The Joy of the Lord

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father— the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do— “. . . who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross . . .” (Hebrews 12:2). “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” (Psalm 40:8). […] Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “. . . the cares of this world, . . . choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares. All that God has done for us is merely the threshold— He wants us to come to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.” CHAMBERS

 

Many people have wondered about how Martie and I could live and work in places of great adversity … choosing to be there rather than being in a place of comfort … The answer is that we have determined that we must be where we find our joy.  That joy is doing that which the Father has sent us to do.  We lived our lives in comfort for many years.  It wasn’t that we didn’t know that there were many who struggled every day for a scrap of food .. but it didn’t affect us.  Our hearts were hardened and we didn’t know it.  But God changed that … He turned our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh if you will.

 

To love your neighbor as yourself means that you are as sensitive to others as you are to your own body and its needs.  Matthew 25:31-46 speaks to the lack of awareness that people have … when the ‘goats’ asked “Lord, when did we see you?” They were living their lives completely absorbed in themselves and their own comfort.  The ‘sheep’ asked the same question, but that was because they were completely absorbed in loving others and did not see it as anything but normal.

 

When we think of joy we think of feeling not doing.  The joy of the Lord is peace .. it is faith … it is assurance … it is harmony with the Father and His will.  ‘Oh what joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms! … safe and secure from all alarms’  ‘The joy of the Lord is my strength’.  Understanding what His joy is gives new meaning to those songs doesn’t it.

 

So walk in the joy of the Lord today and let your light shine.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)