DEVOTIONAL SERIES ON LOVE (part-10)

JOY IS A PROMISE FROM THE LORD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM

BIBLE PASSAGE:
A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come;
but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy
that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of
grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will
take away your joy.
(John 16:21-22)

MEDITATION:
Things may not always go the way we hoped they would go, but for
those who love the Lord, there is joy awaiting us at the end of our
trials. Why would He promise joy to us? Because He loves us more
than we could ever imagine, and He proved His love when He went
to the cross to absorb the punishment for our sins that we deserve.

A little boy and his brother were living on the Florida coastline.
They were a little disappointed when a hurricane passed them by.
They looked forward to the exhilaration they would experience as
they would lean into the wind and taste the salty air! Sometimes
the waves would reach fifty feet in the air. What a sight!

Interestingly, there has never been a storm that moved across the ocean
floor. There will be storms that sweep across the surface of our lives with
raging torment, but the child of God can know and feel a deep-down joy
that nothing can take away from him or her. If we keep our eyes on Jesus,
He will bring a joy that no man or circumstance can take from us. We
should be thankful for the steadfastness of God’s power, love, mercy
and grace.

ACTION:
Is your heart full of the joy of the Lord today? If not, then why not?
Who, or what are you allowing to steal away your joy today? Are you
allowing things like anger, anxieties, selfishness, unconfessed sins,
dishonesty, lack of self control, etc. to steal your joy?

Are you losing your desire to read the bible, go to church, discuss
spiritual things, and fellowship with other believers? What about
hidden sins? Have you ever noticed that some of the most suspicious
people are often sneaky and have hidden sins in their own lives? It’s
no surprise that they are suspicious, because they know that others
should be suspicious of what they are doing themselves!

Smoky the Bear used to say,
    “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”
With that catch phrase in mind,
    “Remember, only YOU know the things YOU
      are doing that are hidden from the sight of others”
Whatever you feel is stealing your joy, confess it to the Lord
and ask Him to cleanse you of it, and restore His joy to you.

The longer we delay confession, the more the sins will own us
and affect our relationships with the Lord, and others. If you
feel that joy is seeping out of your life, then it’s time to stop
blaming others; look inwardly and be honest with yourself.

God knows, and YOU know where the real problem lies. Don’t
allow the “things of this world” to continue to steal your joy. Joy
is found when we “see the Lord again” – which means confessing
our sins with a desire to restore our relationship and fellowship
with Him!

And when we take the steps we know we need to take in order to
restore our relationship with the Lord, we need to be prepared
for the ways He might impact our lives in order to bring us closer
to Him. We might receive any level of discipline from the Lord,
but we need to remember that whatever He does, is from a heart 
of love for us and a desire to see us become more spiritually mature.
    Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines
    his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.
    (Deuteronomy 8:5)

    My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do
    not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines
    those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
    (Proverbs 3:11-12)

    And have you completely forgotten this word of
    encouragement that addresses you as a father
    addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make
    light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart
    when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines
    the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts
    as his son.”
    (Hebrews 12:5-6)

Satan wants us to believe that God’s discipline is revengeful
punishment for our disobedience, but that’s not what we see
in the scriptures just listed, is it? When we receive discipline
from the Lord, it assures us of two things:
    1. He loves us.
    2. We belong to Him (as His sons and daughters).

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I want to fully experience the joy promised
to those who love You and have a desire to please and serve You.
Reveal to me the things that are preventing me from completely
embracing joy in my own life. Help me in my efforts to eliminate
sin in my life, and to seek the ways You want to use me in Your
earthly ministry. Thank You, Father for how You discipline me
as part of Your sanctification process to bring me closer to You
and transform me into more of a likeness of Jesus. Thank You
for purging me of the unrighteousness that I could not remove
through my own efforts. It may be painful at times, but remind
me that it is because You love me, You want what is best for me,
You want to use me in some way, and I am Your adopted child.
Thank You, Jesus, for what You did for me on the cross that
shows how much You love me, and how You made joy in my
own life achievable.”

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