The Joy of His Presence

For the joy that lay before him,

 he endured the cross,

 despising the shame,

 and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

Let's take time today to rest in his presence.  In his presence is fullness of joy. 

Joy comes from relationship with God and others. Because God wanted to have the joy of our company, Jesus endured a painful death.  Now we have a place in his presence. 

Some days we feel far away because of fear or guilt. Yet, he is still the same.  He is still there. Oh, for the return of those days of blessedness when we feel his presence - the warmth, peace and calm assurance.  It makes it so much easier for us to give the gift of loving presence away to others when we are experiencing it ourselves.

Lord, thank you today for the gift of your presence, for the gift of communion and fellowship.  I am so happy that you want to be with me.

Today, even if I have feelings of guilt or fear, may I still acknowledge that you are here.  Set me free so that I may come again into your presence where I can experience full fellowship with you and give it away to others.  Amen.

You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence 

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalms 16:11 NLT

Oil of Joy

Ugandan Children's Choir

 "You love justice and hate evil. 

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you,

 pouring out the oil of joy on you

more than on anyone else. 

Ps. 45:7 

Jesus was given joy above any being and he has an abundance of joy to give.  His kingdom is full to overflowing with an abundance of joy and peace.  

He longs to share his joy with his people just as he said to Jerusalem,

"How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me."  (Luke 13:34)

How he longs to bless us.  Jesus is in the business of transforming our lives.  We are very sad creatures indeed without his love and his spirit to lighten, lift and encourage us.  He wants to transform our darkness into light.  And he will do it.

When we are in a state of sadness, depression or anxiety we need his mercy and grace to help us.  We can call out to him for mercy and expect an answer in his time and in his way because he is our helper.  Let's not be like those in Jerusalem who were unwilling.  Let us open our hearts and believe that he will turn our mourning into joy. 

You are amazing, Lord. You are our deliverer.  Make us willing to receive all you have for us. In our times of sadness or despair, we cry out to you for help and mercy.  You are the one who can turn our sad days into dancing days taking off our mourning clothes and clothing us with the oil of gladness.  

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

 because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

 to proclaim freedom for the captives 

and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

 to provide for those who grieve in Zion--

 to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

 the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

 and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 

Is. 61:1-3

Endurance

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,

 the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. 

Hebrews 12:1-2

Recently, I heard a story about a blind man who wanted to run the Boston Marathon.  With his helper, he started out on the 26 mile race.  Halfway through, he became terribly exhausted.  He staggered along, sometimes walking, sometimes stopping to rest, sometimes jogging a little.  When he got to the 25th mile his helper said, "This is the last mile.  You have to go in running."  The blind man reached deep down and found what strength he had and ran that last mile with all his might to the loud cheers of the crowd. Not realizing he had reached the finish line, he continued on until someone caught him and said "It's over! You've finished the race!" He collapsed to the ground.  He had given it his all.  Somehow he had found the strength to finish his race. 

We are all in a race just like that blind man. Sometimes, along our path we lose momentum, we stumble and fall or take a detour.  The race just seems too hard for us, too big, too long.  We get bogged down. Sometimes all we can do is put one foot in front of the other, sometimes just crawl.  

Then we hear the word, "Run with endurance the race God has set before you."  Where are we going to find the strength?  We must remember, we are not alone. We have our helper called alongside holding us up and showing us the way. We have the crowd to cheer us on and as we look toward the finish line we see the champion, who has gone before, waiting to welcome us.

Jesus has already run the race.  Along the way he endured the same trials and temptations that we face. He was tempted to quit.  He endured great grief and depression there in the garden. He endured tiredness and opposition.  And, he endured the cross. Through it all, he came through with flying colors and triumphant joy and is now seated in the place of honor. 

What is the word of encouragement to us?  Don't become weary and give up.  Look to your champion who blazed the trail and made the way.  He is the way.  He is the road we take on our long race.  And he is there cheering us on along the sideline and running along with us and greeting us at the finish line.  He is our champion.

                            Because of the joy awaiting him,
                                    he endured the cross,
                                   disregarding its shame. 
                       Now he is seated in the place of honor
                                     beside God’s throne.
                                         Hebrews 12:2

Peace & Joy

Las Noches de Las Luminarias
 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix

 Because of God’s tender mercy, 

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

 and to guide us to the path of peace.

Luke 1:78-79 (NLT)

Jesus came to earth with a very specific purpose.  To shine light into the darkness of our lives, to set us free and put our feet on the path of peace. Our lives sit in great darkness and confusion until the light of Christ shines upon us.  When we allow him to shine his light into our lives, he begins to expose those hidden things that keep us in confusion and fear. With his light upon us, he begins to guide us on a new path and into a place of peace.  He brings us out of darkness into his glorious light.

Peace and joy are the gifts God has for us. Those are not just empty words on a Christmas card, but real and tangible gifts from God.  Peace and joy are so often lacking in our lives. How can we find our way to this path of peace? When the light begins to shine upon us, it reveals a door.  When we enter through that door we find that the path that leads to peace and joy opens before us.  That door is called surrender.  As we turn our will and our lives completely over to the care of God and trust all into his hands we begin our journey on the pathway of peace.  When we stop fighting for our own way and surrender to his good, pleasing and perfect will, we begin to experience his blessings.  Since he knows us so well, God's will is always perfectly suited for us.  It is the most joyous and satisfying thing we can experience.  There is nothing scary about it.  When we begin to veer off that path into our own way, we may experience some temporary satisfaction, but our peace and joy will begin to fade.  That's the time to turn our hearts back again to the path of peace.

Lord, open our hearts.  Guide us to the path of peace.  Help us to surrender all that we are to you so that we might experience your gifts of true peace and joy this Christmas season.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, 

but let God transform you into a new person

 by changing the way you think. 

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,

 which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

cathy-meditationsofmyheart.blogspot.com

Whether....or not.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.

 And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.

 So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 (NLT)

In Al-Anon we have a phrase that we read every week, "it is possible for us to find contentment, and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not."

The crux of this statement is the fact that our happiness is not dependent upon anyone else.  Our serenity, peace and joy are independent of what other people say or don't say, do or don't do.  Our joy and peace are gifts from God and we can maintain them as we keep our focus on him and refuse to let the negative words or behavior of others penetrate our shield. 

This is a hard lesson to learn. Amy Carmichael* writes of a time, while riding on a train in India, "when a silly feather-flutter of local gossip..., tried to disturb me.  And it did disturb till these six words were repeated over and over, beaten out, as it were, in my ear by the sound of the wheels of the train: 'Let it be; think of Me.'" This thought came to her mind later when, suffering from illness, she was confronted with unthoughtful, disturbing words.  After reacting negatively at first, she remembered those six little words and her peace returned and so she encourages others, "not to weigh flying words or let their peace be in the mouths of men."

The unthoughtful, cruel words of others may sting, but are of no consequence if we turn to God alone who is the source and resource of all our joy and peace.  

Thank you, Lord, for your promise of joy and peace.  There is so much in this world that trys to disturb us and rob us of this peace.  Lord, help us to be constant in our focus on you and allow the peace of your presence to surround us at all times.  Amen, Lord, let it be.

Now is your time of grief,

 but I will see you again and you will rejoice,

 and no one will take away your joy.

John 16:22 (NIV)

*Amy Carmichael was a British missionary to India who writes of her joy in the midst of suffering.  This quote is from her book A Rose from Brier pg. 19, 20.

Stop, Look and Listen

He walks ahead of them, 

and they follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:4 (NLT)

They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. 

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

John 10:9-10 (NLT)

God is so gracious to lead us in all our ways.  He is interested in every aspect of our lives, great and small.  He came to give us a rich and satisfying life and desires that our days be filled with blessings, peace and joy.  There are many things in our lives that can rob us of these blessings, things that can steal our peace and our joy. 

Sometimes I don't listen.  I might feel him leading in a certain direction but for whatever reason - either I am not being assertive enough or I’m distracted or I think it won't matter much -  I can get into trouble.  My day becomes too complicated with too many things to do or I simply go in the wrong direction and get robbed of peace.  God being a God of peace is interested in our living an orderly life.  If we try to cram too many things into too little time we can become frustrated, anxious and stretched to the limit.  When we feel stressed because we haven't accomplished everything on our list it is a sign of our control rather than God's.  We can accomplish all he has for us to do if we will allow him to be the Lord of our time. We may need to eliminate unnecessary and draining activities to make room for more fulfilling and satisfying ones.

We can enjoy each moment and accomplish all in a peaceful and orderly manner if we will just listen.  Are we living in his presence in the moment and enjoying what he has given us?  If not, it might be time to stop, look and listen.  STOP what we are doing.  LOOK around at what he has put in front of us.  LISTEN for his voice directing us.  When we stop, look, and listen we open ourselves to experience the full and abundant life he has promised.

I will teach all your children,

 and they will enjoy great peace.

Isaiah 54:13 (NLT)

If I forget . . . .

We heard this beautiful song sung by the Northwestern College Choir at our church on Friday evening.  Here are the lyrics attributed to Robert Browning.  Music composed by Craig Courtney.

If I forget, yet God remembers.

If these hands of mine cease from their clinging,

yet the Hands divine hold me so firmly I cannot fall.

And if sometimes I am too tired to call for Him to help me,

then He reads the prayer unspoken in my heart and lifts my care.

I dare not fear since certainly I know that I am in God's keeping,

shielded so, from all that else would harm,

and in the hour of stern temptation, strengthened by His power.

I tread no path in life to Him unknown;

I lift no burden, bear no pain, alone;

my soul a calm, sure hiding place has found:

the everlasting Arms my life surround.

God, Thou art love!  I build my faith on that.

I know Thee who has kept my path,

and made light for me in the darkness,

tempering sorrow so that it reached me like a solemn joy.

It were too strange that I should doubt Thy love.

Dealing with Depression

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Psalms 139:11-12 (NIV)

Even in our times of darkness, discouragement and depression God faithfully stands by to help us through.  He never abandons or condemns us when we are suffering in low times.  This is what we need to keep in mind when dark and negative thoughts flood our minds.  As we mature and grow we realize that these moods are not the final state and these thoughts do not define the ultimate reality of who we are.  The more we can hold onto God's truth and his word the sooner we will rise from our despair and the more comfortable and accepting we will feel as we are going through it.

So many successful people have admitted that they were subject to down times of discouragement and doubt. (Picasso, Van Gogh, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill.) 

Amy Grant in her book, Mosaic, writes: 

Whenever I am in a bleak mental state, I think about these people whom I admire and realize that this condition is not unique to me.  

Probably my age and the circumstances of my life have softened the downward spirals for me, but winter is still a struggle every year.  Maybe subconsciously that is part of the reason I've made so much Christmas music - to focus on hope and joy and store up a lot of good thoughts for the dark months ahead.

What I've learned so far is that depression can be, but is not necessarily, about circumstances or about a particular event.  It is physical.  It is hereditary.  It is cyclical.  Its onset is like traveling down a road and suddenly hitting a patch of deep sand, wheels spinning and no visible forward motion.

The good news is, I've learned to recognize it and not be ashamed of it.  I know as surely as it comes, it will go.*

Perhaps, during this darkest time of the year, you are suffering with depression.  Don't be down on yourself.  Remember there is no end to God's faithfulness.  He never changes. The light of his love shines continually as bright as the sun no matter how cloudy your day may seem.  Encourage yourself.  Even if you feel discouraged and sad, put your hope in God.  He will lift you again and restore you to the joy of his presence. 

 

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Psalms 42:11 (NLT)

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalms 31:24 (NLT)

Listen to Amy sing Breath of Heaven
http://youtu.be/6RVTZDgcpqM

*Grant, Amy, Mosaic:Pieces of My Life So Far (New York: Doubleday, 2007), pp.167-168.

Dwelling Place

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

Psalms 27:4-5 (NIV)

God’s house is a glorious place, shining with transcendent beauty, full of perfect peace and joy. As we dwell there, experiencing the pleasures of his presence, our soul finds fulfillment and satisfaction.  As we gaze upon his beauty all the blessings of his house surround and fill us up.  We were made for this house. 

From this our home base, our shelter, our place of security we are strengthened to face the frustrations and difficulties of life.  From this place, the problems we face here below seem small and insignificant, light and temporary.  The beauty of his house and his presence far outweighs any trial we may face.  We are concealed in his home when trouble comes.  We are hidden and yet we are present.  It is not an escape from reality, but a living in the glorious reality of God’s presence.   

You will show me the path of life;

in Your presence is fullness of joy,

at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 16:11 (AMP)

Overwhelming Joy

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!Isaiah  61:10 (NLT) 

Loki

My cousin and her husband just got a new dog, a male shih tzu named Loki rescued from the streets.  Dan says, “It’s sure nice to be welcomed home by a puppy dog who is excited to see me.” 

Babies, too, when they see their parents smiling at them get so happy they can hardly contain it.  And, when we see a loved one after a long absence we are filled with joy.  When the separation is over and our closeness is restored it brings joy and satisfaction to our souls.

Can you imagine the joy the followers of Jesus felt when they saw him alive. Three days earlier they had witnessed his torturous death and never thought they would see him again.  Suddenly, their deep despair and confusion was turned into overwhelming joy. 

Jesus great desire for us is that we would experience fullness of joy in his presence. He was sent for that very purpose (Isaiah 61). May we in our encounter of the risen Lord be filled with his joy today trading our garments of sorrow and despair for garments of praise and joy. 

I have told you these things,

that My joy and delight may be in you,

and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure,

complete and overflowing.

John 15:11 (AMP)

You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.

John 16:20 (NLT)

   

Joy in Trials

Joy & Trouble are two words not usually used in the same sentence.  But, the writers of the New Testament often connect the two. James tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials (James 1:2).  Peter says that even though we have to endure all kinds of trials for a little while, there is wonderful joy ahead (1 Peter 1:6,7 & 4:12,13).  Paul reminds us of the temporary nature of our troubles and the everlasting nature of joy. (2 Cor. 4:16-18).  Paul's letter to the Philippians written while he was enduring the trial of a Roman prison is a letter of joy.

There is great hope in trials because they produce great things in us.  They produce a character that lasts forever.  Happiness is temporary and based on our outward circumstances.  Joy is eternal and based on inward strength. The great thing to know is that the problems and trials we face are actually producing joy within us.  The trials are doing their perfect work creating in us joy that will last forever.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. For the troubles we see will soon be over,

but the joys to come will last forever. 

2 Cor 4:16-18 (NIV & NLT)