20 April 2005 Devotion for Today “The Joy is Our Strength” Philippians 4:6
"Said the Robin to the sparrow, I should really like to know, Why these anxious human beings rush about and hurry so. Said the sparrow to the Robin, Friend, I think that it must be, That they have no Heavenly Father, such as cares for you and me."
One of the saddest things in the body of Christ today is the anemic spiritual lives of many of Gods people. We find in the scriptures that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
And yet we find so many within the church who are living anemic lives, There is no joy in their lives. They have no song, no spring in their step, no enthusiasm, no anticipation of better things. Can you be saved from sin and yet have no Joy?
Yes. because joy is not automatic. Joy is not circumstantial or based on external circumstances. But what we may not be aware of is: Joy is Conditional. Ne 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Jesus also said in John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” The joy of the Lord isn’t like a bush or a flower that needs good weather to survive. Joy doesn’t depend on the things that come and go. Its like a mighty oak or a redwood tree. It can survive all kinds of terrible weather. Why? Because its roots go down deep. It draws its strength from deep underground, not from what is on the surface. And that is why if you have the joy of the Lord, you can survive all kinds of sorrow and suffering with your joy in tact. You can have joy in the midst of pain and tears. If you are not experiencing joy it could be that the object or objects of your joy may be misplaced. If you get joy out of money, then you know that joy is not going to last very long. If your joy is in your possessions, that joy will only last as long as the first repair bill that comes your way. Even if your joy is in people, that joy can be short-lived because people come and go. People die. We can accept that. But people also walk in and out of our lives every day. Holding on to people as a source of joy will only hurt us more- because people disappoint us. The only One who can truly give us poise and joy to make it all worthwhile is Jesus. Jesus will never disappoint you. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will never abandon you.
Anxiety is a divided mind. It is virtually the division that distracts from the main purpose. Beloved, if we can ever truly live within the understanding that Jesus is near -- closer than the breath in our mouth, we will remember that there is little others can really do to us that He doesn’t have to approve first! You can have joy when you live like that!
Have a blessed and joyful day.
No comments:
Post a Comment