BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you;
abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you
will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s
commandments and abide in His love. These things I
have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be made full.”
(John 15:9-11)
MEDITATION:
As we meet people from all walks of life and all nationalities,
there is a key ingredient that we all look for – joy. Jesus
shares this thought in these scriptures. The condition of
true joy is encompassed in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
We can see in these scriptures that joy is linked to love. If we
feel unloved, we may not have joy in our lives. Jesus loves us
with the same love His Father loved Him. He encourages us
to continue in His love and to abide in that love.
To ‘abide’ means we need to love others in the same manner
He loves us. This type of love includes a caring, concerned love
that knows how to forgive. If we cannot forgive others, then we
are not continuing in His love. The Father and Son both have
a forgiving attitude, and so should we.
As we go through life, we struggle with the things of this world.
There are days when we feel good about our relationships and
the things we have accomplished, and there are days when we
don’t feel so good. There are days when we have illnesses and
ays when we feel great.
The condition of the “joy of Christ” is a commitment to continue
abiding in Him. This relationship is not based on good or bad
days; it is based on a commitment to follow Him on the good days
as well as the bad ones. With Him, we know that we can have
peace in the midst of a storm.
Our joy is not based on the circumstances around us; rather,
it is reflective of the condition of our heart within us. Allowing
Christ to take residence in our heart and our abiding faith to
always look to Him, will bring this joy. Joy is internal, not external.
How do we experience a joy that is complete in our lives?
Jesus gives us a simple formula: “keep His commandments”
and “abide in His love”. When we do these two things, we are
promised a “joy that will be made full”.
Are these two things easy? Of course not, because His adversary,
Satan, is constantly bombarding us with ‘other things’. However
when we call on the Holy Spirit’s help, and are not lazy with our
efforts, the rewards are well worth our self-discipline.
ACTION:
Do you feel loved? Even if others let you down, you are still
loved by Jesus and our Father. How do you respond when
others disappoint you? Are you unforgiving and do you
hold a grudge? Don’t ever forget that you (and everyone else)
disappoint the Lord, but He still loves us and forgives us
(He tells us that in His Word).
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of joy
in my life. Thank You for Your mercy, love and
forgiveness. Teach me to love and forgive others as
You love and forgive me. Help me to remember that
joy depends on my connection with You, and not on
my circumstances. As I deal with the struggles of life,
I pray that I will allow You, the Prince of Peace, to
reign in my life.”
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