When I see this picture of an elderly hand grasping a tiny apple, it brings emotion. I’m not sure what the feelings are, but I think it’s a mixture of sadness and humble gratitude.
I don’t know the story behind the picture, but I do know three billion people in the world make less than two dollars a day. To that portion of the world, this small apple would be precious, and the people would be thankful.
Am I thankful for a small apple? Sadly, much larger apples have spoiled in our fruit bowl and become chicken food. Compared to the poorest people, I live in a country with a medium income of over 50k. I’ve never wondered if I’d have food for the next meal. Has this deadened my heart to being appreciate for what God provides?
I don’t want to take for granted God’s blessings, but I have.
Lord, develop in me a continual heart of gratitude which extends beyond a single day of thanking.
Gifts Point to the Giver
Moments after I pray about having a more grateful heart, my wife enters the room, fresh from her time of solitude.
“I was just reminded of the doxology,” she says. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
God had been showing her how easy it is to focus on the gifts and forget the Giver.
Every gift, from small apples, to turkey feasts, to breath for another day comes from God the creator of all things.
I take what she says as an answer to my prayer for God to develop in me a continual heart of gratitude.
When I notice any gift, from food, to provision, to creation, to relationships, to …, may the gift send me directly into thankful praise to my King.
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you .. (Philippians 1:3 NASB).
And When people give me praise or compliments may I also see these as reasons to thank and praise God.
When people come up and give me a compliment… I take each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of the day I lift up the bouquet of flowers I have gathered throughout the day and say, ‘Here you are, Lord, it is all Yours.’” Corrie Ten Boom
Being Thankful for Eternal Blessings
Something else which comes to mind is how many things God has done for me in eternity which will never change.
As I focus on these eternal blessings, life’s gifts become cherries on top of a continual thanksgiving feast.
The Bible is full of reasons to be thankful, but here’s a summary of the unchanging truths in Ephesians 1:3-14:
I have every spiritual blessing available to me in Jesus.
God loves me and chose me to be in Christ before the world began.
In Jesus Christ, I’m holy and totally blameless.
It’s God’s pleasure to adopt me as His child through Jesus.
God did these things for me so that His glory, His infinite greatness and His worth, would be demonstrated in kindness and mercy toward me.
I’ve been redeemed, rescued from God’s wrath because of Jesus’ life blood shed on my behalf.
God lavished His grace and mercy upon me, forgiving my every sin.
God has made known to me His intensions to summarize all things into Christ Jesus, my Lord.
I have a secure inheritance because God’s purposes are never thwarted.
God has sealed me with the Holy Spirit as a promise and pledge of my inheritance.
I belong to God and my life is to be a testimony to the praise of His glory and grace.
These, and many more truths, give me reasons for unending thanksgiving.
May Thanksgiving day launch a mindset of thankfulness in me which will never change.
Prayer
Lord, what a gift today has been. You’re giving me a thankful heart. You showed how even the smallest apple is a gift from Your hand, never to be taken for granted. You are the source of every blessings. Please help me to be continually thankful for You and not just the gifts You give me.
There are so many blessings You’ve given me which will never change. Please develop in me a continual thankful heart for what You’ve bestowed upon me in Christ.
I’m so sorry for the apples I’ve allowed to spoil because I didn’t treasure them. Tender my heart so that I will never take anything for granted again. They all come from Your hand.
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Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
A while back, a grey cloud settled over my heart. It blew in suddenly and lingered for a while. My wife confirmed my outward mood matched my inward discouragement. She said it seemed as if someone had thrown a wet blanket on my heart to try and steal my joy. As I shuffled around, what she said resonated, but I had nothing inside to fight it.
Frankly, the last thing I wanted to do was read scripture, but I knew I needed truth. I asked God to guide me and looked at some verses on joy.
As I read, I was struck by how much Paul cared about the joy of others.
He wrote to the Corinthians that he was working for their joy.
But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm (II Corinthians 1:23-24 NASB).
And to the Philippians, Paul wrote that he’d continue in the fight for their progress and joy in the faith.
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again (Philippians 1:25-26 NASB).
What struck me was how committed Paul was to being sure the believers at Corinth and Philippi had a growing joy. He seemed to be equating joy with their progress in the faith. And he was willing to fight for them to have it.
Continuing, I read what Paul wrote in Philippians 2 about considering other’s interest above our own. As these words settled in, a spark of joy flickered in my heart. Clarity grew and I began to understand some of what had killed my joy.
Looking back, I can’t even remember exactly what I was going through, but I had fixated on me and how I was doing. Unaware of the shift in my heart, I had taken up the familiar position of focusing on my own desires for ease of circumstances and comfort. My intense concern for me had zapped my joy.
Being Poured Out
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).
In light of what I learned in my “me focused” funk, what Paul wrote in the above verse is the exact opposite of where my heart was. Paul was selflessly willing to have his life blood poured out for the sake of others.
To get a better understanding of what Paul meant by a drink offering, Old Testament passages mention them, along with other offerings, as sacrifices to the Lord.[2]
Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus.
In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, his life was characterized by a joy which flowed from his faith.
And here’s the interesting fact, which is undeniable when we study Paul’s life. His joy grew, and seemed to overflow, when he served others.
Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him. It filled his heart with a contagious joy.
I ask myself if I’m willing to sacrifice what I want, and even my own life for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love?
This seems to be the call for us all. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).
But this sacrificial attitude of putting others didn’t originate with Paul. Following are the verses which sparked joy in my heart from the story above. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).
Jesus’ example
On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him).
Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:34-35 NASB)
He later promised that if we follow His example, of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)
As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on the Holy Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.
But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.
Conclusion
Kill Joy – The fastest way to kill your own joy is to focus on you. True joy flows as we delight in the Lord’s nearness and work on behalf of others.
As we lay aside our own interests, we’re invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus, and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance, we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me today?”
Prayer
Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on me, my duties, my circumstances, my happiness. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.
Personal Study
Highlight John 12:1-8
Explain it in your own words
Apply it to your life
Respond to God in prayer
[1] Philippians 1:25
[2] Exodus 29:41, Numbers 6:17
Previous posts in our Discipleship Rhythms Series:
Please Check out the new Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child with the gospel.
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
Rob Buck
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter ofHis kingdom. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, hasanointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions” (Hebrew 1:8-9 NASB).
Jesus has been anointed with the oil of gladness (exultation and extreme joy).
As we grow in our knowledge of God being our Highest Joy, we will look at how Jesus’ glad heart strengthened Him and gave Him courage. And we will look at how we’re fueled by the nearness of Jesus and His joy.
In spite of what He faced, even on the cross, Jesus’ life was marked by joy and gladness. And we’ve been called to follow Him and learn from His life, as we depend upon His Spirit within.
What can we learn about His Joy, which He says completes our joy.
The Joy of Relationships
Relating – a connection between.
Out of the depth of love within the Trinity, man was created and given the breath of life. We were created for fellowship and relationship with God. 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 NASB)
Reconciling our connection with Him was the joy set before Jesus.
Knowing His death on our behalf would re-establish our broken relationships with God because of our sin, gave Jesus joy, a 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 (John15:10-12 NASB)
His command – Love others as He’s loved us.
His reason – That His Joy might be in us and that our joy might be complete.
It may seem strange from an earthly perspective, but realizing the complete joy of Jesus seems to have everything to do with loving.
Love and Joy are tightly coupled. 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 rather from the depth of love in our relationships.
Paul wrote about it:
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).
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 NASB).
In fact, he tells us to always rejoice in our love of God.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you (Philippians 3:1 NASB).
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NASB).
Story: 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 clothes drawer. Our dryer was broken. I had some high priority work issues, along with the normal challenges of parenting four children.
After disbursing of the mice, I was hanging up our wet towels and blue jeans on the clothes line, trying to formulate a plan for fixing what else was broken.
Then it hit me. Like an apple bouncing off the head of Isaac Newton, I was awakened.
What happened with the mice and the dyer and how my work issues were resolved was very temporal, what really mattered was how my wife and my relationship survived the strain. She was in distress over finding rodents in our room.
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. Could relationships and loving be the key to life?
Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees, from Matthew 22:36-40, came to mind. “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 great chunks of time, I’ve been intentional about having a love first mindset. I will testify that when this focus is operating as it should, I have unexplainable joy.
Conclusion
Jesus’ life was marked by joy. And, as we look deeper, we see a definite connection between love and joy. It was His love for us, and our reconciliation with Him which gave Him joy on the cross. In fact, it fueled His endurance.
On the night before Jesus was crucified on our behalf, He gave His disciples a formula for experiencing His joy. The secret – loving others as He’s loved us. If we do this, we will remain in His love and our joy will be made complete.
Paul also experienced the joy of sacrificial love. He equated joy with being poured out like a drink offering and he called the Thessalonians his glory and joy. Paul also commands us to be full of joy in our love for the Lord.
Joy, which satisfies our longing hearts doesn’t come from fighting for ourselves. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Our experience of joy is directly related to how we love.
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.
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 NASB).
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 we won’t give up the quest, though we may die trying. The problem is we look for satisfaction in all the wrong places.
Wasn’t it the Rolling Stones who could get no satisfaction after trying and trying and trying?
King Solomon tried all manner of worldly delights to satisfy his emptiness.[1] Denying himself nothing he saw around him, he concluded that it was all “vanity and striving after the wind.”Ecclesiastes 2:11b (NASB)
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 (NASB)
He would later conclude, that God has set eternity in the hearts of men.[2] 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 hearts with anything around him.
God designed our hearts for joy. We’re to be fulfilled by God Himself, the fullness of all joy,[3] not in having a better life.
Until we realize true 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 by product of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It’s built into our design by the Intelligent Designer.
But, how can we walk in a growing awareness that God Himself is our Highest Joy when all around clouds the truth?
Awakened
Truly realizing God Himself is the Great Satisfier of our Soul is something God Himself must reveal to us. If this is our desire, to believe He’s our Highest Joy, He will awaken our hearts to a deeper and deeper understanding and lead us into days of sustained Joy in Him.
Paul prays that the eyes of the Ephesians’ hearts would be enlightened to the marvelous spiritual truths of the gospel. [4]
God Himself is our Great Reward. Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward Genesis 15:1b (NIV).
Joy is fully experienced in the presence of God. In Your presence is fullness of joy; Psalm 16:11b (NASB).
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 NASB).
If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38 NASB).
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 every moment.
Story: Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I felt like a failure – rejected and unloved.
This describes several “low” points in my life. I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. At the time, I was miserable. But looking back, I see these very hard times as severe mercies.[5] Each played a part in further dislodging, me from an entrenched disillusionment.
These were extremely difficult times, but, looking back, totally worth it.
The fundamental truth in the human existence, that God Himself brings us the lasting satisfaction we so desperately need, is becoming REAL in my soul.
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.
Conclusion
Where we are is not as important as where we’re headed and Who we’re with. Where are we headed? What’s our aim, what motivates our heart as our treasure?
Idealistically, we long for our lives to go smoothly. We’d love to have our bills paid, be in good health, have stuff that’s not always broken and get along with the people who matter most to us. These are all wonderful things, but we must recognize two things about these life goals.
First of all, these longings for our circumstances to go smoothly almost never work out as we hope.
Secondly, even if they did, our inner longings would still ache and scream out for satisfaction.
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 our souls to overflowing.
We need to believe this and ask God to awaken our hearts to the reality that He’s our Highest Joy.
When we find ourselves longing for lesser treasures, let’s acknowledge it, confess it and turns our hearts quickly back to seeking Him above all else.
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 rest now and enjoy who You, 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.
Personal Study
Highlight Matthew 13:44-46
Explain it in your own words
Apply it to your life
Respond to God in prayer
[1] Ecclesiastes 2:1-10
[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11
[3] Psalm 16:11b
[4] Ephesians 1:18
[5] I first heard this term from a book entitled A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading.
Novels by the Author:
Rob Buck
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6 NASB)
A central thread of the Bible is God’s desire to be WITH us. As believers, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Christ, not our own striving, is our source of Life.
In addition to Christ being in us, there’s another amazing dimension to our union with Him. When Christ was raised into newness of life, we believers were raised up with Him. Not only is Christ in us, but we are also in Him.
In his book, Union with Christ, Rankin Wilbourne writes that the word “Christian” is only used three times in the New Testament letters. However, Paul uses ” in Christ” 165 times to describe those who follow Christ. [1]
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are inChrist Jesus (Romans 8:1 NASB).
But by His doing you are inChrist Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30 NASB),
Therefore if anyone is inChrist, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (II Corinthians 5:17 NASB).
Being raised up in Christ is essential to who we are. Paul puts in this way in Colossians 3:3-4, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Being dead, and now hidden in Christ, adds far-reaching, glorious implications to our daily lives which we don’t want to miss. Let’s look at a few.
In Christ, We have a New Self
..in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:22b-24 NASB)
We know our lives are now hidden in Christ. We’ve been raised with Him in newness of life. However, as mentioned before, we can still choose to walk in our old manner of life.
Paul gives a command to lay aside our old self, reminding us that it’s steeped in corruption. Lay aside – put off, put away.
So when we’re tempted to walk in our old ways, and we certainly will be, we’re to make a choice based on our renewed minds. Seeing clearly that our former way of living leads only to death, we can now choose life.
In this divine realization, we’re to put on our new self, turning away from the corruption of the old. “Put on” has the connotation of sinking into as with clothing. It literally means to clothe ourselves. So, since our lives are hidden in Christ, we’re to walk in our new selves, created in righteousness and holiness.
What possible benefit, other than coddling fleeting, empty pleasures can come from engaging our old ways of living? It’s exactly what our enemy wants us to do, but we are not unaware of his lies. Our minds have been renewed.
and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27 NASB)
Story: Wilborne writes of a friend who was the person inside the Mickey Mouse costume at Disney Land. Reflecting on her time “in Mickey” she felt safe and loved, hidden in a different identity. “She recalled praying, ‘Lord, is this what it’s like to have masses of people run towards you with joy, excitement, and eagerness?'” [2]
Rankin’s friend’s identity changed every time she took the Mickey costume off. Our identify in Christ does not change. The question for us is clear. Do we choose to put off our old self, steeped in corruption, and put on our new identify in Christ?
For me, it’s a moment by moment choice to put off the lies of the enemy and trust that in Christ I walk in newness of life.
In Christ, We Have a New View
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:1-2 NASB).
In the above verses, Paul tells us how the truth of our position with Christ should change our perspective.
Even though we physically live on earth, our view is to be from above where we’re spiritually seated with Christ. This means we’re to focus on what God cares about, even in the midst of our daily activities. We’re to keep seeking (require, be about, aim at) the things above. As our days unfolds, our higher desires should be on what God wants, not just a happy life.
What are God’s higher desires for us? Among other things, He’s at work conforming His children into the image of Christ [3]. He wants us to love others as Christ loves us. He desires for our words to be His words and our deeds to be in His strength, that He would be glorified in all we do. [4]
Focusing on what God desires for us, above our personal desires, doesn’t mean a joyless life. In fact, it means just the opposite. Orienting our lives from above means God Himself is our delight, not the trappings of the world. [5] Christ, the Source of all Joy, is our life, no matter what we face.
Story: Like many others, hard circumstances have occurred in my life which I can’t change. And believe me, I’ve tried!
Sad circumstances have threaten to discourage me and steal my joy. But I have a growing trust in what God is doing from His eternal throne. I don’t want to ignore my grief, so I try and invite Him into it, but I don’t walk around in sadness. Over time, and through the difficulties, God is skillfully and lovingly, uncovering the lie that I need happy circumstances to be okay.
From my new view with Christ, I’m more an d more seeing my life from what God is doing to conform me into His image. With this is in mind, joy is growing, even in the midst of pain.
In Christ, We are Complete
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10 NASB);
In the 1600s Bliase Pascal wrote that man’s cravings for true happiness can only be filled with an infinite, immutable object. He wrote that man tries in vain to fill this void with everything around him, seeking in (what is not) only what God Himself can give us. [6] This came to be known as our God shaped void.
To summarize, we were created with an incompleteness that only God can fill .
Incomplete: not having all the necessary or appropriate parts, not full or finished. [7]
Our problem is that, in our nagging sense of need, we attempt all manner of temporal ways to fill the void and feel complete.
Being loved by people
Our success in our different roles
Accumulating possessions
Happiness from smooth circumstances
Overloading our senses by living an epicurean lifestyle
These and other pursuits may partially fill the vastness of our souls, but each leads only to longings for more. We simply can not satisfy the deep longings of our soul with anything temporal.
The word “complete” in the above verse also means to make full, render perfect, fill to the brim, to receive fulfillment.
So, in Christ we’ve received the fulfillment our hearts have longed for. We are filled to the brim with Christ, lacking nothing.
But we must believe it and walk in it.
in Him (Christ) you have been made complete
Story: One evening, a few years ago I felt utterly undone. My heart was filled with failure, disappointment and relational pain. It was close to midnight and I decided to take a walk up our road and across the two lane highway at the top. On the way “out” I surrendered my burdens to God the best I knew how.
When I got to the end of the cul-de-sac across the highway and circled around to head back home, a deep peace invaded my soul. The problems seemed to be overshadowed by the Lord’s nearness. I pondered the truth of my completeness in Christ. I thought of being filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ. In those moments, all the burdens and pains were swept away in the awareness of this marvelous truth.
I’m complete in Christ, in need of nothing, no matter what I face.
Since that time, I’ve sometimes felt the same feelings of discouragement and incompleteness. But, I go back to the truth etched in my heart those years ago.
In Christ Jesus, I’m complete, lacking nothing.
Conclusion
As believers, though we walk on this earth, we’ve been raised WITH Christ into heavenly places. Being “in Christ” is the best description of who we now are.
Though, as long as live on earth, we fight our fleshly tendencies, in Christ we’ve been made new creations. We can now choose to put off our old ways, laced in death, and put on our new selves, in Christ.
In Christ, we’ve been raised above the temporal view. We can see things from God’s greater purposes. As we orient our lives from God’s eternal perspective, what He desires becomes more and more what we want. The sufferings of this world, though very real and painful, do not define us or remain our focus. Setting our minds on God and His Kingdom, fills our hearts with joy, no matter what we face.
In Christ we’ve been made complete. Our deep inner longings, placed in our hearts by Father God, are completely satisfied in Christ. In Christ Jesus, we are completely forgiven, completely loved, completely valued and completely satisfied. In Him, we lack nothing.
Prayer
Lord, Wow! When I ponder these amazing truths about me being in You, it’s beyond belief. But You say it’s true and I trust You. Please help me not to loose sight of these facts as my days get busy and hard. When I’m tempted to try and make life work out for me in my own flesh, please remind me to put off my old self and walk in You, my Life. When I get caught up with the smaller story of how circumstances work out for me, please remind me there’s a greater, much more important story going on; Your story.
When a feel the nagging emptiness of measuring my life by temporal values, please remind me that in You I’m complete. When I’m tempted to live life apart from You, please remind me quickly that I’m in You. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Personal Study
Highlight II Corinthians 5:17-21
Explain it in your own words
Apply it to your life
Respond to God in prayer
[1] Union with Christ, Rankin Wilborne, David Cooke 2016, p. 13
[2] Union with Christ, ibid p. 53
[3] Romans 8:29
[4] I Peter 4:11
[5] Psalm 37:4
[6] Pensées, Blaise Pascal (Published in 1670 after his death)
It could be argued that the main thread of the Bible is God’s desire to be WITH us.
The Creator of the Universe gave up His only Son to have Eternal fellowship with us. But we don’t have to wait until we die. He wants to be with us now.
Ongoing, intimate fellowship with God can begin at the point of our salvation.
Jesus promised it: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23b NASB)
Paul confirmed it: “having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13b-14 NASB)
What a pledge of our inheritance! GOD HIMSELF, in the form of the Holy Spirit given to us!
Sealed in Him – marked, for security from Satan, concealed and hidden, stamped in order to confirm, to authenticate.
As believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of Jesus indwells us.
In light of this, how do we live?
In what some consider a summary of the Christian life, Galatians 2:20, Paul answers the above question: 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.
We died. Christ lives in us now. Our new normal is to live a life of depending on Him to live His life through us.
Our lives are to be marked by the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control exemplified by Jesus’ life on earth.
But how does “Christ lives in me” work out in our everyday lives?
Treasuring God Above all Else
As with other aspects of our Christian lives, living WITH God starts with us realizing, trusting and walking in His love..
God’s love is the reason He rescued us to begin with. Our greatest command is to love Him back. Delighting in God accentuates our longing to be WITH Him.
Skye Jethani, in his book With, writes, “the life with God posture is predicated on treasuring God above all else.” [1] He goes onto say that treasuring the world and a long comfortable life is not a life of living with God.
Our pathway to living out our union with Christ must begin with love for God above all earthly gains: our possessions, success, popularity, comfort, etc.
Our love for God must be absolute. Jesus told his disciples that coming to Him and deeply loving Him, makes human love seem like hate in comparison. [2] Our love for God must be extreme and the more we love Him, the easier it will be to delight in His nearness.
Story: In my human weakness, I sometimes forget that God Himself is my highest delight, especially when I don’t feel love from people who are important to me. During these times, I can easily shift from enjoying the experience of God’s abiding love, to chasing human love to fill my heart cup.
However, more and more an awareness of God’s great love for me is growing. I’m understanding that the love of people are like sprinkles on top of a decadent hot fudge sundae, complete with the dark chocolate sauce, nuts, whip cream and the cherry on top.
God’s love completes me. May I love others out of the abundance of His love, not to try and satisfy my need for love.
Draw near to the One who indwells you and invites you to revel in His love.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth (Psalm 73:25 NASB)
I No Longer Live
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;for he who has died is freed from sin (Romans 6:4-6 NASB).
For me, our crucifixion with Christ has always been hard to comprehend.
How can a person who lives and breathes be dead? To understand, we must seek deeper truths, beyond the temporal.
In the above verse, Paul says our old self has been crucified. Before our flesh reigned, but having been crucified with Christ, it’s been rendered powerless.
However, until we physically die, we can still choose to walk in the old ways of death. This is why Paul warns us, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:12-14 NASB).”
So, on a Wednesday afternoon, in the midst of duties and temptations, how do we live out “I’ve been crucified with Christ and I no longer live?”
Our old fleshly choices have worn paths not easily broken. Even in the splendor of God’s love and His life within, idols and addictions chain our souls. Carnal pleasures, seeped in death, can seem more real and viable than God’s loving presence.
Imagine you were in the Marines and you had a sergeant who was constantly picking on you. Eventually you serve your time and are honorably discharged. As a civilian, you come face to face with your old nemesis on a street corner. Assuming a familiar position of authority, he orders you give him 25 pushups.
Out of habit, you drop and begin churning them out. But then it hits you; you’re free from his reign. He’s lost all authority over you. You stop and walk away. Being a marine is in your past, but that life is behind you. You’re dead to it’s authority and power.
When we’re tempted to walk in our flesh, it’s like meeting that old sergeant. We can still choose to follow Him, but why should we? Now, we can refuse and “present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God.For sin shall not be master over us”.
Story: One of my strongest temptations to operating in my “old self” has to do with trying to handle problems in my own strength. Historically, when challenges come I try harder rather than recognizing my weakness and walking in newness of life.
Recently, I fell and severed my quad tendon. I was down the hill from our house at our barn when it happened. When I heard the pop, I knew something had happened, but my first response was to try and stand up and walk. Impossible! Helpless on the ground, all I could do was crawl like a crab and scream for my wife.
During the time of recovery after the surgery, I was helpless. My wife even had to put on my socks. It was a forced time to slow down and realize how little I have to offer. A real life experience of true weakness. What a blessing!
I Live by Faith in the Son of God
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5 NASB).
After promising to send us the Holy Spirit, in John 14, Jesus gives us an earthly example of what life WITH Him is like.
A wine branch, connected to the sap enriched vine, is able to produce luscious fruit. But, a branch detached from the vine of life, yields nothing but death.
Our lives are like that. Sure, we can busy ourselves with all manner of seemingly good things, but any activity detached from the source of life is life-less, no matter how good it looks.
We’re familiar with a bowl of plastic fruit. Painted up and shinny, it can look so real, so delicious! But try tasting it. There is no life.
Our souls are to be governed by the Holy Spirit, not our flesh.
Jesus commands us to “abide” in Him, His Holy Spirit. Over many years I’ve had two wrong understandings about what this means.
First: that abiding is a level to get to in our maturing process as Christians. Wrong. Abiding is not a level. It’s not a “nice to get to.” Abiding is the process. Abiding is the way Christ is formed in us.
Second: I assumed abiding took great effort. With great strain and discipline I sought to tap into Christ’s life within. Actually, it’s just the opposite. The Greek word translated as “abide” also means to remain, stay, stop, tarry, live or dwell.
We did nothing to be placed in the love of Jesus. God did it. [3] So, abiding is not an effort to get somewhere, its a command to stay where we’ve already been placed. Dwell there, remain there, stay there, tarry there, abide where you’ve been placed. Don’t move.
Story: My wife recently bought us a small plaque which we placed on the window seal above the kitchen sink, where we’ll often see it.
I need Thee every hour.
The longer I live the more I believe these words. Not only do I need to depend on Jesus to know the Father’s will, to speak His words and love in His strength, but I also need Him every second to fill to overflowing my longing heart. I so easily forget and begin to look around me at the world to love me, to deem me successful and to value me.
Lord, show me quickly when I stray.
Conclusion
Living out our new life of total dependence upon God is not an option. The New Testament is saturated with the truth of God being WITH us now. The Holy Spirit of Jesus indwells us. We’re to enjoy His nearness every moment of our lives. Jesus is the source of all joy and life, but we must continually chose life over death.
We’ve been crucified with Christ. We’ve been raised with Him in newness of life. But, we can still be influenced by our old, worn out fleshly patterns. We must recognize our death in Christ and choose to depend upon Him.
By faith, we rest in Christ’s finished work and remain in His love. We yield to His life within us that His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control might be displayed in our lives.
Prayer
Lord, I’m seeing it now. My life with You is not about me following a bunch of rules and trying to pattern my life after Your example in my own strength. I died because You died in my stead. Thank You. You love me so much You want to be with me forever. Please give me a moment by moment dependence upon Your Spirit within me, that I might speak with Your words, serve in Your strength and love with Your love. Please stop me in my tracks when I move ahead of You and try to do anything apart from Your abiding Spirit Amen.
the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26b-27 NASB).
Personal Study
Highlight Romans 6:4-14
Explain it in your own words
Apply it to your life
Respond to God in prayer
[1] With, Skye Jethani, Thomas Nelson 2011, p. 131
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
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Novels by the Author:
Rob Buck
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).
The above verse is shocking. But, considering Paul’s longing to be with Jesus, it’s understandable. Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus. In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, he wrote to the Philippians, “I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.”[1] Joy flowing from faith, and from serving others, characterized Paul’s life. As followers of Jesus, our lives can have the same markings.
Being Poured Out
In the verse quoted above, Paul mentions being poured out like a drink offering. In the Old Testament, drink was poured out, along with other offerings, as sacrifice to the Lord.[2] Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him, but filled his heart with a contagious joy.
To follow, we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love.
To the Roman disciples, Paul wrote, I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).
To become a disciple of Jesus, we’re to follow His example of presenting our lives for God’s purposes. Jesus put aside His rights and reputation for our sakes. He obeyed even to the point of death, pouring out His life for us.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).
Jesus’ example
On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him). Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:34-35 NASB)
He later promised that if we follow His example of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)
As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on His Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.
But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.
Conclusion
As we lay aside our own interests, were invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me now?”
Prayer
Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on my duties. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NASB)
It doesn’t take a pandemic and a nation marred in disunity to render us faint at heart. Life can be discouraging even without that stuff.
And when we get a full dose and need to pause to catch our breath, life keeps on coming at us. To remain courageous, we must muster our faith.
Muster – to assemble troops as for a battle, to gather, to summon, to rouse
On a regular basis, we have repeated opportunities to gather and summon our faith. Like workouts in the gym, rousing our trust, when things aren’t smooth, builds muscle memory and strengthens our faith.
How do we muster our faith when we feel weak and God seems distant? Following are a few musts.
We Must Remember God’s Sovereignty
God is always in control. His purposes can’t be thwarted. He’s able to work all things together for His greater purposes.[1] Even the very hard situations we face are no surprise to God. In His omnipotence, the sinful choices by men, the state of this fallen world and the schemes of the enemy can not change what God is doing.
Joseph told his brothers, “Andas for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”[2]
God used Jonah’s disobedience to illicit praise from the folks on the ship to Tarashish.[3]
The evil intent of the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus led to the salvation of all men.
God has entrusted us with each circumstance we’re in and desires us to trust Him and not our own understanding of our situations.[4]
We Must Orient Our Lives from God’s Greater Story
Paul tells believers that since we have been raised up with Christ, we’re to set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth.[5]
We need to see our lives from an eternal perspective, knowing God is at work for our greater good. He’s working all things for the purpose of conforming us into the image of Christ, not for us to experience a smooth ride.[6] It’s vital for us to understand this. If not, we can view God as a distant dictator, out to destroy our hopes and dreams.
We need to live now with the end in mind. Being more like Christ is what this life is about, not temporal happiness. For we died and our life is now hidden in Christ.[7]
We Must Realize Being with God is Our Highest Joy
The Bible has an overarching theme, woven into the fabric from Genesis to Revelation. Us being with God. We were created for fellowship with Him.
David, wrote that even in the shadow of death, he would not be afraid because He knew God was with him.[8] He also wrote that in God’s presence, joy is full.[9]
After crying out to God concerning the unfairness of life, Asaph concluded that God’s nearness was his good, not his lot in life.[10]
From a Roman prison Paul repeatedly instructed us to be full of joy in the Lord. Not just when we feel like it, but at all times.[11]
We Must Remember God’s Love for us Never Fails
No matter how often we fall short in actions and faith, God’s love for us never fails, it’s everlasting.[12] His lovingkindness never ceases. His mercies are new every morning.[13]
As believers, we are His children, a fact established before the world began.[14] Nothing can separate us from His great love.[15] His love for us can be described as deeper and wider and longer than an ocean and higher than the heavens. It surpasses our ability to comprehend.[16]
Prayer
Lord, we come to You now. You know the place we’re in. You’re not surprised by any of it. You’re with us and have allowed it for our greater good. Help us not to doubt Your ways. May we draw near to You and walk in utter dependence upon You. We were never to face these things alone. We depend upon Your strength in our weakness. Amen.
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”[17]The Apostle Paul
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36 NKJV).
Picture yourself on death row waiting for your execution. Suddenly, your cell door opens, and you’re told someone volunteered to die in your place has already been executed. How could this be? Who would do such a thing?
As you pick up your meager belongings at the front desk, the clerk hands you an envelope engraved with your name . Slowly, you open it and begin to read. It is a letter from your rescuer. He writes as royalty, a King with vast riches. He’s paid off your massive financial debt. You owe nothing.
The letter is signed with your rescuer’s name. In the postscript, which follows, he tells you that by using his name you’ll be able to draw what you need from any bank throughout the world.
Rescued from Eternal Separation from God.
As a man on death row, we were once separate from Christ, excluded from heavenly citizenship, strangers to God’s promises and without hope in the world. But by trusting in the blood of Christ for the salvation of our souls, we have been reconciled, brought near, made fellow citizens with the saints, members of God’s own household.[1]
He’s lavished His grace upon us, completely forgiving us of every sin.[2]
We’re freed from the debt of sin and have His righteousness transmitted to our account.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we may become the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthian 5:21 NASB).
But there’s more.
Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved]by His life. (Romans 5:9-10 NASB)
Saved by His Life
In the above verse, it appears as if Paul is saying that as amazing as it is to be rescued from God’s wrath and declared completely righteous, being saved (healed, preserved, made whole) by Christ’s life is even better.
I wonder how this could be.
But, consider the following verse:
For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:19-20 NASB)
We died with Christ and we’re now to live in dependence upon Christ’s Holy Spirit who lives within us.
As Jesus promised in His last supper discourse, His death meant the Comforter would be sent to be with us forever.[3] Living in total dependence upon His Holy Spirit within us is not just a good idea, it’s how the Christian life is to be lived; the normal Christian Life. Jesus tells us if we try and live otherwise, we’ll accomplish nothing;[4] a spitting in the wind.
It’s beautiful how this truth played out in Jesus’ day to day life. Consider how free He was from having to be concerned at all about what He wanted or what He was to do. He experienced the joy of emptying Himself[5] and relying totally upon Father God, seeking only what He wanted. Jesus told His disciples, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”[6]
And
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”[7]
Jesus was free to be consumed with His Father. Being saved by His life means we’re freed from having to be concerned with us.
Our life is now hidden in Christ.[8] No longer are we to worry about maintaining our happiness. No longer do we need to strive in our own strength to be holy like Jesus. Our lives are to be marked by the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not our strained efforts.
We get to enjoy His life and what He wants for us. We get to depend on Him to love the people He brings across our paths.
Prayer
Lord, the ramifications of Your salvation are mind blowing. Not only did You rescue me, but You’ve given me Your life. I’m beginning to experience the joyous freedom of being freed from me. I accept your invitation to trust You with all my cares and to live my life completely for You. Please show me when my concern for me overshadows what You want. I yield to Your life in me. Please show me how to walk with You and depend upon You as we go. I love You. Amen.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John the Baptist (John 3:30 NASB)
All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a cheerful heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15 NASB).
Solomon wrote that all the days of the afflicted are bad. Afflicted – poor, humble, wretched, needy and lowly. Though this might not describe all our days, most of us have experienced times of affliction. But, in his wisdom, Solomon gave us a remedy. We need a cheerful heart. If we have that, he says we’ll have a continual feast, the longings of our hearts will stay satisfied. No more searching for someone or somebody to fill our deep desires. A cheerful heart will fill us up to overflowing joy.
This sounds exciting, but how does it play out in the moments of our lives? Sometimes the condition of our hearts hang in the balance, based on how we’re feeling or what’s going on around us. What’s the secret of having and maintaining a cheerful heart and how do we walk in continual spiritual nourishment?
What is a Cheerful Heart?
The Hebrew word translated as “cheerful” in the above verse has a wide variety of meanings. Agreeable to the senses, such as fair to the sight, sweet to the taste, fragrant to the smell and as a cooling shadow of a tree. This brings the word into a context we can relate to in our experience, but it also encompasses terms of a broader, higher nature such as beautiful, pleasant, excellent, fruitful, fertile, advantageous, choice, fine, pure, goodly, valuable, better, merry, glad.
As I read these descriptions of the word Solomon used, I sense its magnitude and “out of this world” richness. It congers up thoughts and feelings of complete peace and bliss, like being nurtured under the mighty wings of God.
He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and wall (Psalm 91:4 NASB).
I think of what David declared in Psalm 4:7 You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound (NASB).
And verses like: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1b NIV)
and
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good (Psalms 73:28a NASB)
The bottom line is that God Himself is the true source of our joy. As David wrote, In your presence is fullness of Joy” (Psalms 16:11b NASB).
Though our hearts are cheered by the beauties of His creation, only God Himself can give us the kind of continual gladness which produces an ongoing buffet of spiritual nourishment.
Maintaining a Cheerful Heart.
It doesn’t have to take a difficult trial or sadness to get me off track. On any normal day I can easily rely on what’s around me to keep my heart encouraged. But eventually, this always leaves me empty. In my experience, it’s not what’s going on around me or even how I’m feeling which strengthens my heart and gives me courage. Maintaining a joyful, cheerful heart has everything to with the focus of my worship.
Worship – to give worth or worthiness.
We all have an ongoing decision to make. Are we going to choose, as David did in the following verse, to worship God as our one desire? One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple (Psalm 27:4 NASB).
Or, are we going to put greater worth on our circumstances and how we feel?
This is not a one and done decision for the day. Delighting in the Lord, and not in how we’re doing, is a moment by moment choice.
Over time, in countess turnings of our gaze back to Him, we begin to understand.
God Himself is not only the reason for our cheerful hearts but also the source of nourishment which fully satiates our souls with the bounties of His goodness.
Prayer
Lord, You fill my heart to overflowing with the beauties of Your magnificence. Please keep me focused on You. I want You to always by my one true worship. I depend upon You and Your Indwelling Spirit to keep me in the shadow of Your wings. Show me quickly when my hearts shifts to worshipping my own comfort. Teach me to trust in Your love and Your greater purposes. I lay my life and my story at Your feet. I delight in the rich, sweetness of Your goodness.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)
.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
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Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains
