BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
(Psalm 34:8)
MEDITATION:
When we are filled with joy, we should never try to take credit for it.
Jesus is the One who gives us joy and satisfaction in life. There are
some who spend their entire lives searching for joy…on their own.
They may have temporary moments of joy, but experience frustration
because it doesn’t last.
When we find, know, and grow in Christ, He can fill us with an
overflowing joy. It is a joy that is entirely different than what the
world has to offer. The world wants to convince us that we can
find joy through the distortion of the blessings God provides for us.
Mankind wants to rewrite God’s guidelines to fit their own lifestyles.
They want to move the boundaries God has established. Apparently
the thinking is, by doing this they can justify living outside God’s
boundaries, and can find joy as they remove the guilt from their lives.
God instilled guilt in the minds of people so they would know when
they are wandering away from Him, and the joy He provides. Trying
to cover or eliminate guilt will not create joy, but will only reduce the
chances of finding it.
So what does Satan want us to believe? He wants to persuade us that
holiness and happiness don’t go together. He wants to convince us
that if we choose to live a holy life, then we will not have any fun and
we will never find joy. Satan is a liar.
Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is
the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying
the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
ACTION:
We’ll never know satisfaction and joy until we find it in the right
place. We will never enjoy the good things of life until we know
Jesus. Ask yourself if the hunger of your heart is being met by
Christ. If it isn’t, ask God to turn your heart to hungering for
Him more.
Satan has convinced many that once they receive salvation,
nothing else is expected (again, he is the father of lies). That
would be like telling a weightlifter that lifting one time is all
that is needed. If he believed that, then he would miss out on
the benefits of continuing to workout. In addition, he would
begin losing strength as a result of failing to tone his muscles.
It’s the same with believers – if we fail to continue growing in
our faith, then we cannot expect to receive God’s blessings of
joy, peace, and happiness. Salvation is not a “one and done”
event, but a continual and growing transition which concludes
when we step into eternity and receive our ‘glorification’.
If God saved us and left us “on our own”, we would question
His love for us, right? But He doesn’t do that; He wants to
help us to grow, to nourish our relationship with Him, and
to be involved in His earthly ministry. When He saves us,
we become active members of His ‘team’.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You provide everything I need
for peace, joy, and happiness. Forgive me for trying
to find these important needs from any other source.
Create in me a burning desire to live closer to You
so that I can enjoy the blessings You have for me.
Help me to realize that Satan is a liar who wants to
turn me away from You and destroy my joy. Remind
me that salvation is a lifelong process.”
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