I love when you read a passage in scripture and you see it in a different light; when the Holy Spirit uses scripture to illuminate scripture simply to entourage you. Recently when I was serving a week as a counselor at a Royal Family Kids summer camp I experienced this. It was not only what I needed for the week, but what some of the other counselors needed as I shared this simple truth and mindset. As I have said in other posts on this same subject, Joy is not an emotion but rather simply a state of mind. My circumstances around me might be depressing or frustrating or overwhelming...yet I can remain joyful. I'm definately not happy by what is happening to me or around me, but my choice to be joyful is separate from everything else that is going on...could you imagine if joy worked like happiness!
As I was sitting on a pouch swing outside my cabin, reading through the Book of Acts, the morning the campers arrive. I was encouraged by reading and meditating on Acts 3:19...
It is in those times of being in His presence that we are refreshed and renewed. It in that place that we experience what David had experienced in Psalms 16:11...
I have always viewed the joy in God's presence as being something that would happen when I showed up, not because I brought it...but more like the light coming on when the refrigerator door is opened. We know that the light is there but its not on until engaged. That my friend could not be farther from the truth! No the presence of the Lord is joy and it is always that way with or without me being there...because God is Joy. When you and I enter into His presence we are entering into joy that has been going on from before eternity and will continue far beyond it! That is the same joy that you and I have the privilege of choosing to experience, and we are encouraged to boldly enter into His throne room of grace and receive the pleasures He has in hand for us!
However, looking back at the first part of Acts 3:19...REPENT! We are saved and washed in the blood of Jesus and we as His children have access to our Heavenly Father, but our sin, guilt and shame keep us from entering into His presence. The enemy lies to us and uses our weakness and sin to keep us from experiencing the Joy of Lord as well as all of the other blessing He has for us, his children. That is why it is so important for us as followers of Jesus to constantly be going to the cross, repenting and leaving our sin, guilt and shame that that we may daily receive refreshing and renewing as His mercies are new every morning.
Another area that we need to repent from, that is not sin in and of itself...is busyness. We can be busy for all the right reasons and robbed of being in fellowship and communion with on the very one that has saved us. I know that serving in the ministry can do this very same thing. I then wonder why I'm overwhelmed and stressed out and burdened...it is because I have a lesser thing keep me out of God's presence. Therefore, we need to repent from anything that would separate us from tapping into His joy and blessing and strength for our daily lives.
One of the things the enemy knows he can rob from us by keeping us out of God's presence is the strength that His joy brings to face the trials and testing that come our way. The enemy wants nothing more than see God's children, who are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus, walking as weak and powerless christians. That is why Nehemiah could say that "the Joy of the Lord is your strength".So for myself that week, I made a conscience effort to stay present in the His presence. No matter how tired or overwhelmed, happy or frustrated...I was not going to allow anything to keep me from experiencing the joy in my Father's presence and tapping into the strength I needed that can only come from His joy.
Lastly, if this is not you then be converted to Jesus. Let him be your joy and your strength. Let him forgive you of your sins and blot them out...that is why he died for you on the cross and rose three days later concurring death! Let him by his Holy Spirit escort you into his presence to experience true joy and peace and be strengthened today.
As I was sitting on a pouch swing outside my cabin, reading through the Book of Acts, the morning the campers arrive. I was encouraged by reading and meditating on Acts 3:19...
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
It is in those times of being in His presence that we are refreshed and renewed. It in that place that we experience what David had experienced in Psalms 16:11...
In your presence is fullness of Joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I have always viewed the joy in God's presence as being something that would happen when I showed up, not because I brought it...but more like the light coming on when the refrigerator door is opened. We know that the light is there but its not on until engaged. That my friend could not be farther from the truth! No the presence of the Lord is joy and it is always that way with or without me being there...because God is Joy. When you and I enter into His presence we are entering into joy that has been going on from before eternity and will continue far beyond it! That is the same joy that you and I have the privilege of choosing to experience, and we are encouraged to boldly enter into His throne room of grace and receive the pleasures He has in hand for us!
However, looking back at the first part of Acts 3:19...REPENT! We are saved and washed in the blood of Jesus and we as His children have access to our Heavenly Father, but our sin, guilt and shame keep us from entering into His presence. The enemy lies to us and uses our weakness and sin to keep us from experiencing the Joy of Lord as well as all of the other blessing He has for us, his children. That is why it is so important for us as followers of Jesus to constantly be going to the cross, repenting and leaving our sin, guilt and shame that that we may daily receive refreshing and renewing as His mercies are new every morning.
Another area that we need to repent from, that is not sin in and of itself...is busyness. We can be busy for all the right reasons and robbed of being in fellowship and communion with on the very one that has saved us. I know that serving in the ministry can do this very same thing. I then wonder why I'm overwhelmed and stressed out and burdened...it is because I have a lesser thing keep me out of God's presence. Therefore, we need to repent from anything that would separate us from tapping into His joy and blessing and strength for our daily lives.
One of the things the enemy knows he can rob from us by keeping us out of God's presence is the strength that His joy brings to face the trials and testing that come our way. The enemy wants nothing more than see God's children, who are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus, walking as weak and powerless christians. That is why Nehemiah could say that "the Joy of the Lord is your strength".So for myself that week, I made a conscience effort to stay present in the His presence. No matter how tired or overwhelmed, happy or frustrated...I was not going to allow anything to keep me from experiencing the joy in my Father's presence and tapping into the strength I needed that can only come from His joy.
Lastly, if this is not you then be converted to Jesus. Let him be your joy and your strength. Let him forgive you of your sins and blot them out...that is why he died for you on the cross and rose three days later concurring death! Let him by his Holy Spirit escort you into his presence to experience true joy and peace and be strengthened today.
1 comment :
Tim, thank you for this. It ministered to me this morning. And I'm praying for your safe travels in the Ukraine right now (and your flight home tomorrow).
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