Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Joy of the Lord - part 3




Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For, behold,those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.

Psalm 73:25-28

Here is a truth that produces joy:

We are not alone in this world. When we stand before the judgment throne of God, we have an advocate. His name is Jesus and He not only represents us, He takes our place. (I John 4:10)

He loves us. (John 15:13)

He hears us. (John 9:31)

He cheers us on. (Romans 8:28)

He leads us. (Psalm 23:2)

He lovingly disciplines us. (Hebrews 12:6)

He never leaves us alone. (Matthew 28:20)

He's made plans for us. (Jeremiah 29:11)

He enables us. (Philippians 4:13)

He knows us intimately. (Psalm 139)

There is no one in heaven but God that I want. There is nothing on this earth I desire but to know Him and to be with Him. No matter how hard this life is, my strength comes from an eternal perspective. This is what the psalmist is saying.

True, deep, lasting joy comes from knowing the Savior. It comes from resting in His sovereignty and bathing in His beauty. It comes from a daily dependence on His life giving bread and hours of tearful conversations ending wrapped in the warm comfort of His strong, protective arms. He is Father, He is faithful, He is friend. He has made Himself known and available.

The joy He gives is everlasting. It is earthly and eternal at the same time. It is greater than happiness, for it seeps through the cracks of sorrow and despair. There is no stopping the joy of the Lord because it's power source is beyond humanity. It is not finite but infinite.

Where do I find this Savior? How can I secure this joy? How do I know this is true?

Because the Bible tells me so..

3 comments:

  1. Sent my heart soaring, beloved friend. Oh how I love being close to Him. Can't imagine life without Him. He is my Joy and my Strength!

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  2. Thanks for posting these Mrs. Wisen. Such great reminders. I need this.

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  3. These are solid truths in a world full of lies. Thanks for the reminder.

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