For Joy!

God only knows...seriously.  Haha. 

Every day I am thinking about what to do or why things are the way they are, trying to solve problems both present and possibly in the future to prevent them.  I get caught up in my thoughts that I often forget to pause in the humility of being human and look up at Love and the outcome which is always in the face of my Savior, Jesus.  

Perhaps I have been called to be a thinker or a vessel of knowledge and teaching, which is why I am more inclined to think, but even so I must remember that every gift is purposed by God to be used for His will.  This means that His thoughts matter and the only way I will know what they are is to listen to them--which often require me to set my own to silence.  

I may get distracted by the euphoria of knowledge because in the past it has awakened new passions in me--and I love exciting things that bring me to see more clearly and definitely--yet this has a tendency to backfire when my focus shifts from the Giver of those passions to the means by which they came.  Knowledge is only good if it brings me joy.  Otherwise it's just something I possess, and I could posses many things in life but what I want is joy.  No amount of knowledge, money or beauty could provide me with joy unless the source of joy is using these means to give them to me.  God can use anything to give me joy.  

Hemp milk lattes, theology books, people, mountains, kisses, vegan food, bicycles, naps and moments of clarity have all been some of the means by which God has used to send me His delight and my joy.  

But one thing remains true:  

Everlasting joy comes from God.  

“But beyond these, my son, 

be warned: 

there is no end to the making of many books, 

and much study wearies the body. 

When all has been heard, 

the conclusion of the matter is: 

fear God and keep His commands, 

because this is for all humanity. 

For God will bring every act to judgment, 

including every hidden thing, 

whether good or evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14

His joy, His truth.  His ways, His thoughts, Him. 

He is the one we approach for every joy.  

All other joys may parade as everlasting, they may appear sexy or desirable at any given moment, but I know in my heart that the truth of joy is that it can only be everlasting by the Creator of joy.  If God can speak joy into existence then so long as God has the power to be God joy will be His to provide. 

My struggle is for joy.  

Everyday we desire to protect ourselves from a loss or lack of joy by turning to comfort or habit, food or sex, beauty or money, etc, and it's here in the pause that we remember the truth about joy.  

That sometimes we suffer for the joy set before us.  As our perfect example showed us:

"keeping our eyes on Jesus, 

the source and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy that lay before Him 

endured a cross 

and despised the shame 

and has sat down 

at the right hand of God's throne."

-Hebrews 12:2

“For consider Him 

who endured such hostility from sinners 

against Himself, 

so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart. 

In struggling against sin, 

you have not yet resisted 

to the point of shedding your blood. 

And you have forgotten the exhortation 

that addresses you as sons: 

My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly 

or faint when you are reproved by Him, 

for the Lord disciplines the one He loves 

and punishes every son He receives. 

Endure suffering as discipline: 

God is dealing with you as sons. 

For what son is there that a father does not discipline?”

Hebrews 12:3-7

Joy is what I want.  

And in the suffering of getting it I am learning to see that joy is always what I am being given day by day.  Feelings are not joy, because feelings are fleeting.  Joy is knowing who you belong to and who cares for you and who loves you.  Joy is remaining in God's will.  

In the end all of life and humanity will reveal the only everlasting joy.  

None will compare to meeting God face to face and hearing the words of our King:

"Well done, good and faithful servant. 

You have been faithful over a little; 

I will set you over much. 

Enter into the joy of your master."

(Matt. 25:23) 

For the joy set ahead, and entering into joy, 

take heart believer.

Jmegrey