How to Seek Your Joy in God

Article by David Mathis

Come, everyone who thirsts,
     come to the waters; . . .
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
     and delight yourselves in rich food. (Isaiah 55:1–2)

It is almost too good to be true that God not only saves us from the eternal punishment we deserve for our sin, but he also satisfies us forever with himself. And this is the very joy for which we were made. God is not the cosmic killjoy many of us may have feared in our youth. Rather, he is the God who, in Christ, stretches out his arms to us, saying, “Come, all who are thirsty!”

But how do we “come to the waters” day in and day out in the Christian life? How do we “eat what is good” and delight ourselves in rich food for our souls? How do I practically seek my joy in him?

The answer begins with the vital truth that God gives us means. He gives us the dignity of participating in the process, of availing ourselves of the specific channels he has built for us. And he works in us to cultivate and take up various “habits of grace,” based on his revealed means of grace, in our pursuit of joy in him.

Habits for Hedonists

Over the years, I have found long lists of specific practices and disciplines (whether twelve, or fifteen, or more) to be minimally helpful, and often discouraging. What I needed was to press in through the particular practical manifestations and find the God-given principles that wove them together.

“God stops and stoops, bending his ear to listen to us. He wants to hear from you.”

One way, among others, to capture the matrix of God’s grace for the Christian life is in three great means: (1) hear God’s voice (in his word), (2) have his ear (in prayer), and (3) belong to his body (in the fellowship of the local church). So far as I can tell, all scripturally-directed “spiritual disciplines” cluster to one or more of these three centers: word, prayer, and fellowship. The book of Acts brings them together, for instance, in its summary of the collective habits of the early church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Our various habits of grace, then, are the practices we develop (both individually and corporately) for daily and weekly access to God’s ongoing, soul-sustaining means of grace for the satisfying of our souls in Christ. In particular, these three categories of God’s ongoing grace play a vital role in feeding our joy in ways that make God look good.

Welcome His Word

The very words of God himself, through his apostles and prophets in the Scriptures, are the first and foremost means of his grace to us. The God who is is a speaking God. He speaks first. He, as Creator, takes the initiative to address us as his creatures. And he, as our Savior, takes the initiative to tell us about our rescue. His own Son is the climactic expression of his Word (John 1:1; Hebrews 1:1–2), and he has filled for us — from Genesis to Revelation — a Book of his external, objective words about himself, our race, our world, and our redemption.

Through his word, he extends to us the particular joy of being led, of receiving the initiative he takes toward us. And he is glorified in our joy through Scripture in many ways. First, he is honored that we come to him (and not elsewhere) and treat his words as truth — that we say to him, as Peter did to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Also when we come to him honors (or dishonors) him, in terms of frequency and priority. Do we come to him regularly or irregularly, and do we prioritize his word over other influences and other activities?

How we come to him is also vital. God means for us to come hungry to his word. To come eagerly. To come hedonistically, consciously seeking to satisfy our souls in him, longing for him like newborns who “long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). God means for us to approach him, through his word, as “the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13); to come humbly, and welcome his words (James 1:21) — even when they seem strange and startling to us — and seek to obey them, not just hearing his words, but actually doing them (James 1:22).

“The serious pursuit of joy in God is not to be a solitary existence.”

God is glorified not only through our coming hungrily, but also as we enjoy the feast, as we experience his words as “my delight” (Psalm 1:2; 119:16), as “the joy of my heart” (Psalm 119:111), as “the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16), as kindling for the fires of our joy. God is honored when we approach his words as David did in Psalm 19: as words that revive the soul (verse 7) and rejoice the heart (verse 8), more to be desired than gold (verse 10), sweeter than honey (verse 10) and greatly rewarding (verse 11).

To come to God’s word is to come to God himself. He breathes out his words to us as initiatives, invitations, and instruction in order that we might know him. How we treat his words is how we treat God himself. And as we enjoy his speaking to us in his word, he also invites us to speak back.

Enjoy His Ear

Prayer, then, is the next distinct means of his grace. By opening to us the doors of heaven through the person and work of his Son, God gives us the stunning gift of having his ear. We get to speak to him. Prayer extends to us the particular joy of mattering to God Almighty. He not only speaks to us, but he stops and stoops, bending his ear to hear us respond. God wants to hear from us.

Prayer glorifies God when we approach him as the God he says he is: as a treasure, not a killjoy; as kind, not cruel; as attentive, not distracted; as near, not distant; as caring, not apathetic; and, mark this, as our magnanimous Lord, not our domestic servant. As John Piper writes about cultivating such a hedonistic impulse in prayer, “When we humble ourselves like little children and put on no airs of self-sufficiency, but run happily into the joy of our Father’s embrace, the glory of his grace is magnified and the longing of our soul is satisfied. Our interest and his glory are one” (Desiring God, 159–160).

God is glorified in our asking him (this is, prayer) to meet our needs, as he says in Psalm 50:15: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Through prayer, we get the joy of deliverance, while he gets the glory as Deliverer. Prayer simultaneously serves the pursuit of our joy — “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24) — and the pursuit of his glory — “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

Cherish His Church

Finally, but not least — encapsulating both his speaking to us and his hearing from us — are the corporate habits of grace. We are not alone in the Christian life. God gives us the gift of belonging to a body, called the church, the very bride of his own Son.

The reality and experience of the church extends to us the joy of belonging and togetherness. God made us for life together, not only to receive his grace through others, but also to be living, breathing means of his grace to each other. In all this, God himself is the great end and source of our joy. His gifts, rightly received, point us to him as the deepest and most enduring source of joy — our joy.

God is glorified in his people’s joy through the church in our unity in his Son, as we “together . . . with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6). He is glorified as we receive his grace through each other as gifts from him (1 Corinthians 12:4–11). The church is the first context in which we live out the obedience and life-change which Christ calls us to, and produces in us. Our joy in him changes us, and he means for us to demonstrate such change for others to see, which begins in fellowship with others living out their joy in him, and then extending into our world.

“God is not the cosmic killjoy many of us once feared.”

The serious pursuit of joy in God is not a solitary existence. In fact, it will be, for most of us, an uncomfortably corporate journey. No doubt, we need our moments of being “alone with God” in his word and prayer, but we also will regularly receive his words together and respond to him in prayer together, as we do in corporate worship. Those who are serious about pursuing their joy in God will not be among those “neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some,” but will consistently, urgently, and joyfully encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25).

The camaraderie of Christian Hedonism is not a gift God means for us to wait on till the age to come. He offers it now, in this life, and makes the lives and influence of fellow Christians an irreplaceable avenue of our pursuit of joy in him, as together we welcome his words in Scripture and access his ear in prayer.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He is a husband, father of four, and author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect: Daily Devotions for Advent.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-seek-your-joy-in-god

Beware of Neglecting the Joys

David McLemore

He walks into a room with a smile. He jumps around. He has no bad days. Maybe I’m just biased as a dad, but my four-year-old son is the epitome of joy. Recently, over dinner at some friends' house, he was running in their yard with their puppy named Happy. It was as if his personality was running alongside him. He leaps through life, fully open to the array of gifts that lay before him.

Even broken things are simply new toys for a surprising purpose. I came into the room one day, and part of the side of his treasure box had come off. I asked him what happened, fully anticipating his sadness. Instead, he said, “Oh, it broke. But that’s okay. Now it has a window!” 

When life gives that boy lemons, he knows what to do.

Do you?

THE POWER TO ENJOY

Maybe you're like me, and your disposition isn't as sunny. If my treasure box broke, I'd lament, not revel in the new feature. Upon hearing good news, I search for the bad angle. When bad news is shared, I tend to find the other pieces the messenger forgot.

I need a power I don’t have—the power to enjoy. And you know what? The Bible says that power is available. Power is right there in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20. 

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.  

In context, The Preacher is warning of the dangers of loving money. His point is we look out to what we don’t have instead of into what we do. Our pursuit of the next hit of happiness never ceases. We can have it all, but without the power to enjoy, it's all a waste. When we're out looking for the happiness money can buy, we're missing the gift of happiness sitting right under our noses. It turns out, we already have what we need, and almost none of it came from what we purchased; it comes from what God has given. 

We tend to think the life we most want out in some distant land, locked like some pirate’s buried treasure. Maybe we don’t need to try so hard. The happiness we’re looking for is so often right here, right now. And the power to enjoy it is ours for the taking in this great, big, beautiful world God has made.

BEWARE THE KILLER

But we don’t always see that, do we? We scratch and claw our way for another dollar, asking this life to give more than it can. We’re always disappointed. So, we fill our disappointment with more disappointment, heaping pile upon pile, experience upon experience, test driving things The Preacher already tried and warned against.

After all, The Preacher saw a lot. He saw that money can't satisfy (Eccl. 5:10). He understood that as our resources grow, so do those who consume them (Eccl. 5:11). The more we keep, the more opportunity for pain—physically, emotionally, and relationally. We end up toiling for the wind (Eccl. 5:13-17). 

It’s all too easy to allow the pursuit of money into your life. It doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a subtle shift here and there. But doing so is simply asking too much of it. It’s not hard to make money an emperor. But it has no clothes. Only one Emperor has what we need, and his name is Jesus. Only Jesus comforts, satisfies, provides, and gives the life that we're really looking for everywhere else—abundant, joyful, never-ending. Money is a great tool, but it's a terrible lord. Don’t ask it to be. Doing so is to invite the killer into your house expecting it to bring life. 

BEHOLD SOMETHING BETTER

In Ecclesiastes 5:18, The Preacher interrupts his warning diatribe to show us the alternative life available to us. “Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.” 

He redirects our attention away from the toilsome chasing after money that happens under the sun to the grace found under God’s hand. He saw something else, something “good and fitting.” It’s surprising because—on the surface—it doesn’t look all that impressive. “To eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil . . .” 

If I asked you, “What is the gift of God in your toil?” how would you answer? Would you stop at finding enjoyment? Well, that’s The Preacher's answer. God may give you wealth, but has he given you lasting joy? He can.  

OCCUPIED WITH JOY

Ecclesiastes 5:20 says the person who accepts this gift of enjoyment “will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” He doesn’t mean life is easy—the toil remains—but the grace of God gives power to enjoy the good in life. 

To press the point further, not everyone has this gift of enjoyment. As The Preacher opens chapter 6, he says, “There is an evil that I have seen under the sun.” You’ve probably seen it too. Ecclesiastes 6:2explains. “A man to whom God gives wealth, possession, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them.” 

It’s possible to have it all, and fame on top of it, and still have a miserable life. Enjoyment is a gift from God. But it’s not allotted to all. Some of us need to ask him for it.  

I was reminded of this while watching ESPN’s The Last Dance, the documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. During the 1997-1998 season, the Bulls allowed a camera crew special access to their season. One night, the camera crew knocked on Michael Jordan’s hotel door. He let them in. He talked about the questions swirling about his post-season retirement. He explained his reasoning. “This isn’t one of those lifestyles that you envy, where you’re confined to this room. I’m ready for getting out of this life. You know when you get to that point. I’m there. With no reservations at all.” 

The life many of us could only imagine living is a living hell for the person actually living it. How can that be? Because the power to enjoy life comes from God and nowhere else. And here’s the secret to the universe: the power to enjoy your life right now also comes from God. You may not have much—or at least all you wish you had—but you can have joy! God can keep you occupied with joy as you toil in this broken world. 

GOD WITH US

Remember the story of Mary and Martha? Mary sits at the feet of Jesus while Martha anxiously works. Martha grows impatient with Mary, but Jesus says Mary did the right thing. Jesus responds to Martha, “You are anxious and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41). But there is a better way. We ruin our joy by forgetting one amazing reality: God is with us. We’re so focused on bearing the world’s burdens that we forget the One who overcame it all is among us. Will we sit awhile at his feet?  

God is offering us right now our regular life infused with his divine joy. That gift of his power comes from his hand to all in Christ. Who are we to reject that gift? 

Lest we not see the outcome, The Preacher tells a story in Ecclesiastes 6:3-6 of a man who rejected God’s offer. He fathered a hundred children and lived many years, but his soul isn’t satisfied. Upon his death, there is no burial. He was despised and unmourned. His end is so bad that a stillborn baby is better off. The Preacher isn't making light of stillborn babies. He knows the heartache of that. He means the baby at least avoids the toil and enters rest. He's saying a life void of the joy of God is a life not worth living, and some of us are living that. I've lived it too often.

Yes, life is difficult, but—in God’s grace—there is also good in it. As Ray Ortlund says, “The tears are inevitable, but the joys we might neglect.” Maybe more than ever, our biggest danger is neglecting the joys God graciously gives. This world is on fire. It seems to get worse each day. But your morning coffee still tastes good. The sun still shines. The gospel is still good news. Jesus is still alive, and his heart for you is the biggest love and grace and mercy this world will ever know.

There is so much to enjoy. So, enjoy it! When the side of your treasure box falls off, God’s giving you a window to better see him through it. Beware of neglecting the joys, even in the toil.

David McLemore is an elder at Refuge Church in Franklin, Tennessee. He also works for a large healthcare corporation where he manages an application development department. He is married to Sarah, and they have three sons. Read more of David’s writing on his blog, Things of the Sort.

Posted at: https://gcdiscipleship.com/article-feed/beware-neglecting-joys

My Joy Rose as Sorrows Fell

Vaneetha Risner

I used to have a great life. I went on exciting vacations, cooked gourmet meals for my family, and painted everything from dishes to canvas. Sure, I had limitations from my childhood polio, but I was able to do whatever I wanted. Slowly, however, all that changed. Today I use a wheelchair to go where I once walked. I admire art I once created. I need assistance when I once only offered it. My world has grown smaller.

Decades ago, the words from 2 Corinthians 6:10, “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,” seemed admirable in theory but impossible in practice. I couldn’t imagine joy and sorrow even coexisting; by definition, having one meant the absence of the other. The only way I could have imagined rejoicing when I was sorrowful was if my temporary sorrow were to be displaced by swift, miraculous deliverance. Then I could rejoice, while everyone marveled at my faith and God’s goodness.

My Unexpected Sorrows

So, when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with post-polio syndrome sixteen years ago, I couldn’t see how I could find joy apart from healing. The doctors said there was no cure for my condition, and I would live with continual loss. To slow down the progression, they advised me to reduce life to a bare minimum and stop overusing my arms. As a wife and mother of young children, I was forced to make difficult choices daily, and new losses cropped up every month. It felt relentless. Honestly, it still does.

Today I can’t even make my own coffee, much less carry it to the table. I deal with ongoing pain that will only intensify. While this may sound depressing, it has surprisingly made me more joyful. I’ve learned to stop fixating on my circumstances and start rejoicing in the God who has drawn closer to me through them.

How I Still Rejoice

As my body weakens, God has become more real and present than ever. I can echo the words of Psalm 46:1, that God is my “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” In all my trials, the Lord has never failed me, never left my side, never let me go.

“As my body weakens, God has become more real and present than ever.”

The Bible has become more precious to me because God’s assurances of comfort, strength, and deliverance are no longer simply words I’ve memorized; now they are promises that sustain me. Because I have to depend on God for even the smallest tasks, I must constantly look to him. It is a conscious decision to stop focusing on what’s around me and start focusing on God. It’s a choice I must make all day, every day.

As I have walked with God through the valley of the shadow of death, I have learned three great lessons for being “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.”

1. Weep

Before I can rejoice, I need to lament. This step is critical because it is only through acknowledging and grieving my pain that I’ve experienced God’s presence and comfort. Without this step, my words may sound spiritual and even eloquent, but they are disconnected from my life — I’m left feeling empty and alone.

I used to think it was wrong to lament. I would pretend my pain didn’t bother me, silently pulling away from God while outwardly praising him. I didn’t know how else to handle being “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” Since then, I’ve learned that God understands our lament. The Bible has given me words to use — God, in his kindness, shows us how to be real with him.

In the Bible, David (Psalm 69:1–3), the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7–9), and even Jesus himself (Mark 14:36) all asked God to take away their suffering, so I boldly ask God for deliverance as well. God doesn’t expect me to stoically approach pain, pretending it doesn’t hurt, but rather invites me to cry out to him and tell him what I long for. It is in this authentic, intimate conversation with God that he changes me. I tell him when I feel abandoned. I ask him for renewed strength. I beg for a reprieve from pain.

David begins Psalm 13 by saying, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1), and yet he ends a few verses later by saying, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation” (Psalm 13:5). What caused his new outlook? How could he go from questioning God one moment to rejoicing the next? For me, just as for David, this shift happens when I talk directly to God, expecting him to answer.

“In suffering, I often see God most clearly, perhaps because I am more desperate to find him.”

When I follow David’s example, my perspective changes as David’s did. My circumstances may be unchanged, but what’s happening around me is no longer my focus. Something inside me shifts as I read God’s words and pour out my unedited thoughts to him. God himself meets me, comforting and reviving me. One moment I am overwhelmed by the pain in my life, and the next moment I have renewed hope and perspective. Countless times, I have prayed Psalm 119:25, “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!” And God has done just that.

2. Look for Him

In sorrow I have learned the joy of God’s presence. God is always with us and there is nowhere we can flee from him, but there are times I am more aware of him. In suffering, I often see God most clearly, perhaps because I am more desperate to find him. As Hosea 6:3 says, “Let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

God comes to us as we look for him. I can echo David’s proclamations in the Psalms — I have found fullness of joy in God’s presence, and I’ve tasted and seen God’s goodness firsthand. This kind of joy is in God alone who comforts me, strengthens me, and assures me that he will never leave me.

3. Trust His Design

I have joy knowing there is a purpose to my suffering. My suffering was designed by God for my good — not to punish me but to bless me. Though I may not readily see or understand what God is doing, I know God is transforming me through my trials. My suffering has produced a resilient joy — one that leads to endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3–5). The things of this world are less appealing, and the things of God are far more precious.

After living through my worst nightmares, I have less fear of the future and more joy in the present. I am confident that God will be with me, even through the valley of the shadow of death, and I know he is working all things for my good. Being “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” doesn’t mean we need to rejoice about our suffering, but that we can rejoice even in the midst of our suffering.

Yes, I used to have a great life, but now my life is even better. My sorrow has produced an overflowing joy that can never be taken away.

Vaneetha Rendall Risner is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Desiring God, who blogs at danceintherain.com. She is married to Joel and has two daughters, Katie and Kristi. She and Joel live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Vaneetha is the author of the book The Scars That Have Shaped Me: How God Meets Us in Suffering.

Posted at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/my-joy-rose-as-sorrows-fell

Do You Want to Be Happy?

Article by Rick Thomas

Show me a happy person. Are they generous? Probably. Show me a discontented person? Are they selfish? Probably. There is a circular Bible logic that goes like this: God loves happy givers, and if God loves on a giver, the giver is happy.

It does not matter where you jump into that circular sentence, all of the words connect to each other: God-Love-Happy-Giver. There is a reason for this: when we give generously we are living out who we are in Christ–we are emulating the Lord.

Because God is a generous giver, as the gospel implies, it only makes sense that Christians want to be generous too. Being generous is more than giving your money away. It is giving your life away, which is the gospel. Jesus Christ gave His life away. Happiness comes when we model the self-sacrifice of the Savior by giving our lives away.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

How generous are you? How do you proactively think about and plan to give your life away? Here is a short list of things generous people give away.

• They give away their money.

• They give their love away.

• They give their encouragement away.

• They give their Christian example away.

• They give their joy away.

• They give their kind words away.

• They give their time away.

• They give their homes away (hospitality).

The Point Is – “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Flow-Through

In our organization, we use the term “flow-through” to describe the process of being a middleman or distributor of what others give to us. For example, each Friday evening we go to our local Panera Bread (sandwich shop) and pick up all of their leftover bread.

Each year we receive more than $30,000 (retail value) of bread products. We bring the bread home, separate it, and distribute it to various people or organizations. We’ve been doing this since 2010. The reason for our bread distribution is multi-faceted. For example,

• We do it because we can.

• We do it to model the generosity of our Savior.

• We do it to put the gospel on display in as many places as possible.

• We do it to emulate for our children the giving of time, effort, and bread.

• We do it to feed those who need God’s kindness through the provision of food.

The bread is an example of what “flow-through” means. Someone gives to us and we, in turn, give to others. We’re merely the coupler or the connector that joins the giver (Panera) with the receiver (those in need).

We trust that Panera Bread will give us bread each Friday evening. Panera Bread believes that we will do what we said we would do–give it to others. This concept is analogous to the Christian life.

• You trust God that He will provide for you (Matthew 6:33).

• God believes that you will give away what He gives to you (Luke 6:38).

This worldview is not a romantic Hollywood pay-it-forward notion. This idea is about incarnating the Savior before a dying world who need examples of the practical gospel in action. It is about receiving to give so the name of God can be made famous.

God Loves Generous Givers

The Father is asking you to trust Him by giving your life away. If you believe Him this way, He will bless you–not so you can have more for yourself, but so you will have more to give away. Will you trust Him by sharing what He has given to you?

These promises are not about the prosperity gospel, but about God blessing us so we can bless others. You give a lot. He provides a lot. It’s not about personal gain. You are the coupler, the “flow-through principle.” What are you giving away?

• Your time, money, wisdom, care, joy?

• What are you exporting to others, to your spouse, to your children, to your church, to your neighborhood, to your world?

God gives to generous givers so they will have more to export to others. Christians are in the import/export business. We receive it so we can give it to others. This worldview has always been the case in God’s mind.

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you. – Deuteronomy 16:17

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. – Proverbs 3:9-10

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. – Proverbs 11:24

Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. – Proverbs 22:9

Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. – Proverbs 28:27

Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. – Malachi 3:10

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. – Luke 6:38

He blesses generosity by personally enriching you so you can meet the needs of others so they will glorify Him. Test yourself on this matter.

• Do you give generously?

• Do you give willingly?

• Do you give cheerfully?

• Do you give carefully?

• Do you give in a premeditative way?

Do Not Be Anxious: It’s the Gospel

Did you know that God cares more about you than about birds (Matthew 6:26)? No, really, did you know this? If so, let me ask you this question:

• Do you become anxious about giving?

• Is there a low-level fear-factor going on in your heart when it comes to giving?

If so, you may be aware that God cares more about you than birds, but you don’t believe it at the functional level of your thinking. It is one thing to know something, but another thing to practice it. Bible knowledge only has value when it becomes a practice in our lives primarily.

Will you trust God in the matter of giving yourself and your things away for the glory of His name? Don’t be anxious about your life. God cares more for you than the birds that fly over your head. Live like sons and daughters of your heavenly Father. Trust Him. It is through your giving that God is glorified. Let me ask you this: What is your first thought when it comes to giving?

• What will it cost me?

• How will it help others?

If you’re thinking like a gospelized-individual, your eye is on what your giving will do, not what it will cost. As far as God is concerned, giving is not about the thing offered, but about helping people in need. Giving is the most explicit way we can model the gospel in our lives, and when we do this, you are putting God on display.

And You Benefit, Too

In Philippians, we learn about a man who gave His all for the good of others, and in the end, He was highly exalted because of His generous giving.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11

Quite simply, this is how the gospel works. I’ve already shared Luke 6:38:  “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” But you say, “I don’t give to get.”

That’s fine, but that does not stop God from blessing you for your generosity toward others. You might not jump into the air just so you can come back down to the ground, but that does not matter. If you jump into the air, you will return to earth. It’s a law. If you give, you will receive. It is a promise from God.

I’m glad that you’re trying to be humble about your generosity, but the fact remains that God loves a generous giver and if you are liberal in your giving, expect the love of God to shower you.

This response from the Lord is how it works. One of the sadder commentaries about selfish people is that they spend their entire lives trying to satisfy themselves and never come to understand this Bible truth: if you give, you will get.

I tell selfish husbands this regularly. I try to explain to them that if they would give kindness, communication, love, affection, repentance, confession, forgiveness, or the other cheek to their wives, that they will get what they want. (And the same applies for wives.)

What do they want? They want a loving wife who respects them. It’s as easy as pie: you give, and it will return to you. (And if she does not give, the Lord will bless you because you’re honoring Him regardless of how she responds.) It’s not complicated folks. Trust God. Give your life away and watch God bless you in ways that you could have never imagined, even if the “return” is different from what you expected.

Plan to Receive from God

If your motive is to give your life away, you will be a happy person. If your motivation is to get, you will never be satisfied. The gospel is not unidirectional, as though all you do is give. The generous giver is lavished upon by the Lord–the giver becomes a receiver by default. But you must remember the order: you give first and then you receive.

Christ gave and then He received. Two people were blessed–Christ and others, but the divine order was to provide something before you benefit from the Lord’s favor. I like the way Paul said it in Philippians. Other than Christ, he was one of the most outrageous and generous givers in the Bible.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:11-13

The secret to happiness is to give your life away. The secret to misery is to hoard what was given to you, while seeking more ways to gain more, for self-serving and self-promoting purposes.

You will be more blessed if you choose to give as the first call to action, rather than wanting to receive (Acts 20:35). The reason for this is because God loves a generous giver. In what ways do you need to be more generous in your giving?

• Do you need to give more money away?

• Do you need to give more time away?

• Do you need to give more repentance away?

• Do you need to give more forgiveness away?

• Do you need to give more wisdom away?

• Do you need to give more (fill in the blank)?

What is it that you are holding onto because you’re afraid to let it go? Whatever that is, I appeal to you to become a cheerful giver. Lay it down for the glory of God and the benefit of others. Do you want to be happy? There is only one way: you must give up your life in the specific way in which God is speaking to you right now.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Mark 10:45

Why are you living? What is your purpose in life? Do you wanna be happy? The gospelized individual is here to serve others. Blessed is the man who chooses to give his life away generously.

Posted at: https://rickthomas.net/do-you-wanna-be-happy/

Joy Can Be Yours - Today

Article by Kevin Carson

Regardless of your circumstances today, joy can be yours. Many Christians struggle daily with discontentment, discouragement, disappointment, and some depression. If you are in that group, joy seems like an empty, distant promise with no hope of every experiencing it. This is simply not true. You can begin to have joy today.

Joy is found in Christ.

Notice how Peter reminded his readers of joy:

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

Peter explains that the Christian should greatly rejoice or experience joy. When? Now – even though you are experiencing various trials. The reason? Because you rejoice with deep and glorious joy since you will ultimately experience the salvation of your soul.

What about being in Christ brings joy?

Peter stresses (1 Pet 1:3-5) that the joy comes from this confidence as an in Christ person: you are born again which means you will experience salvation. As a born again person, you have a living hope since Jesus arose from the grave. As a born again person, you have an inheritance kept by God that is reserved in heaven for you. And, your salvation by God will be revealed in the last time.

This is the reason for joy. Even though your circumstances may not be what you want them to be, God guarantees you something of much, much greater worth – your salvation. So today, begin making your way toward joy by focusing on what God provides you in Christ rather than focusing on your circumstances.

Posted at: https://kevincarson.com/2018/10/15/joy-can-be-yours-today-1-minute-mondays/

Enjoy the Freedom of Your Redemption

Article by Jenn Hesse

You’ll never defeat this.

My mind recites this line like a broken record when ugly, deceptive sin threatens to trap me in its patterns. Because God has rescued me from my former way of living, I know I need to stop engaging in behavior that defies his will, and live in the way that pleases him.

But persistent sins like worry and pride are so entrenched in my heart that they seem impossible to overcome. I feel as though the weight of shame and guilt will always hound me since my sins are too heavy to shake off by my own efforts.

As I carry these burdens, unable to unload them, I forget the deeper truth revealed in human weakness: What I can’t accomplish, Christ already did.

He Secured Your Redemption

The author of Hebrews emphasized confidence in his letter to early Christians converted from Judaism. Through logical arguments explaining how Jesus surpassed the Old Testament models of deliverance, he encouraged these young believers to resist temptation and endure trials by holding fast to hope.

This hope is grounded in the truth of how Christ fulfilled and annulled the law of atonement under the Old Covenant, which provided a way to cover but not remove sin. In his death and resurrection, Jesus accomplished what the sacrificial system couldn’t: “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrew 9:12).

Jesus eliminated the need to try to cover sin by paying the penalty for it on the cross. When he breathed his last words—“It is finished”—he completed the work of making us right before God (John 19:30).

Knowing our salvation is secure, we can rest from striving to rescue ourselves. Instead of working hard to live perfectly in order to earn our salvation, we are free in Christ’s salvation to enjoy him and live like him, set apart by God to walk in the good works he prepared for us.

Through our great High Priest, we can draw near to our Creator without guilt or fear of punishment. He ripped the temple veil that separated sinners from a holy God and exchanged our shame for boldness before the throne. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

That’s the hope we cling to when facing our sins.

He Transforms Your Desires

Jesus set us free from bondage to sin and seals us for heaven. Yet while we’re here on earth, we still wrestle with trials and temptations. Paul talks about this struggle using combative terminology: “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7:22-23).

Rather than remaining discouraged by and stuck in sin, we can have confidence in the ongoing work of our Savior in conforming us to his likeness. As Christ united us with himself, we now share the same Spirit dwelling within us, who is transforming us by changing our desires and renewing our minds (Romans 12:2).

What I can’t accomplish, Christ already did.

CLICK TO TWEET

With the Spirit helping us in our weakness, we consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:10). By following the Spirit’s lead instead of our earthly desires, we can eagerly wait for complete restoration and bear his fruit as we do (Galatians 5:22-23).

If we allow the Word to convict us and humbly seek a clean heart, we can, like the young Hebrew believers, endure temptations because we know God is with us and for us. Even though we stumble along the way, he promises to keep us persevering in faith until we see him face to face in heaven.

He Frees You to Live

I don’t have to conquer sin by trying to control my stubborn heart. As I trust in God’s faithfulness to complete the work he began in me, I can discern the ways I’m falling for sin’s deception and ask his help to desire his will more than my own.

It will take a while, this sanctification process. Wish as I might, I can’t manage its schedule or predict the number of times I’ll trip and fail.

But by faith in Christ’s power made perfect in my weakness, I can turn away from sin, pursue holiness, and confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)—or, in a personal application, “What can I do to ruin myself?”

The sins I still battle don’t separate me from God. Jesus erased them, washed me clean, and invites me into fellowship with the Father. By his Spirit, I can choose to turn away from sin toward a closer walk with God, enjoying the freedom of redemption.

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand.

Jenn Hesse is a writer, editor, wife, and mother of two sons. She co-founded a ministry that supports women walking through infertility, infant loss, and adoption, and has a passion for equipping others to know Christ through His Word. Read more of her reflections at jennhesse.com.

Article posted at:  https://unlockingthebible.org/2018/07/enjoy-freedom-redemption/

Your Desire For Joy is A Desire For Jesus

Melissa Kruger

Last words matter.

When someone dies, we often think back to our final conversation, remembering and reflecting on what we said to each other. I hope my final words will be full of love and care for those I leave behind.

On the night before he died, Jesus shared a final meal and conversation with his disciples. Though they didn’t understand that Jesus was about to die, Jesus knew his time was short. What was Jesus concerned about as he prepared to leave those he loved?

The apostle John recorded much of their conversation. In John 14–16 we read that Jesus comforted his disciples and encouraged them to not be troubled. He assured them that although he was going away, he would come back for them. He told them that if they loved him, they would obey him. He explained that the Spirit would come and dwell within them and be with them always.

He also taught them to abide. He told them he was the vine and they were the branches. Apart from Jesus they could do nothing. They’d be dry and useless. But if they would abide in his Word and in prayer, and obey his commandments, they would bear much fruit—all to the glory of God.

We get so caught up in what we’re supposed to do, we often forget the reason Jesus wants us to do what he’s asking.

And then Jesus explained why he was telling them all these things. His answer is somewhat surprising. We get so caught up in what we’re supposed to do, we often forget the reason Jesus wants us to do what he’s asking.

Final Hope

As Jesus spoke these words, he was on his way to the cross. He was preparing to endure unimaginable pain. At this moment, what was on his moind? What goal prompted his last words to those he loved?

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

Jesus was concerned about our joy.

As I write these words right now, my eyes brim with tears. At the height of his own agony, his love desired my joy and yours. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2).

And Jesus wasn’t hoping for us to have a little bit of happiness. He wants us to have fullness of joy—overflowing, abundant. Our joy matters to Jesus.

Final Reminder

Here’s what Jesus knows. He knows that joy isn’t found in the latest and greatest new gadget. It’s not found in getting our way or having more money, more friends, or more adventures.

Jesus is the source of our joy, and he’s the sustainer of it. Apart from him, our lives are empty, meaningless attempts to find satisfaction. We wander, desperately thirsty until we drink from him. He’s the beginning and end, the alpha and the omega. Every good gift is from his hand, and nothing good exists apart from him. Our desire for joy is ultimately a desire for Jesus.

Your joy matters to Jesus.

In the book of Philippians, we have the opportunity to see genuine joy. Joy begins with salvation and increases as we experience true fellowship, understand Christ’s lordship, partake in Christ’s humility, and obey God’s Word. As we grow in faith, our desires change. We long to know Jesus. We place our hope in heavenly joys rather than earthly circumstances. We pray with thanksgiving rather than fret with anxiety. We give generously to further the work of the gospel.

Just as Paul learned the secret of being content in plenty and in need, as we grow in our dependence on God, we bloom into people of joy. By relying on God, we grow in courage, saying with Paul, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

The source of our strength is secure, eternal, abundant. Jesus is enough for every circumstance we face. Abide in him, trusting in his promises. Delight in his Word, seeking him continually. Pray to him, asking him to do immeasurably more than you can even imagine.

May his joy be in you, and may it be full.

Article posted at:  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/your-desire-joy-desire-jesus/

Mercy for Today

Devotional by John Piper, Solid Joy Devotionals

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.(Lamentations 3:22–23)

God’s mercies are new every morning because each day only has enough mercy in it for that day. God appoints every day’s troubles. And God appoints every day’s mercies. In the life of his children, they are perfectly appointed. Jesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). Every day has its own trouble. Every day has its own mercies. Each is new every morning.

But we often tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow’s load on today’s resources. God wants us to know: We won’t. Today’s mercies are for today’s troubles. Tomorrow’s mercies are for tomorrow’s troubles.

Sometimes we wonder if we will have the mercy to stand in terrible testing. Yes, we will. Peter says, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14). When the reviling comes, the Spirit of glory comes. It happened for Stephen as he was being stoned. It will happen for you. When the Spirit and the glory are needed, they will come.

The manna in the wilderness was given one day at a time. There was no storing up. That is the way we must depend on God’s mercy. You do not receive today the strength to bear tomorrow’s burdens. You are given mercies today for today’s troubles.

Tomorrow the mercies will be new. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

A Six-Point Summary of the Gospel

Devotional by John Piper, from Solid Joys Devotionals

Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

Here’s a summary of the gospel to help you understand it and enjoy it and share it!

1) God created us for his glory.

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory” (Isaiah 43:6–7). God made all of us in his own image so that we would image forth, or reflect, his character and moral beauty.

2) Therefore every human should live for God’s glory.

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The way to live for the glory of God is to love him (Matthew 22:37), trust him (Romans 4:20), be thankful to him (Psalm 50:23), obey him (Matthew 5:16), and treasure him above all things (Philippians 3:8; Matthew 10:37). When we do these things we image forth God’s glory.

3) Nevertheless, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him . . . and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images” (Romans 1:21–23). None of us has loved or trusted or thanked or obeyed or treasured God as we ought.

4) Therefore we all deserve eternal punishment.

“The wages of sin is (eternal) death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Those who did not obey the Lord Jesus “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).

5) Yet, in his great mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

6) Therefore eternal life is a free gift to all who will trust in Christ as Lord and Savior and supreme Treasure of their lives.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Who Defines Your Joy?

by James Coffield  Dr. James Coffield serves as an associate professor of counseling and the clinical director of the master’s degree program in counseling at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Fla.

It often seems as if God narrates the story of our lives with irony. Joy is often fleeting, and real joy is paradoxically birthed in the most challenging of times. As I am writing on this topic of joy, I have been dealing with significant sorrow. A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak at the funeral of a young friend. Is the buoyancy of joy possible when swimming in a sea of sorrow? Is real joy possible in a sin-stained, fallen world? As distant as it might seem at times, we know that joy is possible because Jesus prayed for us to have joy. Joy is included as one of the fruits of the Spirit. As I stood before hundreds of grieving friends and a young family left without a father, I asked God for His presence. The sense of aloneness was palpable. I asked the Creator to give me His perspective. The look of confusion was in the eyes of the congregation. I wanted to stand for His glorious purpose of declaring the truth, hope, and even joy of the gospel. God answered my prayer. Don’t misunderstand—it was a sad and sorrowful day. But sorrow and joy are not opposites, and sometimes they live precariously close to one another. I felt God’s presence. For a fleeting moment, I thought that I had a glimpse of His perspective, and I felt that I was given words of truth during a critical time. I experienced joy.

Joy flows from a particular way that one engages life. Joy is the product of praying for and entering into His presence, seeking His ultimate purpose, and stumbling toward His perspective.

I have set the Lord always before me; 
 because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
 my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
 or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
 in your presence there is fullness of joy;
 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps. 16:8–11)

These verses are quoted by Peter in his sermon in Acts 2. He tells us that this psalm refers to Christ and to His resurrection. We are invited to enter into His joy and His suffering, and these Scriptures present us with some instructions to do just that. First, notice that he speaks of the Lord’s presence: “I have set the Lord always before me” and “in your presence there is fullness of joy.” God’s great promise in the gospel is not the absence of struggle or an easy life path, but that He will be with us: “I will be with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). We experience joy when we are aware of and focused upon His presence. Joy is not the elimination of sorrow but the presence of God in sorrow. Diligently pray that you will be aware of His presence.

God’s great promise in the gospel is not the absence of struggle or an easy life path, but that He will be with us.

Joy also comes when you know His purpose. “You make known to me the path of life.” Humans can endure great suffering and struggle when they feel that there is a purpose. In the concentration camps of World War II, researchers noticed that the strong did not always live and the weak were not always the most likely to die. No, it was the individuals who had purpose and meaning in their lives who were the most likely to live. There is no greater purpose than God’s purpose of glory. We experience joy when we are caught up in His purpose. Diligently pray that you would be aware of His purpose.

Psalm 16 is a reference to Christ’s suffering and resurrection; it reminds us of the joy found in God’s perspective. He knows that the last chapter is not the cross of crucifixion or suffering but the joy that would be His on the other side of Calvary. Jesus “for the joy set before him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2). Gaining His perspective will provide you with a new sense of gratitude for His faithfulness in your life and a keener awareness of those blessings. Fervently pray for gratitude and godly perspective. As John Calvin said, “There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” Gratitude leads to joy. God made all of creation, including us, to experience joy. Although the evil one is committed to destroying joy and glory, it is, in fact, what we were designed for. Diligently pray that you would be aware of His perspective, that you would be filled with the gratitude and joy for which God made you.

The church on the day of my friend’s funeral was full of sorrow, as it should have been. But to the extent that we sought God’s presence, trusted His purpose, and strained to see His perspective, there was joy. Echoing in the shadows of sorrow was the possibility of joy. Joy doesn’t come easily. We must fight the lies of futility, isolation, and loneliness, and we must fight the fleeting perspective that accompanies difficult circumstances. We must have the courage and the ears to hear the laughter and rich joy on the other side. For on the other side, we will fully enjoy His presence, understand His perspective, and be amazed by His purpose. We will spend eternity in joy.

Originally posted in TableTalk magazine:  https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/2018/02/who-defines-your-joy/?utm_content=bufferb41ec&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer