my corporate job at age 40. I had great plans for what I thought God wanted me to do next, but those aspirations crumbled within weeks of my quitting.

This left me in great debt, with a wife and four children depending on me for our provision. But who was I depending on?

Before I saw Matthew being securely held by his father, I’d been looking at what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

I had thought, (or prayed) Lord, how do I seek Your kingdom first, because I certainly need all these things?

And then seeing this six-month-old baby. I sensed God impressing upon my spirit, Does Matthew worry about his next meal, or how he will be clothed, or if he has shelter?

No, Lord.

This is how I’m holding you right at this moment.

It was then that I began to understand that God is my provider, not me. He would guide me into the next steps of my journey, providing for us in ways I would have never imagined.

Joyful Adoration

As a child, do you remember experiencing delight when certain loved ones entered your presence? Perhaps it was your mom or dad, a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a neighbor, or your sibling. Whoever it was, they caused your heart to leap in excitement when you saw them.

Our three-year-old grandson, Zachary, shakes with excitement when we get to spend time together. I think he knows his Pop and BeBe love him dearly. He knows we care, and he knows we probably have snacks. 😉

God has built a longing for relational joy into all our lives. The aches in our hearts are somewhat satisfied by our human loves, but God has designed our innermost being to be satiated only with Him, our Eternal God. He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

The joys of this world are only a shadow of the overflowing joy we experience in the presence of God.

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 (Psalm 16:11).

Children have a way of experiencing joy that we adults have lost.

No matter what worldly devices we choose to try and fill the void in our hearts, they all end up lacking.

God is our Highest Joy. No worldly idol will do.

Pray

Lord, as I write, I see how many of these attributes of a child You’ve shown me are similar. They all seem to be pointing to staying present and alert as we walk this journey together.

I have a renewed zeal to practice Your presence and to dwell in Your love.

Anything I attempt in my own strength is futile. [3] Please remind me quickly when I settle for living even one moment without acknowledging Your nearness.

Amen.

Reflections

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-3).

As my nephew Matthew rested securely in his father’s arms, never doubting his love, this is us. Our Father God loves us even more than the love of all the fathers in the world.

Though people, circumstances, and our adversary may give us great reasons to doubt, one key component of childlikeness is to rest in God’s extraordinarily love for us.

 [1] Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Inter Varsity Press, copyright 2015

[2] Ibid, page 47

[3] John 15:5

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 Version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

Courage Rising

Recovering

Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend

Dying to Self

Loving without Expecting Anything in Return

We are Barabbas

The Joy of Being Poured Out

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. 

 

Rob Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Loving like Jesus, The Joy of Serving

(The Everlasting Way) The Joy of Being Poured Out

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Studying the Bible on our porch on a mid‑spring afternoon, I sit in the soft light as the sun slips through the foliage on its way down the western sky. The ceiling fan turns lazily overhead, sending a gentle breeze across my face and bald head. 😊

My constant companion, Jack — our big Aussie puppy — is asleep at my feet. The air carries the sweet scent of jasmine blooms surrounding our front‑yard propane tank. From opposite corners of the property, northern cardinals call out their bright cheer‑cheer‑cheer (don’t be impressed; I have a bird‑ID app).

Just outside our porch door, the rhythmic murmur of water flowing over rocks in our man‑made mountain stream settles my soul.

I turn my thoughts back to scripture where I’ve been researching the drink offering, an ancient sacrifice of liquids to the Lord. 

The Drink Offering

The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord (Exodus 29:41).

The drink offering signified dedication and consecration to the Lord as an act of worship. Something valuable, like wine, was poured out unto the Lord.

I’m interested in the drink offering because of something Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Philippi. In this letter Paul speaks of joy when it comes to being poured out in loving service to his friends.

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).

Just reading this brings me joy and hope in the fact that God’s eternal attributes transcend our circumstances.

Paul’s love for his spiritual children was so great that he was willing to give up his life for the higher goal of their growth in following Christ. Loving them this way gave him great joy, regardless of what he was facing, being in prison as he wrote.

And he knew the Philippian believers would experience the same joy as they wholeheartedly surrendered themselves in like manner in loving like Christ, regardless of what they might be facing. And we will as well.

Paul Learned it from Jesus

In the same chapter of his letter to the Philippians, Paul urges believers to follow Jesus in His example of obedient sacrificial love, even to the point of death.

He wrote: 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).

Christ, though equal with God, made Himself of no reputation in order to empty Himself out. He was obedient even to death for the sake of our souls.

This is the heart attitude Paul is encouraging us to have: being willing to pour ourselves completely out for the sake of those God has placed around us, and to love others as He’s loved us.

Jesus Showed the Way

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus took the disciples’ feet and washed them, even those of Judas and Peter, 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)

The new command Christ leaves us with is to love others as He has loved us. He showed this love by washing stinky feet and then dying on a cross for our sins.

Displaying this deep, sacrificial love of Jesus is how we’re to serve others, but we can’t love this way apart from abiding in Jesus. In fact, if we try, our efforts will be worthless. [1]

Love is a fruit of His Holy Spirit. [2] When we abide in His love and yield to His Spirit, we’re loving those He brings our way with His love. 

The results, as well shall see, are astounding — remaining in His Love, complete Joy.

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 only on my duties. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share with them the joy of faith in You.

Amen.

Reflections

When pouring out a liquid, unless it’s into another container, we surrender it. There’s no gathering it back. This is to be the posture of my surrender.

As I lay aside my own interests, the Holy Spirit invites me to join in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in my relationship with Jesus and the overflowing of His love to others, I can be freed from the pursuit of my own happiness.

I love what Jesus told His disciples shortly after He washed their feet.

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)

He tells us to remain in His love by loving others as He’s loved us. And when we do, His complete Joy is available to us.

Though many duties await us each day, we’re called to something higher — love.

As we perform our tasks, as we work to repair the brokenness around us, God will lead us to the people He wants us to love. 

If completing our duties is our main priority, these people may seem like obstacles. However, in reality people are our priority, and loving them produces an eternal joy which far outweighs our circumstances.

Even if we’re called to be poured out as drink offerings for the people God calls us to love, we can do so with great joy.

Lord, who do you want to love through me today?

Quote

“You do not pour your life into your work; your work is the overflow of your life,” Oswald Chambers

[1] John 15:5

[2] Galatians 5:22-23

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 Version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

Courage Rising

Recovering

Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend

Dying to Self

Loving without Expecting Anything in Return

We are Barabbas

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. 

 

Rob Buck

Nonfiction books by the Author:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Celebrating the Life of a Friend, Photo by Jesse Von Fange (JVF)

(The Everlasting Way) Celebrating with Joy – In Memory of a Friend

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It’s been nine years since Steve passed into his heavenly home. I’d like to repost a blog that was posted three years ago (with a few tweaks). His story is worth telling over and over again.

It happened so suddenly. One morning in January 2017, he never woke up. The news sent ripples through the faith community and at the corporate offices he’d recently retired from. We were all in shock. Fittingly, an enlarged heart contributed to his death.

A few days later, they granted me the privilege of saying a few words at his life celebration. I asked the hundreds gathered for a show of hands for those who’d dined with Steve. Hands shot up everywhere.

“Keep your hands up if he insisted on paying the bill.” I said.

I didn’t see one hand go down.

Steve was that kind of person. If he felt he could help you in any way, he was all in. Loving others in the same mind-blowing way Christ had loved him. [1]

Even though he was a few years younger than me, I considered him a mentor, especially in leadership and business. He had a keen mind and rose quickly in his career to the upper executive level in a large corporation. This is where I met him.

Steve excelled at work, but he never took his eye off the loftier aspects of God’s kingdom. [2] He listened well as he talked with you, praying for insight as to how he could add fuel to your passions and gifts.

Being careful never to cheat the company, he’d use breakfasts, lunches, and breaks to meet with folks who seemed to have spiritual interests.  

He and I often met at Arby’s or Cracker Barrel near the office. During one of these meals, I first experienced his touchdown signal. I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but I’ll always remember my excitement when he suddenly raised his hands and yelled “touchdown” at my answer to one of his coaching questions.

When he saw folks moving in what he felt was their “sweet spot” and making significant advancement in their faith goals, this was a touchdown. And he would not pass it by without joyously celebrating it with you.

I cannot overstate Steve’s impact on me, and I believe many others who knew him also experienced this blessing.

Following are a few things I learned from him.

Savor the Sauce

God was Steve’s highest joy. This was a belief that God developed over the course of his life, as he matured in his relationship with Jesus. Steve was always aware of how easy it is for idols to creep into our lives, but as time went on, and as his surrender deepened, his freedom in Christ grew. 

With God at the center of his affections, Steve lived life with gusto. He was a gifted photographer who loved capturing adventures on film, especially with his family.

He sought to be present and to savor life’s moments. When we ate together, he loved to slather whatever he ordered with a lot of sauce. I saw this as an example of the exuberance in which he lived. Savor life’s moments. 😎

Defer to Others

I watched Steve, time after time, live out the following two verses.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4).

When you were with Steve, you could tell by the questions he’d ask, and the ways he invested in your life that he really cared. He was always asking God for ways to love you and build you up in Christ. Some ways were so extravagant they could only have overflowed from the heart of God. 

Learn a Person’s Passions and Gifts

Steve was a master at asking probing questions. When he was with you, he listened intently to you and to God. Steve wanted to discover what he would call your “sweet spot”. He desired to be a catalyst for you in something that activated your passions and gifts. When he sensed your heart was coming alive about something, he would encourage you in it. In these cases, Steve partnered with you to add fuel to God’s flame in your life.

Maximize Your Influence by Investing in Leaders

Steve was a leader of leaders. His priority was to invest in people who would lead others. 

He was involved in several leadership development programs and made a tremendous impact among executive teams wherever we went.

From one executive at Steve’s workplace when asked for one or two ways Steve encouraged him in his faith: “Take quiet time alone to commune with God on a daily basis. Feel comfortable about speaking faithfully at work. You never know when you might plant a seed. Set individual faith goals and make them right sized. Bigger than a first down and smaller than winning the game. Make them like a touchdown and celebrate accomplishing your faith goal with joy.” KEITH

Be Extraordinarily Generous

Steve’s generosity stands out most to me. He loved to give, especially when his giving would encourage you in your “sweet spot”.

And he didn’t just give financially. He’d also give his time, skills, and possessions; whatever he could give to advance the kingdom or bring you joy.

Steve didn’t just give in ways that would have a wide impact. I was told he carried a glove box full of meal cards for folks he’d come across who were in need.

Living Out Your Faith in the Workplace

In his later years, Steve created an excellent video series on living out your faith in the workplace.

Check it out:

Living Out Your Faith in the Workplace

Prayer

Lord, thank You so much for Steve’s life and for his friendship. You made him intelligent and generous. Thank You for using him in my life and in so many others.

Thank You for how he savored and enjoyed life.

Thank You for how he looked out for the interests of others and invested in their passions and gifts.

Thank You that You made him a leader of leaders who had a tremendous impact on folks at the executive level.

Thank You also that he cared about ordinary folks and loved being a blessing.

Thank you for giving him a generous heart.

Amen

Reflections

A verse his son Jesse often heard him quote: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3:1)

By reviewing SVF’s life again, I have new inspiration to allow God’s love to flow through me to every person He brings my way. And to radically seek the Kingdom of God above all else. 

Thank You Steve!

[1] John 15:9-12

[2] Matthew 6:33

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

Courage Rising

Recovering

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:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Rejoicing in Life's Moments, Replenish

(The Everlasting Way) Recovering

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Basking in the beginning of a new year. It is chilly outside, but we are cozy inside. It’s so quiet. 😊

Jack, our two-year-old Aussie, is constantly making sure we’re okay. He’s been spending a lot of time checking on my bride lately as she is recovering from shingles and life-threatening clot removal surgery.

Today I want to take some time to align my insides with what’s happened externally. I don’t always take the time to do this.

Emotions from multiple difficulties tend to stack up in my soul and grow stale, numbing my tenderness. But today I need to steward my heart. It’s part of our recovery.

A Little Entomology

Re-covery – The word recover comes from Latin recuperare (“to get again, regain”), via Old French recovrer, meaning to return to a former state, health, or possession. [1]

I love ‘re’ words. There are several that work well as I unpack my heart.

• Reflect — to bend your attention back toward truth

• Replenish — to fill again what has been poured out

• Rejoice — to delight deeply, to let joy rise anew

Reflect

Reflect, to bend my mind back toward the truth.

 The truth is that my wife could have been blinded by a severe case of shingles. She could have had a stroke or lost her life with the blood clots in her leg and lungs.

Allowing these facts to pass the stubborn ‘No Entrance’ gate of my inner heart, I cry: “I could have easily lost by bride of forty-four years!”

The reality of these recent happenings is taking root deep within me. My eyes tear up.

Tears are rare for me, and I don’t hold back. My soul shakes a bit to go along with the tear, and soft sobs emerge.

With my eyes closed, I feel a gentle pressure on my arm.

My eyes open to find Jack’s paw on my arm, checking on me. Australian Shepherds are that way. I can learn a lot from him.

Replenish

re – (again) + plenus (full) to fill up again, to restore fullness

My tears don’t last long, and they never erupt into anything more than gentle sobs, but I’m glad for them.

I turn my thoughts to the word replenish.

During a crisis, you can’t easily tell how your soul becomes drained. But I could tell I was getting discouraged. It can be disheartening when someone you love is suffering and there’s not much you can do to ease their pain.

I felt this before during the deaths of my father, mother and sister. Seeing them suffer, I did what I could, but their pain remained.

In our present situation, many folks have rallied around us.

On the first day of the emergency, even before we knew how serious the situation was, Dean, Kevin, James, and Dave showed up at the first hospital.

On the day of the surgery, our kids came from all over the place; our brother Bill flew down. Elder Rob was with us in the waiting room.

The Andes, Anna, the Millers, the Hills, James, Kelsey and Becky brought food, and many others offered. Our kids cleaned up our house and even put clean sheets on our bed. Folks from our church, our neighborhood and long-term friends were constantly praying for us, checking in and offering help.

The presence of love replenishes. It was happening during the crisis, and it’s happening now.

And now, as I pause and draw near to God, though He never leaves me, His nearness, His comfort is replenishing me. My soul is being brought back to fullness. 😎

Rejoice

re–(intensive) + gaudere (to delight)–to delight deeply, to experience joy again

Being brought again to fullness in His presence, my soul senses joy.

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11b NASB)

He is joy. All the “little joys” of this temporal place never satisfy us. Only God gives full joy.

But how can suffering and joy co-exist? The following answers to this question are not exhaustive.

Paul: For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia: that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead (II Corinthians 1:8-9).

When our hard times stretch us beyond our abilities, it helps us realize our limitations. We can give up or we can trust in God.

James: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

Testing builds our endurance and perseverance, teaching us not to depend on circumstances to be okay. In Christ, we lack nothing.

Peter: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ — 8 whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, 9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls (I Peter 1:6-9).

Trials purify and strengthen our faith.

Prayer

Lord, thank You so much for never leaving our sides during these difficulties. Thank You for allowing me to come to the end of me quickly when it comes to nursing my wife. This is allowing me to stop striving in my strength and more quickly depend on You. I should depend upon You always, no matter what.

I desperately need You. Even when I don’t realize it.

Thank You for providing new ways to show love to my wife.

Lord, thank You for these moments today to steward my heart. Thank You for being my God of all Comfort who is always by my side. Thank You for some tears. May others flow.

I love You

Reflections

In the days since, my bride’s asthma has flared up.

Honestly, this is not what I was expecting. In my sometimes-overoptimistic way, I was sure that after tooth problems, shingles and life-threatening clot removal surgery, health would surely be coming.

She’s had her weary moments, but overall, she’s kept a brave, persevering attitude.

I’m still very hopeful that things will turn around soon. But in the meantime, I’m reminded constantly of how needy I am of God’s strength and power. I must stay alert about this.

Allowing her to express to me what’s going on with her is vital.

I must Relinquish (give up the pursuit or practice of, desist, cease from) my dependence on me.

For my bride, I pray for her:

Recovery (return to health after illness, injury, misfortune)

Refreshment (to make fresh again)

Reviving (to live again)

Restoration (to be brought back to wholeness)

[1] Google AI search – entomology of recover

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the WEB World English Bible version of Scripture 

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

Courage Rising

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:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Raw and Weary

(The Everlasting Way) Courage Rising

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I woke up this morning with light breaking through in my weary soul.

It’s a few days after Christmas, and it’s been a December to remember. In the last three weeks my bride has been through teeth issues, a severe case of shingles (V2 – maxillary variation, which affected the middle of her the left side of her face, very close to her eye), and potentially life-threatening blood clots (two of which traveled to her lungs).

She has been such a trouper through it all. 

Personally, I’ve felt extremely inadequate in my role as health care nurse. Nothing in me could have ensured my bride got the care she needed. But God’s strength held us up. I’m seeing that coming to the end of me sooner than later is way better, allowing His strength to shine through me. But it hasn’t been easy. 😑

I haven’t felt a lot of emotions during this time. As has been my MO, I tend to take a deep breath and keep on keeping on with whatever is required. This can be good, but now that there’s a break in the storm, I’m trying to care for my heart, to bring the realities of what’s been happening to Jesus, Keeper of my soul.

During my “soldiering on,” there was a moment, during the operation to remove the clots from my bride’s leg, that the severity of her situation hit me and emotions flowed.

At around 10:30 am, they wheeled her down to a special surgery room in the basement for a procedure that would last about an hour and a half. I met the surgeon and was told where to wait around the corner.

After two hours, I began to worry. I walked around to the surgery room and peeked in through a crack in the door. Bad idea. All I saw was a bunch of blood. Was she okay?

A few minutes later, the surgeon came in and let us know the surgery was successful, but that the clotting was quite extensive. He showed us the clot board. 

My brother-in-law, a cardiologist, flew down from Wilmington, N.C. for the day. After the surgery, he told me how serious the whole thing was.

As my bride continues to heal, I sense a measure of healing in my own soul. As I begin to come out of the raw weariness of what we’ve been experiencing, the Lord is showing me how to steward my heart, bringing all that I am to Him, my God of all comfort. [1]

 I’ve been quite discouraged, although I’ve only recently realized it.

Today I sense courage rising.

Affection

God’s truth always brings me courage. I turn to some of my favorite verses.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2 KJV).

I particularly like the way the King James renders ‘affection’ from the Greek word – “phroneite.”   

Other versions translate the Greek word as “mind.” But the idea of setting my “affection” on the things above resonates with me this morning.

“Affection” brings my focus from thinking to a heartfelt, whole-soul longing.

It’s so easy for me to set my affections on the happenings of this world, seeking in what I see and experience to carry my hope, my peace, and my joy. These verses help change my focus from all that’s swirling around me and helps me orient my life around God’s eternal truths.

Setting my fondness, my tenderness, my devotion, my attentiveness, my attachment, and my caring on the things above, rather than on the fragility of the here and now, makes so much more sense.

But how do I do that?

Attentiveness

Attentiveness is listed as a synonym for affection.

Our attention is a resource of our minds. Perhaps that’s where the term ‘pay attention’ comes from.

If I spend my attention on sports, politics, entertainment, leisure, etc., these things tend to dominate my affections. There’s nothing wrong with any of these, but they need to be subservient to my higher affection: my Lord Jesus Christ, His commands, and His Kingdom.

As He said:

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

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

These verses seem to capture Jesus’ desire for us to set our attention and affections on loving Him and others, and on His emerging Kingdom (His rule and His reign).

Only by abiding in the Indwelling Holy Spirit, and yielding to His power, can I set my affection on the things above and not on the temporal things around me. [2]

Prayer

Lord, I thank You so much for Your care for us during these last three weeks. You’ve entrusted us with some hard things, but You have never left our sides.

These hard times quickly brought me to the end of me.[3] I can’t but You can. I need You desperately.

Thank You for the practical ways my wife is seeing how much I love her as You nurse her through me.

Thank You for bringing light to my weary soul and helping me process what we’re going through. And please continue Your healing of my bride, as the pain of shingles continues. 

And Lord, I desire to set my affections on things above, on You and Your emerging Kingdom. Please keep my attention on these things as the temporal world continues to swirl around me. 

Thank You for giving me courage through the truths of Your word.

I love You so much!

Reflection

As I continue to ponder, I see the connection between affection and affecting.

My affections affect who I am.

The words affect and affection come from the same Latin root meaning – “a state produced in a person by something acting upon them.” [4]

As I set my affections on the Lord and His ways, I’m affected in deep, soul transforming ways. 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:17-18).

As I am transformed, I pray I might affect (love) all those around me as Christ has loved me. [5]

As I’m affected in the ways of Christ, as Christ is formed in me [6], His life is revealed. 

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

Quotes 

  • “Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is your happiness.”  Augustine of Hippo (Augustine is essentially saying: your affections follow what you attend to.) [4]

  • “We are often distracted by trifles, and seldom fully recollected.” Thomas à Kempis (Our attention drifts toward what our hearts are already leaning toward.) [4]

  • “Set your affections on the things above, and your thoughts will follow.” John Owens (He often taught that attention is the steering wheel of the heart.) [4]

[1] II Corinthians 1:3-5

[2] John 15:5

[3] II Corinthians 1:8-9

[4] From Co-Pilot

[5] John 13:34-35, John 15:12

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

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:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Raw and Weary

(The Everlasting Way) Courage Rising

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I woke up this morning with light breaking through in my weary soul.

It’s a few days after Christmas, and it’s been a December to remember. In the last three weeks my bride has been through teeth issues, a severe case of shingles (V2 – maxillary variation, which affected the middle of her the left side of her face, very close to her eye), and potentially life-threatening blood clots (two of which traveled to her lungs).

She has been such a trouper through it all. 

Personally, I’ve felt extremely inadequate in my role as health care nurse. Nothing in me could have ensured my bride got the care she needed. But God’s strength held us up. I’m seeing that coming to the end of me sooner than later is way better, allowing His strength to shine through me. But it hasn’t been easy. 😑

I haven’t felt a lot of emotions during this time. As has been my MO, I tend to take a deep breath and keep on keeping on with whatever is required. This can be good, but now that there’s a break in the storm, I’m trying to care for my heart, to bring the realities of what’s been happening to Jesus, Keeper of my soul.

During my “soldiering on,” there was a moment, during the operation to remove the clots from my bride’s leg, that the severity of her situation hit me and emotions flowed.

At around 10:30 am, they wheeled her down to a special surgery room in the basement for a procedure that would last about an hour and a half. I met the surgeon and was told where to wait around the corner.

After two hours, I began to worry. I walked around to the surgery room and peeked in through a crack in the door. Bad idea. All I saw was a bunch of blood. Was she okay?

A few minutes later, the surgeon came in and let us know the surgery was successful, but that the clotting was quite extensive. He showed us the clot board. 

My brother-in-law, a cardiologist, flew down from Wilmington, N.C. for the day. After the surgery, he told me how serious the whole thing was.

As my bride continues to heal, I sense a measure of healing in my own soul. As I begin to come out of the raw weariness of what we’ve been experiencing, the Lord is showing me how to steward my heart, bringing all that I am to Him, my God of all comfort. [1]

 I’ve been quite discouraged, although I’ve only recently realized it.

Today I sense courage rising.

Affection

God’s truth always brings me courage. I turn to some of my favorite verses.

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2 KJV).

I particularly like the way the King James renders ‘affection’ from the Greek word – “phroneite.”   

Other versions translate the Greek word as “mind.” But the idea of setting my “affection” on the things above resonates with me this morning.

“Affection” brings my focus from thinking to a heartfelt, whole-soul longing.

It’s so easy for me to set my affections on the happenings of this world, seeking in what I see and experience to carry my hope, my peace, and my joy. These verses help change my focus from all that’s swirling around me and helps me orient my life around God’s eternal truths.

Setting my fondness, my tenderness, my devotion, my attentiveness, my attachment, and my caring on the things above, rather than on the fragility of the here and now, makes so much more sense.

But how do I do that?

Attentiveness

Attentiveness is listed as a synonym for affection.

Our attention is a resource of our minds. Perhaps that’s where the term ‘pay attention’ comes from.

If I spend my attention on sports, politics, entertainment, leisure, etc., these things tend to dominate my affections. There’s nothing wrong with any of these, but they need to be subservient to my higher affection: my Lord Jesus Christ, His commands, and His Kingdom.

As He said:

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

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

These verses seem to capture Jesus’ desire for us to set our attention and affections on loving Him and others, and on His emerging Kingdom (His rule and His reign).

Only by abiding in the Indwelling Holy Spirit, and yielding to His power, can I set my affection on the things above and not on the temporal things around me. [2]

Prayer

Lord, I thank You so much for Your care for us during these last three weeks. You’ve entrusted us with some hard things, but You have never left our sides.

These hard times quickly brought me to the end of me.[3] I can’t but You can. I need You desperately.

Thank You for the practical ways my wife is seeing how much I love her as You nurse her through me.

Thank You for bringing light to my weary soul and helping me process what we’re going through. And please continue Your healing of my bride, as the pain of shingles continues. 

And Lord, I desire to set my affections on things above, on You and Your emerging Kingdom. Please keep my attention on these things as the temporal world continues to swirl around me. 

Thank You for giving me courage through the truths of Your word.

I love You so much!

Reflection

As I continue to ponder, I see the connection between affection and affecting.

My affections affect who I am.

The words affect and affection come from the same Latin root meaning – “a state produced in a person by something acting upon them.” [4]

As I set my affections on the Lord and His ways, I’m affected in deep, soul transforming ways. 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:17-18).

As I am transformed, I pray I might affect (love) all those around me as Christ has loved me. [5]

As I’m affected in the ways of Christ, as Christ is formed in me [6], His life is revealed. 

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

Quotes 

  • “Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is your happiness.”  Augustine of Hippo (Augustine is essentially saying: your affections follow what you attend to.) [4]

  • “We are often distracted by trifles, and seldom fully recollected.” Thomas à Kempis (Our attention drifts toward what our hearts are already leaning toward.) [4]

  • “Set your affections on the things above, and your thoughts will follow.” John Owens (He often taught that attention is the steering wheel of the heart.) [4]

[1] II Corinthians 1:3-5

[2] John 15:5

[3] II Corinthians 1:8-9

[4] From Co-Pilot

[5] John 13:34-35, John 15:12

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 version of the Bible.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

Mice in the Sock Drawer

Turning Gainers into Drainers

Until the Darkness Fades

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:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Connecting Love and Joy

(The Everlasting Way) Mice in the Sock Drawer

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I remember a tough day in the early nineties when our kids were small. My wife had just found a nest of mice in her sock drawer. We had a broken dryer. I had some high-priority work issues, along with the normal challenges of parenting four children.

After eliminating the mice, I was hanging up our wet towels and blue jeans on the clothesline, trying to plan how to fix all the brokenness.

Then it hit me,  like an apple plopping on Isaac Newton’s head. 

The temporal nature of the issues with the mice, the dryer, and my work problems were less important than how my wife and I weathered the stress these difficulties had on our relationship.

She was in acute anxiety over finding rodents in our room. She should be my focus, not trying to fix things.

Our relationship, and how I loved her through the difficulties, was much more important than solving the problems. 

When I finished hanging up the clothes, I sat down to unpack what seemed to be a huge paradigm shift in my thinking.

Shouldn’t relationships and loving be my focus?

I think ladies think more this way than we men. 

Perhaps the duties and the problems were more like opportunities to love and not the main thing.

I remembered Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees, as found in Matthew 22:36-40: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”  

Then I thought of the Ten Commandments and how they are all about loving God and loving others.

Since then, though I’ve forgotten the focus for sizeable chunks of time, I’ve been intentional about trying to have a love-first mindset.

I will testify that when this focus is operating as it should, I have unexplainable joy, like Jesus.

The Joy of Jesus

But of the Son He says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions” (Hebrew 1:8-9).

God anointed Jesus with the oil of gladness (exultation and extreme joy). 

As we grow in our knowledge of God being our Highest Joy, we see how Jesus’ glad heart strengthened Him and gave Him courage. And we see how we’re fueled by the nearness of Jesus and His joy.

What can we learn about His Joy and how it flows from how we love?

The Joy of Relationships

Relating – a connection between.

Out of the depths of love within the Trinity, man was created and given the breath of life. God created us for fellowship and relationship. And as amazing as it seems, God delights in our connection with Him.

In fact, Zephaniah writes that our connection with Him causes the Lord to rejoice with shouts of joy. [1] We actually bring joy to God.

This helps bring clarity to the following verses in Hebrews: Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Knowing His death on our behalf would re-establish our broken relationships with God because of our sins, gave Jesus joy which fueled His endurance on the cross. 

Consider Jesus’ words to His disciples the night before He went to the cross: If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you  (John 15:10-12)

His command – love others as He’s loved us.

The outcome – we’ll remain in His Love and experience His complete Joy.

It may seem strange from an earthly perspective, but experiencing the complete Joy of Jesus has everything to do with our sacrificial love.

Love and Joy closely connect. They appear together at the beginning of Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit. [2]

True, lasting joy doesn’t spring from earthly happenings, but from the depth of love in our relationships.

Prayer

Lord, You’ve awakened me to the tight connection between love and joy. Thank You.

Please stop me quickly when I forget and try once again to derive my feelings of being okay from my circumstances.

Please keep my heart in a love-first mode, realizing all along that any loving I do must come from You. I pray the people I love would recognize You in every word and deed directed by You.

Amen.

Reflection

Joy marked Jesus’ life. 

As mentioned in the verses above, Jesus gave His disciples the secret to staying in His great Love and experiencing His complete Joy – loving others as He’s loved us – sacrificially. 

Paul also experienced the joy of sacrificial love. He equated joy with being poured out like a drink offering. 

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). 

Paul called the people of Thessalonica his glory and joy: For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy (I Thessalonians 2:19-20).

He also commands us to be full of joy in our worship of the Lord.

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

Joy, which satisfies our longing hearts, doesn’t come from fighting for ourselves. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Our joy comes directly from how we love.

[1] Zephaniah 3:17

[2] Galatians 5:22-23

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 version of the Bible. The cover picture was generated by AI.

Other posts in our Everlasting Way Series:

Learning How to Overcome Emotional Numbness

Embracing God’s Amazing Love

Are we More Like Batman or Spider-Man

Transforming Awareness: The Power of God’s Love

Minding Your Busyness

Our Deepest Longings Filled

Rules Don’t Rule

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:

This collection of devotionals chronicles a heartfelt journey from a life of striving and self-reliance to one of growing surrender and trust in God.

Through personal stories of family struggles, cancer, grief, and unexpected trials, the devotions show that true, unshakeable joy comes not from perfect circumstances, but from the constant, loving presence of Jesus Christ.

It’s an invitation to learn to let go of our burdens and find growing peace in God’s greater story.

Finding Joy in Life’s Moments

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 unknowingly set off a series of events which uncovers 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.

Eternal Gladness, God our Joy

(The Everlasting Way) Our Deepest Longings Filled

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‘Uncle!’

Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I wasn’t suicidal, but I felt like giving up. In fact, if I’d known where to go to ‘cry uncle,’ [1] I would have.

This describes several “low” points in my life. Maybe you’ve felt this way before.

I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. Sometimes I still do.

I feel miserable during these times. But looking back, I see these very hard times as severe mercies, [2] each playing a part in further dislodging a destructive, disillusioning lie – Circumstantial happiness can bring lasting joy 

Our God Shaped Void

In the 1600s, Bliase Pascal wrote that only an infinite, immutable object can fill man’s cravings for true happiness.

His point was that man tries in vain to fill this need for lasting satisfaction with everything around him, when in fact only God Himself can give us what we so passionately desire. What Pascal was describing came to be known as our God-shaped void. [3]

Solomon, known as the wisest man who ever lived, concluded that God has set eternity in the hearts of men. [4]

Deep within every human lies an unquenchable longing for someone eternal: God Himself.

Some have the means to try filling this void with all manner of worldly ‘pleasantries.’ However, when the temporal luster wears off, emptiness returns.

When the temporal happiness of each ‘conquest’ fades, folks set their sights on something more. But the story repeats itself, and despair grows.

Someone asked John D. Rockefeller, “How much money is enough?” He replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Others with fewer resources might hope their whole lives for riches or fame. However, never achieving them, they die chasing a dream which would have never satisfied them anyway.

Unless awakened, we keep on searching and endlessly hoping the next big thing will finally satisfy our longing souls.

Awakened

God told Abram what we need to know right this moment.

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

GOD HIMSELF is our GREAT REWARD. He fills the eternal void in our souls.

God Himself is the only one who can give us the deep JOY our hearts long for.

David discovered that the pinnacle of JOY is found only in being with God.

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

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

I’m to draw near to God and His creation and stop trying to make happiness happen. I’m to take time to celebrate each moment God gives me.

After all, as a believer in Jesus Christ, I’m indwelt by His Holy Spirit. His creation is all around me and He is in me.

Consider what Jesus said:

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).

As His disciples, we need not hunger or thirst. He Himself is the eternal bread that deeply satisfies our souls.

Freshly baked bread.

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

The Holy Spirit within us refreshes our weary, thirsty souls with rivers of living water.

Cool, crisp Living Water as from a mountain stream.

Prayer

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

You’ve given me so many things to enjoy: sunsets, puppies, flowers, ocean breezes, people I love, tea olives, chocolate, coffee, beaches and mountain streams. You are the Creator of it all. You alone are my Highest Joy. Only with You are other pleasures fully enjoyed.

Apart from You, other pleasures can become addictions and idols. But with You, all moment by moment pleasures can erupt into praise for who You are and all You’ve provided for me to enjoy.

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

Amen

Reflections

Even though I’m increasingly aware that God Himself is my source of eternal Joy, I sometimes forget and join the world in seeking my fulfillment from what God has created and not in God Himself.

What I’ve realized is that we have to know there are forces at work to hide the fact that God Himself is our Highest Joy.

The world, enforced by Satan’s lies, can keep us pursuing fleeting pleasures even though we know how empty they are.

It is a moment-by-moment battle to think true thoughts and to keep our hearts centered on God for our fulfillment.

Paul warns us of what is going on behind the scenes to try to keep us from the knowledge of God. But he also reassures us that we have powerful weapons at our disposal to fight and destroy the lies of the enemy.

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

In speaking and dwelling on God’s truth our weapons are divinely powerful to destroy the strongholds of the enemy designed to hide the knowledge of God from us. Our job is to disagree with the lies and not allow them to be a part of us by agreeing with them.

For example, a lie might be that this or that ungodly act will bring the lasting fulfillment we so desperately need. And even though we know from experience that this lie is not true, our enemies’ ways are cunning and luring. We have a fight on our hands.

We must capture and unmask lies like these, thought by thought, to reveal them for the hideous deceptions that they are. Only in Jesus Christ will we find the lasting satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy we were created to experience.

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

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all referenced Scripture is from the NASB 1995 version of the Bible. The featured picture was generated by AI.

Continue reading (The Everlasting Way) Our Deepest Longings Filled →