Joy To The World

This was the first Christmas carol in a YouVersion Bible reading plan that a friend and I are doing together this month. Listening to renditions of this song by several different musical artists, I also "heard" (in my head) the song, I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Then these Scriptures came to mind:

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:11 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.15.11.KJV

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10‭-‬11 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.2.10-11.KJV

Looking in a hymnal (to see all the lyrics) revealed a reference to Psalm 98. Will read this (probably in multiple translations) while thinking about "The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love."

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:24‭-‬25 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/jud.1.24-25.KJV

... and my journey (in joy!) with Him continues ...

Thank You, God!

Yes, thank You so much, God.  That's what I thought when I heard that the 14 year old girl who had been reported as kidnapped had been found and was safe - what a wonderful God! Many people had been praying since the news reports of the crime - including some who hadn't ever prayed before, and some who don't usually pray - and the news reports of her rescue acknowledged that "their prayers have been answered."  I am so grateful for the hearts that were touched, and the cries that rang out on this young girl's behalf.  I heard someone telling the story of Joseph the other day, and I can't help but apply Joseph's words to his brothers (in Genesis 50:20) to this situation and thank God that what was meant for evil - even in this circumstance - God meant for good, for the salvation of many.  Thank You, God, for Your wonderful ways! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Song: What a Savior, performed by Laura Story

... and my journey with Him continues ...

Devotional thoughts - Lent 2013 - day 24

The God Calling devotional for today talked about joy, something I’m not sure I’m feeling too much of right about now …

… it is not only believing certain things about Me that helps and heals, but knowing Me, sensing My Presence in a flower, My message in its beauty and perfume.

You can truly live a life not of earth - a heaven-life here and now. Joy - Joy - Joy.

…because I’ve been struggling with the issue of suffering.  I know in my head that this life is temporary.  I know in my head that the Christian life involves suffering – Christ suffered, (for us, for me no less!) and as His followers, we are each to bear our own individual cross, and give up our lives for Him.  

1 John 4:17

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

 Luke 17:33

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

The depth of what this “giving up” of our lives entails – specifics of what it means, what is involved - differs for each person.  So the Oswald Chambers devotional My Utmost For His Highest really touched on this for me today:

I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20

To become one with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things. Being born again by the Spirit of God means that we must first be willing to let go before we can grasp something else. … Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?

We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them.

If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.

Letting go, changing my “whole way of looking at things” to be with the mind of Christ, suffering disillusionment, giving up my claim to my rights to myself … LORD, please help me make the “determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering” all that I have and all that I am to You, no matter the cost. Thank You for reminding me that some things are only accomplished in this life through suffering, through death – even the suffering and death of Your Son on behalf of sinful humanity.  You did not insulate Yourself, Your Son from the suffering…Thank You for the hope of Heaven, the promise of Your Presence, the leading of Your Spirit, the comfort of Your Word, the wisdom of Your working, the exaltation of Your Son – that holiness, majesty, power is Yours, that  love is Your nature, faithfulness is Your character, goodness is Your  disposition, that mercy, grace, righteousness are found with You.  Thank You for the transformation of mind and heart  that can be accomplished by focusing on You in reverential awe, and yielding to Your will…

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

… and my journey with Him continues …

Nearness

Songs: Be Near – Shane & Shane (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk_jBfJi_pk&NR=1)

Scriptures:
James 4:8 (NKJV)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Hebrews 10:22
(AMP)Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water.

(NLT)let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Hebrews 7:19 (NCV)
The law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and with this hope we can come near to God.

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Separately, I guess they didn’t mean much. But looked at together, a pattern was emerging, for me anyway.

1. I read ahead in the God Calling devotional to November 26 (http://twolisteners.org/Nov%2016%20-%2030.htm#November 26):

November 26 - My Beauty

The prophet realized the Truth of My later saying "He that hath ears to hear let him hear" which might be rendered "he that hath eyes to see let him see."

The God who was to be born upon earth was not to be housed in a body so beautiful that men would follow and adore for the beauty of His Countenance.

No! He was to be as one whom the world would despise, but to the seeing eye, the Spirit that dwelt in that body should be so beautiful as to lack nothing. "Yet when we shall see Him, there is no Beauty that we should desire Him."

Pray for the seeing eye, to see the Beauty of My Character, of My Spirit. Nay, more, as faith saw the Beauty of the Godhead in One who had no form or comeliness, so pray to have that faith to see the Beauty of My Love in My dealings with you, in My actions. Till, in what the world will distort into cruelty and harshness, you, with the eyes of faith, will see all that you could desire.

Know Me. Talk to Me. Let Me talk to you, so that I may make clear to your loving hearts what seems mysterious now and purposeless ("having no form nor comeliness.")

2. I was up, going through the experience and documenting it in Powerful (yesterday’s blog – November 24). Particularly the part about what God let me see, how He enlightened the darkness of my understanding.

3. I went to the library, and saw (and picked up/checked out) books about our perceptions, the workings of the brain, our thinking.

4. Also checked out and prepared to read “You Were Born for This” by Bruce Wilkinson. Actually stopped and thought about the happenings of the day when I opened to the first chapter and saw “A New Way to See the World” as the title. Occurred to me then that God was, as they say, “up to something” regarding my perspective of things, how I saw things, my mindset, etc. I sensed an adjustment, a correction coming on.

5. Later, looked in my email and saw one from Nancy Stafford (http://www.nancystafford.com/notebook.php) entitled Abounding in Thanksgiving that began with the words, “Open your eyes.” I went on to read it, quieted in my soul as I read this part:

Then God invaded my mind. You need to know Me better, He whispered softly. "Uh, NO God, I need to you help me!" I blurted in my fear. You need to know Me better, He whispered again. Pray Paul's prayer to the Ephesians. Open your eyes!

In Ephesians 1:17-19, I saw where God was leading me, so I prayed Paul's prayer for myself:

I keep asking that You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that I may know You better. I pray also that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which You have called me, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and Your incomparably great power for us who believe.

To know Him, to know Him better – stated here and also in the God Calling devotional I had read from the 26th. That God would orchestrate events in my life this day to remind me of His desire for me, and His desire that I would know Him, and be blessed in knowing Him better … it’s all quite humbling, and fills me with such wonder. I’ve been running into Psalm 16:11 lately:

(NKJV)You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I had been thanking God the other day for the joy I felt in sensing His presence, when I felt He spoke to me about the “fullness of joy” including His joy at my being in His Presence and my experiencing joy in being there. It’s a cyclical kind of thing, and to me so like my God. I must admit that I had not thought of that before…

Thank You, God, for loving me so much, so divinely, so perfectly.

So now I get to today’s God Calling, which says, in part:

There is that gracious invitation, too, for those who yearn to realize a happiness, a rest, a satisfaction they have never found in the world and its pursuits. To them, the pleading answer to their quest is "Come to Me and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28-30 (New King James Version)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation (NLT)
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

... and my journey with Him continues ...