1/04/2008

Having Joy All The Time

Another year has come and gone. Now that I'm in the new year, I am happy with how last year went. There were victories, and defeats, but last year was more victorious for me than any other year has ever been.
By God's grace I was able to conquer the bitterness I'd been so desperately holding on to. I was also able to learn joy in Christ's presence. A very sweet lesson to learn. I know that this year I will be learning perseverance in hard tasks, so joy in his presence will come in very handy.


How can we have joy in his presence alone? Does that mean that I am not allowed to take joy in the people I love, the things I have, and the places I go? Absolutely not. God created those things for his glory, and we glorify him by living our lives and enjoying what he has given us! They key is not letting those be your only joy. Those things, as wonderful as they are, only give us surface joy. There is one thing that supplies a truer, deeper joy; a joy that goes beyond all comprehension.
How can you have joy when God has taken your loved ones from you, and placed them in concentration camps, and you, too! How can you have joy when you see your sister lying cold and dead in a pile of bodies. How can you have joy when you share a bed with six other miserable, rude, sick women. It seems impossible, yet with God, nothing is impossible.
There is a time when you can have everything good around you, yet your joy is gone. Then is the time to get on your face before your holy God, and come back into his presence. The best place to find fullness of joy is there - in his presence.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
The Hebrew word used for "fullness" here implies the "state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity." Wow! Joy beyond capacity. I want that.

There are many times I find that I don't have joy. Sometimes it's because I have my eyes on those around me. For example: I used to go to parties, looking for, wanting to see/spend time with a particular person. If he/she was not there, I would be disappointed through the whole party, and depressed when I got home. Fun party, eh? No, the party was fun. I was just stupid. =D Really, even if it was someone I'd not seen for a year, why, why, WHY let myself get depressed?! Think of all the friends I DID see. Besides for that fact, think of the wonderful God I serve. When I find myself in this situation, I either stay depressed until it wears off, OR, (here is the option I would chose if I were you, and the one God would have you chose), come before Christ, confess to him my wrong (taking my eyes off of him, esteeming others higher than him), and come back into his presence. When you have that restored joy, wow. It's indescribable.
Sometimes my joy is gone because life just becomes stale. I don't know why, but sometimes I just get a "block." I feel like I'm in a dense fog. I can't see or hear Jesus...I can't feel him in my heart and soul...and it aches. To feel estranged from Christ is one of the worst feelings in the world. (as a side note, imagine what it felt like for Christ to be estranged from God!) At times when I have a block, and no clue what's causing it, I am driven to my knees, begging God to show me what it is I have to do to get back into the clear. There have been times I've just prayed with ever ounce of sincerity in me, crying, begging Jesus to make himself real to me again. Calling out to him to, asking him to show me how to get back to him. He always comes through. Most times I have to repent of some sin, and make some thing right, and then I have restored joy.
There are so many things that take away joy. Lack of things, too many things that end up causing us to take our eyes of Jesus, circumstances, hurt, sin. In every situation all you must do is confess your sin, and come back into his presence. It's a beautiful thing!
My challenge to you is this : purpose to live in Christ's presence today, or maybe your day is about to end, then tomorrow. Write a note where you can see it, or do what I like to do, write it on your hand! (disclaimer: if your parents would rather you not, please don't. Mine don't like me to, so I had to quit. :[ ) "Stay in HIS presence!" So when five bajillion things go wrong in a row, don't lose that joy. Come to the throne, as for grace, move on, and keep your joy. It's pretty simple, and it makes life so much more beautiful.
Living in his presence is so beneficial, even beyond giving you joy!
-Laura