Tag Archives: troubles

The connection between Thanksgiving and Joy

Gratitude, Key to a Life of Joy

4 Comments

What I read felt totally outlandish. How could it be true? A good friend has a mass on their chest. They go in for a biopsy on Thursday. A marriage is in trouble. A job was lost. Relationships are broken. A long-time friend died of a brain tumor. Loved ones are sick. People are in deep emotional pain.

Considering things like this, what I read seems impossible. And it isn’t even a suggestion. It is a command.

Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT).

Be thankful in all circumstances?

I do believe God is for me and that His indwelling Spirit enables me to carry out what He commands. But to always be grateful is hard to imagine. How can it be?

How is it Possible to always be Grateful?

To be truly grateful in everything, I must pull my perspective away from my circumstances. I must realize that God has something far richer in mind for me than an easy, comfortable life.

From God’s word, here’s what I know:

I was created with deep longings which can only be satisfied by God Himself.[1]

Delighting in God, enjoying Him, loving Him, and praising Him, satisfies these deep longings. [2]

Pursuing things of this world to satisfy my soul leave me empty and headed for destruction.[3]

God uses all things for my greater benefit, according to His purposes, not mine.[4]

Above all things, God is at work to make me more and more like Jesus.[5]

Following Jesus means His character being formed in me, not by my efforts, but by dependence upon His Spirit within me.[6]

In Jesus’ endurance of the cross, He remained fixed upon God’s greater purposes, even during excruciating pain.

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, 2 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).

On the cross, Jesus had Joy.

Relational Joy.

 Fueled by His love for His Father and for us, joy strengthened Jesus through unbearable pain. 

No matter what else is going on in our lives, the fact that Jesus, Lord of Lord and King of Kings, values us enough to lay down His life for our relationship with Him, should fill our hearts with overflowing gratitude. And gratitude draws us near to God, the source of all Joy.[7]

Gratitude, the Gateway to Relational Joy

If I’m bemoaning my circumstances, the eternal overshadowing joy of the Lord can never be experienced.

If I’m only measuring how I’m doing by how my life is going, I’ll tend to be ungrateful, and joy will be killed.

God is not absent from my pain. In fact, if I call upon Him, my Ever-Present Help in Trouble [8], His peaceful nearness cleanses and heals deep parts of my heart, untapped when circumstances are easy.

From personal experience, I’m fortified in my troubles when I turn to God for comfort and not the false affections of the world.

Our gratitude for the gifts God gives us, especially everlasting life with Him, invites our soul to develop a posture of thanksgiving. God is good and God is for us. The more we see this, and point everything back to Him in glorious thanksgiving and praise, joy will grow and spill over into rejoicing, come what may.

Practice It

Think about a present trouble in your life. It could be related to health, finances, relationships, busyness, or any number of difficulties in this broken world.

 In the midst our very hard times, God invites us to call on Him as our Comforter in all we face.[9] He is for us. He is near to our broken hearts.[10]

As you receive the comfort of His nearness, thank Him. Thank Him for being with you and for the price He paid for your reconciliation. Realize that especially in your trials, He’s always at work to make you more and more like Jesus.

Ask Him to bring other things to your mind to be grateful for. Develop a habit of giving all thanks and glory to God.

As did Corrie Ten Boom, present all praise from others as fragrant offers back to 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

Prayer

Lord, I’m sorry that I haven’t developed a regular rhythm of thanking You for everything in my life. The more I walk with you, the more I’m convinced that you are for me and that You are at work in every aspect of my life. Please help me thank you for the pleasant times and the heart aches.

Teach me to linger and savor Your life all around. Slow me down to pause and thank You at every turn.

Thank You for the way joy is unleashed when I have a heart of gratitude. When I’m thankful, the joy of my relationship with You explodes in my soul.

Please keep me focused on loving You, thanking You, and loving those You bring my way.

Amen.

[1] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[2] Psalm 37:4

[3] I Timothy 6:9, Matthew 6:19

[4] Romans 8:28

[5] Romans 8:29

[6] Galatians 4:19, Galatians 2:20

[7] Psalm 16:11

[8] Psalm 46:1-3

[9] II Corinthians 1:3-5

[10] Psalm 34:18

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

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

Unrelenting

Until the Darkness Fades

2 Comments

Lord, Take this Cup

Jesus, in your humanity, You prayed that the cup of suffering might be taken away. You asked for the support of trusted brothers. You earnestly prayed until blood dropped from Your pores. You longed for Your Father’s purposes to be accomplished in a different way. But You always submitted to God’s will in spite of how it affected you.

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done (Luke 22:42 NASB).”

Lord, there are situations in our lives which are very hard. Please teach us how to keep earnestly praying for Your love and healing touch to break through. Yet, like You demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane, teach us to trust Father God in spite of what’s going on around us.

Giants in the Land

Lord, there are giants in the land. And unlike Goliath, these giants don’t seem to be going away any time soon. People we love are sick. Relationships are broken. Loved ones don’t know Your love and are destined to an eternity without You. Folks are lonely, addicted, jobless and homeless. When we see these troubles we can easily become discouraged.

Yet, you tell us to expect troubles and to remain courageous.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NIV).”

Knowing this, and realizing Your greater purposes, we keep asking for Your light to shine in the darkness, around us and in us.

Until the Darkness Fades 

My daughter is a talented musician and song writer. In the lyrics of a song she recently wrote  – “until the darkness fades.”

It occurs to me that when darkness fades, light has begun. I think of the twinge of grey in a predawn sky, which brightens with the rising sun. The smallest ray of God’s loving, healing light can illuminate the darkness in a human heart and grow ever brighter.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day (Proverbs 4:18 NASB).

When I think about the continual transformation of my own heart, which began over 40 years, I recognize God’s persistent work of enlightenment. There were times when the growing light was stalled because of my own unwillingness to surrender. But God is relentless in His desire for my freedom. He wants me free from needing smooth circumstances, success, the love of others and worldly security. He won’t give up until His light fills every crevice of my hearts. I’m complete in Christ and He wants me to fully know it.

Praying for Light  

But even as our hearts are being transformed, giants are still around. Do I allow them to steal my courage and zap my joy?  Or, do they become the impetuous to follow Jesus’ example of earnest prayer. If these giants are keeping me praying, then they must serve some purpose.

As Graham Cooke stated in his podcast Brilliant Perspectives,  “God has allowed in His wisdom, what He could have prevented in His power.”

But still. I don’t want these giants around. Like the orcs were over run by the light of Gandolf’s staff, I pray for their destruction. I pray for God’s light to reveal, to heal to penetrate the darkness with blinding power.

Praying Circles  

I’m learning not to hang my welfare on my own happiness. I’m learning to draw my contentment from what Christ has already done, my hope from His return and my joy from His presence. However, I still have a part to play in the here and now, especially in respect to these giants.

I was recently introduced to the concept of praying circles from a book entitled The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. What I like about circular praying is the visual of continual prayer and of targeting ; kind of like a bull’s eye.

Behind our barn, next to the chicken coop, is an old white cabinet with a door. It was in my grandfather’s garage when I was growing up. Today, I wrote down eighteen giants and drew circles around each one. I’ll see them every day and plan on praying for God’s light until the darkness fades in each one. When and if a giant is destroyed, I’ll paint over it. As long as giants remain, I’ll keep praying.

Challenge  

Write down the giants in your land – those troubles you may have lost hope will ever leave.

Ask yourself a really hard question. If that giant doesn’t leave, will I be okay? You may need to do some heart work and offer up an idol. (Anything besides God you must have to be okay) This is really hard work.

Next. Circle it up. Determine to earnestly pray for God’s light to penetrate the darkness.

Finally. In reflection, think about a giant which has left your land. Do you wish it had never come?

Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Joy Required, The Nearness of God

Is Joy a Vital Part of a Healthy You? (Part 1)

2 Comments

Have you ever considered the fact that you need joy? Has your heart been designed to require it, but you didn’t realize it? Is joy a necessary part of your overall health?

The word “joy” and its derivatives, is used in many different contexts in this adventure called life. According to the dictionary, if we “enjoy” an event or an occasion we are delighting or taking pleasure in it. To “Rejoice” is to feel or show great delight or joy.

“Joy” is defined as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” Synonyms include delight, jubilation, glee, exhilaration, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss and ecstasy.

As I hear these words, I think, “I want to get me some of that.” They conger up feelings of well-being, of deep security. They may even bring back impressions of childhood delights, feelings which flourished before our hearts were seared by life’s pains.

We may get whiffs of joy as children, when we smell a cedar Christmas tree, see a white snowcapped mountain or taste grandmother’s fudge cake brownie. Our hearts come alive with these encounters, they fuel us, delight us. These eternal brushes awaken something deep within. We cry out for more, but aren’t sure where to find it.

These traces of joy can get lost in life’s sorrows. We lose the scent and hunt for it down roads of success, romance, popularity and pleasure. Like fool’s gold, these pretenders may bring a semblance of satisfaction, but eventually they fade and we’re left longing.

Have we been created for something far deeper than this world?

Consider the following verse, written by the wisest person who ever lived.  “He has made everything [appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11a

What if the deep longings you’ve felt all your life can only be filled by God Himself? What if all your empty pursuits, including seeking a happy life, were your vain attempts to solve a problem you could never solve on your own? What if only God can fill the void inside?

Challenge:  Think about what you think would complete you and give you inner satisfaction. It might be a life free of troubles. It could be embracing human love or being considered successful in life’s endeavors. Maybe you would feel fulfilled once your 401K is at a certain level.

Human history is filled with individuals who have proven these pursuits aren’t enough to satisfy the deep longings of the human soul. We can realize this now and turn to the One who does complete us. Or, we can keep on pursuing our worldly dreams until they prove to be empty and our lives are surrounded by the collateral damage of our choices.

Prayer: Lord, these longings deep inside are undeniable. You made me this way. You alone truly satisfy. Forgive me for thinking I could solve my need for inner fulfillment myself, with my own choices. Forgive me for trying to solve a problem I never could. Thank you for revealing how empty my worldly pursuits of pleasure, popularity, success, security and significance really are. You want to be my all in all. You tell me to offer my life as a living sacrifice. I surrender my life to you, knowing surrender is a continual act of my will.

Stay tuned for part 2.

God is our Reward, The Goodness of God

What is Good?

Leave a comment

I’m on our back porch enjoying the breeze of a chilly spring morning. The flowers are blooming, the trees are just beginning to bud and the grass is greening. I’m soaking in the spender of “now”.  A few birds visit our feeder suspended above the wooded path to our barn. A steady flow of cascading water from our fountain forms the background rhythm for their melodious songs.

I rest in the goodness of God. When I’m present with Him, the troubles of my life are out of view. Because He’s good, I’m good.

However, when I remember my present difficulties, if I’m not careful, they can suck the good right out of me.

Psalm 73 tells a story of a man  who’s dealing with a crisis of belief. Things are not going well and he really doesn’t know what to do.

When the Psalm opens up, Asaph is in a bad way. He doesn’t like his circumstances. He’s come close to stumbling and almost slips. He feels as if he’s wasted his time keeping his heart pure. He feels stricken all day long and chastened every morning.

To add to his unrest, envy has crept in. He sees wicked people who are prideful and arrogant, yet they seem to be doing fine.  They’re not in trouble or plagued. They prosper and are even fat, which was considered a good thing back then.

Asaph feels embittered and pierced within, yet he makes a wise choice. He brings his situation honestly before God.

This is the key to what happens next. No matter what our state, no matter how badly we’ve screwed up, no matter how angry we are at God, we should follow Asaph’s example and enter God’s sanctuary.

God is always ready to hear where we are and  the honest condition of our hearts. He can handle whatever we want to dish out. The worse thing we can do is shy away from Him because of shame, guilt or disappointment.

As Asaph  talks to God, his heart begins to shift. Though his feelings haven’t changed, he sees the end of those who don’t follow God.  “Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.” Psalm 73:17b-18

Then in verse 23, a dramatic turn occurs. Talking to God he says, “Nevertheless,  I am continually with You. You have taken hold of my right hand and with Your council will guide me, and afterwards receive me to glory.”

Whatever pit we find ourselves in right this moment. Whatever evidence we see around us that life is not good, we can repeat the above words in sincerity to God, releasing our lives into His care.

Nevertheless, no matter what, God, you are with me. It is You who have taken the initiative to reach out and take my hand and lead me. It is You who guides me along the way until You receive me into Your glory.

How reassuring! This truth can completely change our perspective. It did for Aspah. See what he wrote next:

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And beside you I desire nothing on earth.”[1]

By bringing his concerns to God, even his complaints, God performed a 180 degree shift in Asaph’s heart.

Let’s recognize, as he did, that goodness is not in how our lives are going. Goodness is in God’s nearness. God is always with us and He is always good, no matter what goes on in our lives.

Asaph ended his Psalm with words which have become a truth I build my life around.

 “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.” Psalm 73:28a

Challenge: What circumstance threatens your sense of well-being? In other words, what has to be right in your life for you to be okay? It can be very good things, a good marriage, prospering children, successful career, etc. All these “goods” can never replace the fact that we are good because our God is good. Place the Lord of your life above all of things. He is worthy. He is trustworthy. He is good.

[1] Psalm 73:25

Cast Your Burderns

Throw it in the River

4 Comments

When we’re going through difficulties, we know to pray. However, sometimes I find myself still striving hard to work out the problems on my own. It might be a matter of not being aware of God’s nearness, faithfulness and strength at the time. Or, it might be a matter of me trusting myself more than I trust God.

On the other hand, when things get really bad, and my efforts don’t seem to make a dent in the situation, God comes to the forefront of my mind as my only option. This has not always been the case, but the more difficulties I go through, the more I’m learning to trust Him. Hard times have literally strengthen my faith, though I still don’t like them. I long for when I’m desperate for Him all the time, even during good circumstances.

I had one of those really hard situations a few years ago. I can’t recall all that was going on but it was multiple issues all at once dealing with family health, too much to do and the ever present brokenness of the world around me. I remember the feeling of being crushed under my burden  more than the exact issues. I literally felt a huge weight on my shoulders, like a heavy knapsack weighing me down to my knees.

I needed God and I knew it. I was at work and decided to take a prayer walk during a break. Prayer walks seem to be affective for me. I pull away, alone, moving and talking to God.

I walked into a deserted office area in the back of the building, with row after row of abandoned cubicles and equipment. As I talked to God, I had a picture in my mind’s eye of me walking along a river instead of a line of empty office spaces. A peace came over me. I knew in my spirit I was walking along the river of God.

The river was to my left and I was walking along the bank in the same direction as the current. I stopped and turned to face the river. Caught up in the rhythmic flow of the current, I felt God’s presence.

God spoke to my heart. “Take off the burden.”

I did.

“Throw it in the river.”

“But, I have to take care of these things,” I objected.

“No you don’t. You’re to live a life fully dependent on me. I’m your ever present help in this trouble. Throw all that stress and worry in the river. I’ll take care of them.

Keep walking with me. Be watchful and wait for me. You’re yoked to me. My yoke is easy and My load is light.”

This sounded really good to me. So picked up the heavy sack and whirled it into the rushing current. I saw it float away, ahead of me down stream. For an instance, I wanted to jump in after it, but I sensed God saying, “Keep walking. I have it.”

I did walk on. Completely peaceful, I sensed God walking right along with me, beside me and in me. A cool breeze from the river swept across my face.

In spite of all my cares, which I know will come, this is how I’m to walk.

Lord, I pray I’ll spend life’s moments walking along the river with you. I know they’re things I’m to-do, but I also know you never intended for me to tackle life’s problems alone. You who are at work in me to will and to do according to your good pleasure. I’m to trust you, walk with you, speak your words and love others in your strength. This is my prayer. Please keep me walking with you, relying upon you and you alone for every breath. Show me quickly whenever I try and do life without you.  Amen.

Challenge: What do you have right this moment that needs to be thrown in the River?

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. Psalm 46:4

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

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

 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