The following account was recorded on February 23, 2012…..
Today is another gorgeous day in The Grove, as we fondly refer to this little square mile town along the shore. The sun is shining bright in a cloudless sky and the scent of Spring is in the air. It is the kind of day where you feel refreshed and renewed by the crispness of the morning air. It’s a quaint little town with towering Victorians amid tiny cottages, with gardens galore adorning the small yards. I hear the call of the gulls above the lake, trying to snatch a morning catch from one of the other varieties of water fowl. I notice that the daffodils have opened up and are blooming now, as well as a few periwinkles in the gardens along the narrow streets on the older side of town. The buds are beginning to swell on the barren tree branches. It is a glorious day to be alive!
In this post I want to share about the Joy of the Lord. In the book of Nehemiah it states that the joy of the Lord is our strength! It is one of those treasures which I spoke about in my last post, “Treasures Abound!” It is a joy which transcends all those trials in our lives and which goes down deep within the soul and spirit and permeates our entire being. Many wonder how it is that I can be joyful amid all the trials of my life. In the book of James we read, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 How do we consider it pure joy when facing trials of all kinds? Is there any among us who haven’t experienced trials or loss of some kind? All of us have suffered trials and loss to some degree, for that is the nature of life within a fallen world. I think joy is the last thing we think of in relationship to trial and loss. James tells us to consider facing trials as pure joy, not just joy, but pure joy. How can this be? I many times wondered about this verse when young in the faith, and truthfully, dreaded the thought. It took suffering all that was ahead, for me to understand this perseverance, this patience, this endurance caused by the intense testing of my faith. It is through this testing that we become mature and complete in our faith, lacking nothing. We come to understand just what this completeness is.
I am drawn to Psalm 16. “Preserve me O God, for in You I put my trust.” Yes, this is where it all begins. It begins by putting our trust in Him. “O my soul, you have said to the LORD, You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” We acknowledge our need of Him. We find our delight in Him. He has become personal to us, because we have accepted Him as our Savior, Our Lord. We look to Him at all times, in the good times as well as the bad times. “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh will also rejoice in hope.” We are mindful of His presence and that He is with us always. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He has made our hearts glad with a joy which can only come from knowing and being found in Him. We shall not be moved or shaken. We rejoice in hope! “You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” He has shown us that He is the way. Jesus is the life and in His presence is fullness of joy! In Him are pleasures forevermore. Our joy is found in His abiding presence!
As evening falls on this day in late February , the storm clouds are beginning to move in. It was a beautiful day, but there is dampness setting in as the clouds thicken. I am reminded of the trials within my life and the dampness setting in as the clouds thicken upon my life. My mind is brought to those latter days of Jesus life as recorded in the Gospel according to John. The clouds are thickening and the darkness is drawing in. He is speaking to His disciples His final words here on earth. He teaches them about oneness with Himself through the example of the grapevine. He speaks to them about abiding in Him. I still remember how the Holy Spirit quickened this concept to my heart in the early days of my walk in Him. I would meditate upon what this means, “Abide in Me and I in you.” And, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” The secret of this joy is in experiencing His abiding presence, of being at one with Him; He in us and we in Him. After sharing these things with His disciples He tells them, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” It is through this connecting that we have this joy remaining or abiding in us; by which our joy is made full!
Jesus is preparing to face the cross and leave this world when He speaks these words. He then turns His eyes toward heaven and prays. He prays about a oneness that only comes from being in Him. Many see it as a prayer for unity among those who believe, which it does entail, but it is even more than that. It is a oneness with the Godhead which produces this oneness with one another. Jesus prays, “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Jesus goes on to pray for those of us who would later come to believe. Joy is found in this oneness we have found in Him!
It is after praying this prayer for oneness that Jesus enters the “Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” 1 Peter1:8
May you abide in Him and experience this Joy Unspeakable..... today and everyday!!!
Thank you, dear friend for this word of strength and exhortation! How we all need this in today's world of collapsing economies, wayward children and the evil that abounds all around us! Its hard to stay focused on the one thing that is constant, pure and uplifting; Jesus Christ! That is where the joy remains. To be one with Him and the father should be our only goal in this life! I have decided to 'take a vacation' from all the worries and trials in my life today because it is the Lord's day; a day of rest for the soul! No small wonder that this is included in the commandments! People often see the 10 commandments as a set of 'Thou shalt not' rules but really, looking a little closer, they are designed to keep us in a state of joy. Thanks again for this encouraging word at a time when my faith has been sorely tested!
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