0022-11-11
Good Morning Dear Ones,
One can view our earthly lives as a series of challenges, which take many forms—illness; loss of loved ones; trouble from without; trouble from within. No one on earth passes through his life on this planet without some kinds of challenges [1 COR 10: 13]. All people are not equally challenged either; some more so; others less so. Yet, that’s not all in our lives. There are periods of peace and pleasure in between our challenges. Now, that seems like a lot of words to express the obvious, but they are necessary to what follows.
From where does joy come? Once either a period of challenge ends, our Lord Jesus gives us restoration of peace, harmony, and joy. JN 14: 27 [Christ speaking], “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” As with our troubles, restoration can take many forms which are associated with the kind of trouble that was one’s challenge. For example, a child is diagnosed with Leukemia and must go through three years of chemotherapy to save his life. At the end of the three years, the young person is in long-term remission. It might be something like I went through, which was spending the first 25 years of my life spiritually on empty. At the end of that time, Jesus Christ made His presence in my life known to me.
During those early years, my life was in chaos-self- loathing, feeling inadequate, with lack of focus, and feeling starved for affection. It wasn’t until the Lord Jesus came into my life that I discovered the Father’s will for it and the joy of serving Him. This was a time of discovery for me. Others have found it during combat in fox holes or at times of danger in the military. Recently, I met a lady with two young children from Ukraine. She had come to America and been welcomed by a house of worship. Her husband remained back in Ukraine to fight for his country’s freedom and restoration of territory illegally taken from them. Her troubles were not over, but at least he had the peace of knowing she and their children were safe. This lady is able to discover the joy of knowing many others around her are praying for her, the children, and the safety of her husband. She quoted IS 61: 1-3 and IS 64:4 [which I hope you will read] as the foundation for her belief. We can all benefit from believing it.
Another couple, who were elderly and from Eastern Europe, are believers in Jesus Christ. They had lived for many years over most of their lives, deprived of practicing their beliefs, except away from the almost ubiquitous presence of their oppressors. In recent years, their oppressors were removed from power, and they are finally able to practice their faith openly without fear of reprisal. DN 4: 17, “The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone He wishes and sets them over the lowliest people.” Their decision to remain in Christ has brought them deep and abiding joy—the joy that comes from God. We must learn to wait for God and trust in Him.
Can you recall the story of your own experience with these underlined principles? I felt a calling to serve the Lord using the skill set we are given to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All who believe in Him can choose to use their individual skill sets to do this, so this is nothing unique. When done according to God’s will for our lives, it can bring great inner peace and joy. I will never forget a class of mentally challenged people in one of my former congregations. They each wore weskits sewn for them and sang in their choir before the rest of the congregation. One young man with Down’s Syndrome was the soloist, and the hymns they sang had been practiced with great diligence. The peace and joy on their faces afterward was both precious and inspiring. God calls us to serve to build up the body of Christ as in EPH 4: 15-16 [which I hope you will read].
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your mighty throne to ask for the Holy Spirit to help each of us toward restoration as we work through our challenges, to lead us toward discovery of the Father’s will for our lives, for resilience in remaining in Christ, and for a clear picture of how we can use our skill sets in His service. Those with the courage to place trust in Him can enjoy the satisfaction, inner peace, and joy that it brings. We must turn from sins, openly confessing them to You. PS 112: 6-8, “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast in trusting the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look back in triumph on their foes.” We must allow You for forge friendships that are faith-building and benefit Your will for us. We acknowledge the grace You give us and Your sacrifice on the cross, so that we can have eternal life. We thank and praise You, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit directs me to discuss how we can move from a chaotic life to one appreciating God’s joy and peace. In the meanwhile, we’ll look the importance of relating to God’s people. I find myself going to my family’s temple, a congregation of good people who believe in traditional Judaism. Since only the exception of recognizing that Christ is the Messiah and a few cultural practices of the more extreme denominations of Judaism are areas where we differ, I make it my business not to proselytize or point out these differences, I’m able to fit into that group. I concern myself with our shared beliefs and am careful not to gossip or be insensitive to their feelings. This way, I can share the joy of my own heritage while still retaining the joy that my Lutheran beliefs gives me. The best part of doing this is getting to know people who bring out the best in me. It is my hope that whatever lifestyle each of us lives, God is in leadership in our lives and with our ethics. In the meanwhile, faith can be established and enriched for each of us. Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24:15
© Lynn Johnson 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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