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Indwelling Christ, Our Union with Christ, The Nearness of God

Our Highest Joy (God With Us)

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Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us (Matthew 1:23 NASB)

As our unusual 2020 comes to a close, we pause to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Immanuel. God with us. The Creator of the universe brought near. But what does this really mean? And how does God being with us change who we are, our approach to life and our purpose?

But what is most important about God’s nearness is how His strength and Joy gives us the courage to face any battle we’re in. He’s an ever present help in times of trouble.

What Does “God With Us” Really Mean?

From Eternity

  • Jesus was with God in the beginning and the world was created through Him and for Him. [1] [2]
  • In Jesus all things hold together.[3]
  • Jesus is the first place in everything and God’s fulness dwells in Him [4]

What Christ Gave up for Us

  • And although He existed in the form of God, He emptied Himself taking the form a bond servant.[5]
  • He set aside His splendor to enter this world in human likeness as a baby in simple circumstances.[6]
  • Fueled by the Joy of our redemption, He endured the excruciating pain of the cross to provide us a path to God[7]

How it Becomes Personal

We can allow another Christmas to go by, singing the songs, exchanging the gifts, and eating the food. We can miss the life changing significance of Christ actually being with us in a personal way.

Christ is always in full display in the beauties of the world around us, but “God with us” can become personal:

Recognize the gap

Without Christ we are do not have an intimate relationship with God, without hope in the world, destined to be apart from Him for eternity.[8] [9] [10]

Stop trying to live a good enough life

Eternal life can’t be earned. We don’t make it to heaven by our good works outweighing our wrongs. God’s economy doesn’t work that way.[11]

Believe God

Believing means trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, committing your life to His care and relying upon Him for every concern.  

Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24 NASB)

What Changes When “Being With God” Becomes Personal  

Who We Are Changes Forever

  • We become loved children of God But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12 NASB)
  • God lives in us Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will follow My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23 NASB)
  • We are complete, fully accomplished and filled to the brim in Christ For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete (Colossians 2:9-10a NASB)

 Our Approach to Life Changes

  • We Decrease and He Increases[12] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3 NASB)
  •  We live by faith not by sight, trusting in God’s greater story [13] [14]  Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)
  •  We live in abiding dependence upon God’s Holy Spirit within us [15]  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 (Galatians 2:20 NASB)

 Our Goals and Purposes are New

  •  Our top goal is now to Delight in God’s great worth, not worldly happiness.  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 (Psalms 27:4 NASB)
  • God Himself is now our greatest reward not things of the earth. After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1 NIV)
  •  Our higher Daily purpose becomes loving others not just getting things done. This is My commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you (John 15:12 NASB)

Prayer

Lord, You are with me right now. Thank You for leading me to slow down and ponder what Immanuel really means. You set aside so much to be with me and to die for me. Please help me fully appreciate what Your nearness means to every moment of my life. I’m yours. I pray I will delight in You throughout the day, knowing that You alone are my great reward. In Your strength, may I love others as You’ve loved me.

In everything I’ve faced and will face, You’ve been my Strength, my Joy and my Courage. May I lean into You throughout life’s journey.

Amen.

[1] John 1:1-3

[2] Colossians 1:16

[3] Colossians 1:17

[4] Colossians 1:18-19

[5] Philippians 2:6-8

[6] Philippians 2:6-8

[7] Hebrews 12:2

[8] Romans 3:23

[9] Isaiah 59:2

[10] Ephesians 2:12

[11] Ephesians 2:4-10

[12] John 3:30

[13] 2nd Corinthians 5:7

[14] Colossians 3:1-2

[15] John 15:4-5

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

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

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

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Enduring Joy

Our Highest Joy (Joy which brings Endurance )

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

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

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

 Joy Defined

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

The Joy of Jesus

Motivated by Joy

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

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

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

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

Joy in what pleases God

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

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

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

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

Joy of Salvation

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

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

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

Receiving the Joy of Jesus?

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

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

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

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

Prayer

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

Amen

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

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

.[1] John 15:10-12

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

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

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

[5] Luke 10:21-22

[6] Romans 8:18

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

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

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Joy Defined, Joyful Heart, Joyful Strength

How Can the Joy of the Lord be our Strength?

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Weeping

God’s people were weeping. They’d been through years of exile in a foreign land, but were back in Jerusalem, gathered before the newly rebuilt Water Gate. Ezra, the priest, asked for the book of the Law of Moses to be brought forth. He read it from early morning to midday. The people were attentive and greatly moved.[1]

Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (Nehemiah 8:6) NASB.

From hearing the law of God, something was awakened deep within the people. A longing for God was stirred up. They began to weep.[2]

A Call to Joy

When Nehemiah heard the people weeping, he said to them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” (Nehemiah 8:9)

Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

David had written years before, “In Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11b).

In this time of grieving, of weeping, of longing for God, the people needed to be encouraged. Their hearts needed to be infused with the joy of the Lord which grows with His nearness.

What is Joy?

The word Hebrew for joy Nehemiah used to cheer the people literally means gladness. But joy has much deeper implications than just being happy.

In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis describes joy as the experience “of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction.”[4] He goes on to say that joy only has one characteristic in common with happiness and pleasure, “the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again.”[5]

So this experience called Joy is an awakening in our hearts of a longing for God, knit into every fabric of our being. Joy exuding from the Lord, awakens our longing for Him and invites us further into His presence.

Enjoy

God has given us many things to enjoy. Nehemiah commands the people to enjoy eating the fat of the land and to drink of the sweet, making glad their hearts. These enjoyments are a physical manifestation of Joy flowing from God’s bounty of delight. He wants us to enjoy what He’s created.

Then Nehemiah directs the people to ultimate Delight, to God Himself.

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

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Joy, of the Lord. Full Joy, exuding from the Lord’s nearness, quickening the heart, inviting us deeper. As our hearts are cheered with stable, eternal Joy, unaffected by any worldly circumstance, courage is born. A cheerful, courageous heart gives us strength.

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones (Proverbs 17:22).

When Joy of eternal quality cheers the heart, a courage and strength of the same type emerges.

How Can The Joy of the Lord Be our Strength?

  • The Joy of the Lord is our strength when we determine to have no joys above Him, no relationship, no possession, no achievement, no security, no delight.
  • The Joy of the Lord is our strength when we recognize all earthy pleasures as coming directly from His heart to us, designed to be enjoyed, not apart from Him, but as part of our enjoyment of Him.
  • The Joy of the Lord is our strength when we recognize that the experience of joy is not an end in itself, but a longing to draw us to God Himself. Joy is an invitation.
  • The Joy of the Lord is our strength when we realize that enjoying God above all earthly delights brings Him glory.

Prayer

Lord, so many things compete for my delight in You. I’m guilty of “requiring” the circumstances of my life to be okay for me to have joy. I’m so sorry. Thank You for showing me that eternal, rock solid joy is found in You at all times. Thank You that as my heart is cheered in You, courage arises. Finding my eternal joy in You, gives me strength for even the most difficult trials. Long time griefs, which seem to have no end, have threatened to discourage and dishearten me. But You are my Joy. When I see this and trust it, my heart is cheered and courage emerges. This gives me strength in these most difficult trials. Thank you dear Lord, my King, my Sovereign, my Joy.

 

[1] Nehemiah 8:3-6

[2] Nehemiah 8:9

[3] C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy, pp. 17–18.

[4] Ibid, p.18

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Joy Required, The Joy of the Lord is my Strength, The Nearness of God

Is Joy a Vital Part of a Healthy You? (Part 2)

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Have you ever considered the fact that we need joy? Have our hearts been designed for it, but we didn’t realize it? Is joy a required part of our overall health?

When the Israelites heard the words of the Lord, after years of exile, they began to weep. Nehemiah, who had become their governor, told them not to grieve. He said the joy of the Lord would be their strength.[1]

What did he mean?  Nehemiah meant the gladness of heart which comes from the nearness of God  fuels our lives by giving courage and strength.

Our hearts are fueled by joy. We have to have it. It’s fundamental to our well-being. We’ll keep on searching for it down whichever life path seems most promising. When one way comes up empty, we’ll look for it in another. Deep within our hearts, there’s an unquenchable craving for something more.

God has set eternity in the hearts of men.

Consider the etymology of the word “heart”. The Latin word for heart is “cor”. From it, we get our English word “core” – the core of an apple, our core exercises, the essence of who we are. The French modified it to “cour,” from which we get the word courage.

Courage is vital for each day, especially when we face life’s challenges. The antonym of joy, sorrow, can disheartened us. When this happens, we need to be encouraged, filled with courage. A spark of joy, in the midst of discouragement, gives us hope and strength to keep taking breaths and stepping forward.

Joy is more than an optional “add on” to our lives. In fact, you may even call it the sustenance of our souls. And though we experience joy in God’s creation around us, especially in our encounters with people, God himself is the source of all joy.

Speaking of God, David wrote, “In your presence is fullness of Joy.” Psalm 1611b

The more we know God, the more joy, courage and strength we experience.

Challenge: What circumstance has stolen your joy? What lie has blocked your awareness of the Lord’s nearness and love for you? Is there anything you believe will give you more Joy than the Lord Himself? Answer these questions honestly before the Lord. Embrace the joy of His presence and the courage He brings to your heart.

Prayer: Lord, you alone are my great joy. I’m so sorry for desiring any relationship, any circumstance more than you. Thank you that right now you indwell me and are closer than breathe. Your love for me cannot be shaken in spite of anything in heaven and on earth. I embrace you and ask you to strengthen my heart with the joy of your presence. Amen

Is Joy a Vital Part of a Health You (Part 1) 

 

 

[1] Nehemiah 8:10