Joy! ..... Who has it? .... Who doesn't ...... Why?
In my last commentary I mentioned ... after a poor attempt at humor ... that we needed to find the joy out there, as difficult as it may seem. ..... If one thinks about it for just a moment, we can't help but realize that there are only the two options to choose from ..... Joy or sadness ... which boils down to either a 'spiritual fullness filled with confidence, or an emptiness that wreaks of hopelessness ......
Like each of you, I live in this spiritually dark world every day, and will quickly agree that it's not easy to stay positive with what's going on all around us. .... Everything we hear seems to be negative! ... and isn't it true that we will eventually become what we are around?
If You are not a Christian, I can certainly understand why you would be unhappy and negative the vast majority of time .... after all, what do you have to look forward to? ... But if you are a professing Christian and have little or no joy, it's most certainly because you are focused on the world, and NOT the Kingdom of God! .... More than likely you think mostly of things like bank accounts, 401K retirement portfolios, vacations, fancy furniture, job titles, and all the things that last but a moment in time .....
How can I be sure of this? ... I was that guy for many years. ... I'll give the short version. ... I was near the 'top' in the corporate world for a period of time, espousing job titles such as General Manager, Senior Vice President, etc., and trust me when I say, the only time I witnessed joy was when we experienced 'positive sales results' ... no matter the cost to our competitors or even our own employees .... the ONLY THING THAT MATTERED WAS THE BOTTOM LINE ... and tragically, individual 'popularity & value' was measured by how much we contributed to the bottom line. .... I remember one specific meeting that took place just prior to my leaving this world. ... We were assembled in an office high up in the ivory towers of the city, assessing our successes & failures for the week, when I finally reached my limit and said ... "Where is the joy here? ... Most of us make more in a day than others do in a month ... we have all the material things life could offer .... but it's never enough! ... There's never any satisfaction or happiness in this place! ... There's got to be more to life than this!" ....
Within a few days, I was gone! ... and it was the best thing that ever happened to me! ... Certainly i gave up my job titles I could barely spell ... and yes ... the income fell dramatically as well, but the journey back to the Lord began, and with it, the returning joy I so desperately had missed! ...
Has it been easy all the way? ... Absolutely not! ... As most of us Christians know, the 'enemy' pretty much leaves us alone when we are 'walking in the world' ... but the moment we turn our faces to the Lord, this same adversary turns up the heat in any way he can to distract us from our walk .... Simply, the devil wants us back!
We will experience things like financial problems, marriage & family issues, drug & alcohol problems, illnesses, and anything else to distract us from our walk. ... And when all this type of stuff happens, we can become distracted and falter .... but just remember this, the more we grow and mature, the less the enemy will affect us.
James 4:7 says it plainly, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." .......... and I love this one! ... James, when speaking of the coming trials said in chapter 1, verses 2 & 3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
The word "Joy" is mentioned 235 times in the NIV translation of the Bible. ... Simply stated, "joy" is a basic in the Christian life model. ....... In John 15:11, Jesus said " ..... so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." ... looking forward, Jesus said this in John 16:22, ... "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." .... Hallelujah !!!!!!
As I write this, the world is growing darker & darker by the hour, and we know from Bible Prophecy that it will only continue to grow worse as we close in on the final hours of this Church age and the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Having said this, I ask each believer this question ... 'how near are you to Jesus in this hour?' ......
I believe that when things all around us are so unsettled, the most powerful testimony is that the Christian is wholly at peace. While the rest of society is in a panic ... fainting, & in some cases, even dying, from fear .... the praying believer will be growing continually stronger. ... It will be so because the Godly servant is receiving more and more encouragement from the Holy Spirit. .... The Bible speaks of that which can't be shaken!
If you want to have confidence and joy and be able to stand steadfast in the storm, Scripture's counsel is simple ... You must have the Lord's presence in your life daily.
How much 'quality time' do you spend alone with Jesus? ... Are you growing closer to Him with each passing day? ... Do you pray without ceasing .. that is, to call out to Him throughout the day & evening? .... Remember, He promises to hear your cry, even when uttered in weakness.
Yes, this is a very difficult world to be in right now ... and we need to pray and uplift one another constantly going forward. .... and since my re-awakening, God has shown me how to 'leave it all behind' and to look forward to His soon-coming kingdom ... and you know what?..... Joy HAS returned to my life with great force!
Know this ... that I will be praying for each one of you for the joy of the Kingdom and for steadfast faith in these days to come. .... I love you all and appreciate you so much ....
Until next time,
Red