THE JOYFUL…We are on the threshold of Christmas, where we will be hearing the word ‘joyful’ often. “Joyful, joyful we adore thee…” and “this child will be a joy to the many…”. This helps us to understand the source of joy…and it isn’t something that we expresses as part of our typical array of human emotions. Joy is a divine gift. God implanted His joy when Jesus came to earth in several ways. But He has generously served that divine gift at many, many other times…
“Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.
Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their
hearts.” ~Psalm 119:1-2
We are more accustomed to happiness, than joy. Happiness is what we feel when there has been a positive happening…thus happiness. It’s attached directly to a good event or circumstance. Joy on the other hand is a divine implantation into the human soul. And it occurs at different times altogether. It is initiated by God, and experienced by man. In the above verse we see a couple times when we can expect to experience the joy of the Lord pour into our hearts. When we are expressing integrity, following the voice of our conscience even when it’s a disadvantage for us to be that honest or fulfill that promise…We become strangely joyful. It’s the Fathers way of saying He is proud of us. Also, when we work hard at searching for God’s leadership and robustly follow the direction He reveals…we become strangely joyful too. That joy communicates to us that we are on the right track…even if it initially looks a little bumpy. There is joy on the journey…when we are on the right journey. Many people are looking for the next good happening so they can feel happiness. The new car, the new job, the million bucks. But for us, the followers of Christ, we are fueled by something better than happenstance. We are…THE JOYFUL! ~verlon
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We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit. e.e. cummings (1894 - 1962) Great Joy!
ReplyDeleteChrist so good at getting those to a level of Joy around him inspired the great Joy of his father...The leper alone and often invisible in suffering, though in plain sight, and yet not seen, the widowed, the poor, even those just going through the motion of an everyday life like our fishermen, and tax collectors...Something Cries out from Jesus..You are recognized, Important, with purpose, Loved, and worthy of the peace and Joy of God...No longer just invisible...Valuable to God... insignificant in your life is still significant in God's Creation and of a greater purpose... Feel the Joy.. you have been touched by the King , worthy of Great Joy, and now one of the Joyful...
It is as if Christ is saying: I have not come to lord over, but to elevate you to the lord, sit beside me as I sit beside you on the throne..It's God's, your standing in it now...Not as God But of.. Great joy of his..
ReplyDeleteIn him, with him, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit as one.....We reign now and forever...
ReplyDelete1 Cor Ch. 12...Won't leave me alone today..Maybe knowing this means we never are alone and always in the Joy of God...