Yesterday felt like a day of joy for our Green Hills staff team. After a brief devotional together, we spent some time talking about specific ways in which we’d love to see God work in our church. So you can imagine how delighted we were to see the Lord answering some of our prayers even before the day was through! I hope that we will record that one in our “God’s faithfulness” file. Indeed He is.
Admittedly, not every day unfolds like that. More often than not, perhaps, we find ourselves waiting on God to do what only God can do. That’s as it should be. He is building our faith. He is strengthening our resolve. He is cultivating in our souls a deep sense of dependence upon Himself. You know as well as I that we tend to wander when we’re not leaning on those everlasting arms.
There’s a powerful description of the gospel in Romans 5:1-11. You may be quite familiar with that passage, penned by the Apostle Paul, but I would encourage you to take another look at it today. I believe that it will speak to you in fresh ways, because God’s Word works like that. It is alive! Doctrine that is as familiar to us as our favorite shirt can – all of a sudden – awaken in us new and powerful insight. As I read and reread that text, I’m seeing a description of joy that I’ve never recognized as the gem that it is. I’ll bet that, regardless of our individual circumstances, the joy of the Lord is what we most need.
It’s a joy that is longer than my waiting. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Yes. It’s a joy that stretches farther than what my eyes can see. Because of what Jesus has accomplished for us, on the cross where He died in our place, our account has been settled with God. Can you imagine such a gift? We who had no means by which to pay our sin debt have discovered that our debt has been paid in full. “It is finished.”
It’s a joy that is larger than my circumstances. We rejoice in our sufferings. Yes. The Bible calls us to the impossible, that you and I may draw our strength from another source. We can identify, personally, with our Savior. We can communicate, personally, with our Lord. We can trust Him with all of the unknowns … and all of the sorrows … and all of the unresolved “why’s” in our vocabulary. Our magnificent Savior is no stranger to suffering, and He felt – and feels – our every pain.
It’s a joy that is stronger than my feelings. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Yes. We must never forget that we didn’t initiate the search party –He did. He loved us before the foundation of the world. He loved us in spite of our treacherous rebellion. He loved us when there was nothing lovely or lovable about us. So my feelings about what God may think of me are no match for what God has already declared about His passionate grace toward me.
It’s a joy that is deeper than my understanding. While we were enemies we were reconciled. Yes, and I can hardly believe it! That I would receive such undeserved yet extravagant grace … I suspect that will blow my mind as long as I live. When I wade into the Scriptural promises which describe the love of God for me, I feel like a giraffe going for a swim. I know that I need to dive headfirst and let the waters engulf me, but the clunkiness of my own pride and myopathy hold me back from fully delighting in the ocean of grace that is already mine. Perhaps you can relate. Perhaps we need to form a support group for recovering giraffes. Better yet, perhaps the church is the place where we can learn to rise above our clunkiness – and the place where we can find the people who will go “all in” with us.
I’m not sure how your journey feels today. Maybe you feel like you missed an important turn. Maybe you feel out of gas. Or maybe you feel like you’ve driven completely off the road. I can relate, friend. I can relate. But there is great joy to be found in Christ. This is not the time to give up, or to give in, but to press on. The promises of God are unchanging. The promises of God are ours for the taking, and God gives freely.
Nearly a decade ago and tucked inside a book, a letter written by C.S. Lewis was discovered. As you may remember, joy was one of topics most frequently addressed by the British writer. In any event, when I read the letter, one line jumped off the page: “I doubt whether anyone who has tasted joy would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world.” Though we likely agree with Mr. Lewis in principle, surely you and I would have to admit that we far too often trade the joy that should be ours in Christ for significantly lesser things. So, today, I’m calling you to trade up for joy.
I’ll be trading up with you.
Pastor Charles
Leave a Reply