His Joy - Our Strength

Happiness consists in tranquility of mind. ~Cicero

 

The Constitution of the United States names the pursuit of happiness as an unalienable right of men.

People do pursue happiness.

To be happy seems directly related to circumstances and environment. Joy, on the other hand, runs deep below the surface, regardless of the storms above.

Sorrow and tragedy fill the lives of people at every turn. May we focus on the joy He gives in this journey.

Hearts are strengthened and encouraged through many references to “joy” in Scripture.  The Psalms alone abound with verses relating to joy.  A selection follows bringing to remembrance many facets of joy.                                          

• But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you - (Psalm 5:11)
• You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand – (Psalm 16:11)                                  
• The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes – (Psalm 19:8)
• Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence – (Psalm 21:6)
• You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy – (Psalm 30:11)
• Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me - (Psalm 51:12)
• My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered – (Psalm 71:23)
• Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you – (Psalm 86:4)                          
• Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days – (Psalm 90:14)
• For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done – (Psalm 92:4)                         
• When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy – (Psalm 94:19)       
• Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy - (Psalm 96:12)
• Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart – (Psalm 97:11)
• Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy – (Psalm 98:8)
• Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart – (Psalm 119:111)
• The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy – (Psalm 126:3)
• Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy – (Psalm 126:5)
• May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy – (Psalm 132:9)

In this selection, various things express and connect us to the joy of the LORD.

• Refuge in Him, Trust in Him,
• Joy in His presence
• God’s:  precepts, consolation, salvation, His deeds, deliverance, statutes
• He clothes us in joy
• Nature sing for joy to their Maker:  trees, fields, rivers, mountains
• Tears will become joy
• Faithful sing for joy

Let us ponder the beautiful joy He bestows for the journey as we reach mountaintops and walk through the valleys with Him.  Seeing the daily sorrow around us, let us trust Him, in the depths of our soul, that His joy may flow.

A well-known verse, Nehemiah 8:10, references the joy of the LORD being our strength.  May we not forget this precious gift through His Holy Spirit.

Jesus speaks of joy, the authors who penned the New Testament write about joy.  Be fascinated and refreshed by a topical study of “Joy,” abundant treasures await you.

God of love, Source of joy,

May we remember Your goodness and provision for our every need and be thankful to You.  Your joy is our strength. Let us be an instrument powered by that joy, serving the needs of those around us.  Thank you, Father, for Your remarkable and exquisite gifts.  

In the name of Jesus, our Savior, Amen

Mischelle Oliver

Stephenville, Texas

Our Path

"Teacher, what must I do to get life forever?” – Luke 10:25

Recently my wife and I attended a UIL Band competition our son was participating in.  After his part had concluded and we were leaving, I drove to the entrance to pick up my wife.   She opened the door and asked for $5.   I handed her a $5 and she quickly walked back to a young woman standing at the entrance who was noticeably upset.  My wife spoke to the young woman and then handed her the money.  The woman ran towards the ticket booth, then stopped abruptly and ran back to my wife.  She embraced her with a hug as if they were best friends before returning to buy a ticket.   Her child was inside, she couldn't get in, she needed help, the kindness of a stranger allowed her to see her child perform.  

I expect we all have been on both ends of these "small" acts of kindness.   The reality is, just as for this young mother frantically needing to get in to watch her child, these small acts are great gifts that provide much more than we may realize.   At their foundation is a cornerstone principle Jesus lived and taught. Jesus calls us to "Go and learn what this means: ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.”  (Matthew 9:13).   He calls us

as His followers to freely, with no reservations, and with no strings attached to show love to our own, to our neighbors, and to our enemies.   Just as the mother ran to my wife and hugged her in gratitude, our kindness, mercy, and forgiveness opens the hearts of those receiving these gifts to see Christ firsthand.   

It is easy for us to get distracted and follow paths that lead us away from our intended life.  We get bogged down in our religious systems, traditions, and biases and we don't listen or hear Jesus speak.  Our mission, based on our own experience of receiving the mercy and kindness of Christ, is to share Him, personified by us.  Share Him in simple, intentional, day to day service and care for others.  God will take these offerings and accomplish what He wants.  In the process He is glorified by our love, our hearts are changed in these experiences, and we more clearly see the path Jesus wants us to follow.

Scotty Elston

Shallowater, Texas

It Still Matters

What matters and doesn’t matter?

As disciples of Jesus we have to occasionally remind ourselves how to answer that two part question.  Like the person in psalm 73, we can get our “fill of it” and fall into a downward spiral of second guessing ourselves and the wisdom of living as kingdom people.  

The psalmist begins by making a statement followed by a confession:

Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
    my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

After he reveals his uncertainty over the futility of wickedness vs. righteousness, he lays bare his real angst:

All in vain have I kept my heart clean
    and washed my hands in innocence. (v. 13)

We have days like that.  Have you had one recently?  Like the psalmist, we get our “fill of it.”  We throw our hands up, perhaps literally, but most often quietly.  We wonder…we really begin to wonder:  Is what I do as a person of faith for God and the gospel really significant?  Does it matter…really?  Our struggle is often acute and overwhelming.  We struggle on two levels:  1.)  Does being a person of faith make a difference in the lives of other people?  2.)  Is God paying attention to our service?

At first glance it may sound a bit self-centered.  And, admittedly, it could be taken that way.  But then, scripture has so much to say about checking faith struggles and the full-blown despair and cynicism that can follow. 

Someone remarked the other day, “I have to remind myself everyday that being a disciple of Jesus is the most important thing I can do on a daily basis.  I have to remind myself of this because I can feel the tug of the endless barrage of cultural messages prompting me to just “go get mine” every waking minute.  Ambition is everything.  Make your mark.  That’s all that matters.  Tend to “your stuff.”  Build something significant with your life the way the culture defines significant – significance defined and driven by ambition!  And, by all means, don’t get lost in ministry to human beings whether it’s sharing the gospel, standing for righteousness or serving in some way.  It’s okay to dabble in it.  Give a turkey away at Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Drop off a gift card now and then.  Wear a Christian badge of honor when it is convenient or, be nice to people when they cross your path.  But, don’t bother yourself with getting off your path to find them.”  They continued, “I have to remind myself that my significance is in the gospel.  It’s everything!”    

Hebrews 13:13-16 is a counter measure against the cynicism that can come knocking on the door of our hearts:

“Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

When we experience an attack of the Psalm 73 blues, reflect on the greater reality offered in Hebrews 13!.  

God sees us!  He really does.  He knows what is going on.  He is not an absentee landlord.  Advancements in technology have not changed a single thing where He is concerned.  He still sees His people serving in the trenches bringing the reality of His Son’s reign to bear in the nooks and crannies of daily life.  That’s great news isn’t it! 

“For with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  

O Father, lead our hearts toward the things that are firmly anchored in who you are.  Encourage our hearts in the wisdom of knowing that this is the very best thing we can do with our lives every day.

Empower us to this end every day.  Amen.

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas

I Can't Take it Anymore

And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping?  Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." --Luke 22:45-46 

Clarity.

Focus.

Resolve.

Courageous living.

The last three depend on how it goes with the first one.

Keeping our heads clear.  Easier said than done…right?

The air, at least in the United States at the moment, is filled with an eerie heaviness.  People are confused.  Some are angry.  Others want to just sit and cry.  Political gamesmanship is superseded only by the growing concern that governing leaders just don’t understand how to govern or worse, don’t care about the people they were put in office to govern.  Families are stressed.  Know any?  Packed schedules squeeze any semblance of “ultimate things” to the perimeter of our lives.  “It’s the American way” someone lamented recently.  "It’s the only way we know how to live."  Perhaps. 

Being a Christian in this climate is hard for anybody.  Some Christians, like those who live in the Middle East, face the pressure of verbal and physical abuse.  Even death.  Satan can break people that way.  He can also break us by distracting us with living our lives in such a way that we forget what it means to “live our lives…unto the Lord.” Focus, Resolve and courageous living in any of its forms wanes because we allow the stuff that is in the cultural air we breath – not the air that goes into our lungs! – to congest, confuse, paralyze and twist us into proverbial pretzels.  

Spiritual clarity is an intentional thing.  It doesn’t simply fall into place for anybody.  Jesus spent time in prayer.  Alone time with the Father re-established his center.  Sometimes something as simple as thinking about a single verse of scripture or reading a hymn or reflecting on something someone said in a bible class can bring clarity to our lives.  Such reflective moments push back all the stuff that crowds us or that pushes us toward becoming nothing more than reflections of a horizontal perspective that thinks nothing of the One who came from above and who reigns even now and who calls us into his service each day as salt, leaven and light in the midst of all the stuff that screams “Urgent!  Significant!  Stay up or risk becoming a number!”   

 

Do you have such moments in your life?  We all need them.  They help us live awake and alert knowing that each day is a gift from the Lord. 

I like these words from Romans 13:11-14 taken from the Message:

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Father, give clarity to our hearts, heads and spirits as we seek to stay connected with what it means to be your instruments every day.  Thank you for Jesus who shows us both the struggle and possibilities that is clarity in the Spirit.  Amen. 

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas

The Mystery of God

Recently, I have been sharing my faith with someone who is struggling to believe in God as the creator. He therefore does not believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.  He acknowledges that creation is a magnificent evolutionary occurrence.  He also acknowledges that parts of the Bible appear to have been written by someone with advanced intelligence, since things were written that had not been discovered by the scientific community of that day. He has many doubts and enjoys stirring the pot with controversial conversation.

How refreshing it was to my soul this morning to read Psalm 19:1-4, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Later, I walked outside and sat in a chair and read, Psalm 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” These words carried so much power and strength for my spirit as I read them.  

My friend still wonders if Jesus might be who he claimed to be. The good news is my friend is still asking questions.  If you are like my friend and you are searching for truth. If you will seek God with your whole heart you will find Him and the mystery will be revealed to you. I am praying that you will know the truth revealed in I Timothy 2:16:

“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

Was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

Was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.”

Terry Smith

Stephenville, Texas

The Transformation of Jacob

Hillcrest in Abilene has spent eight weeks this Fall studying the book of Genesis.  Our resource person for our study has been Dr. Kilnam Cha, who teaches in the Bible Department at ACU.  Kilnam has wanted us to focus on the overall message  of Genesis—how it fits into the Pentateuch and the rest of the Bible.  

Genesis needs to be understood in its Ancient Near Eastern background.  After creating a world that was ‘good’ and creating man in ‘His image’, sin ruined the goodness of God’s creation.  To deal with the sin problem of this world, God chose Abraham and his descendants as the solution to the problem of sin.  

Jacob’s story in Genesis 25-36 is an interesting link in God’s blessing of mankind through Abraham’s offspring.  There are four stages to the life of Jacob. Genesis 25:9-28:9 reveals the need for transformation in Jacob’s life.  Jacob was deceitful (his name means ‘he deceives’).  Twice, he took advantage of his brother, Esau.  (Stealing the birthright and stealing the blessing before Isaac died.)  He was Rebekah’s favorite and Esau was Isaac’s favorite, so this was not an ideal home.  When Esau realized that Jacob had deceived him, he vowed to kill Jacob.  In the beginning of the Jacob story, Jacob needed transformation in his life.  He needed to trust in God, like his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham had trusted.

The second stage of Jacob’s life is a transforming period of his life.  He spends 20 difficult years with his father-in-law, Laban.  Despite the unscrupulous nature of Laban, God blesses Jacob.  Genesis 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will  be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.  It dawns on Jacob that Yahweh (who had blessed his father and his grandfather) had also taken care of him, and THIS IS TRANSFORMING.

The third stage of Jacob’s life is the unusual account of ‘his wrestling with God.’   At the end of that experience, Jacob says, “I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”  Because of Jacob’s experiences, the fourth stage of his life reveals a transformed man.  His name is changed by God from Jacob to ISRAEL.  Secondly, Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone” (35:2-3).  Thirdly, he becomes an altar-builder, like his forefathers before him.  He erected an altar at Shechem and called it “El Elohe Israel,” i.e., “God [is] God of Israel”.

The story of Jacob reminds us of two very important lessons.  First, God always works His plan with imperfect humans.  Jacob was not perfect/righteous/sinless by any means.  He was deceitful.  He was a schemer.  He was selfish.  He needed to be TRANSFORMED.  It took years for the transformation to occur.  There is an old song that says, ‘He’s still working on me, to make me what I need to be.  It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars, how loving and patient He must be, cause He’s still working on me.’  Secondly, the faith of Abraham and the faith of Isaac did not automatically transfer to Jacob.  Jacob had to ‘come to faith’ on his own.  It is the same for us all.  We do not automatically have the faith of our ancestors, and our children and grandchildren do not automatically become people of faith.  Each of us must individually encounter God and accept Him in our lives.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness.  Help us to be transformed by your love and patience towards us.  Help us like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to trust You with our lives.      

Terry Brown

Abilene, Texas  

The EXTRA in Our Ordinary

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

If you made a list of extraordinary people, whose names would you put there?  What makes them extraordinary?  Are they famous?  Do they possess special talents or superior intellect?  Did they accomplish something extraordinary in their life, or do they simply live life in extraordinary ways?

The apostles, Peter and John, wouldn’t have been on anyone’s extraordinary list.  They were rough, uneducated, hardworking men when Jesus called them in all their ordinariness to follow him.  They walked with him, ate with him, worshipped with him.  He taught them and they listened as he taught others.  They heard him pray, watched how justly he treated every man, woman and child, and shared in his miracles.  They were with him on his best days…and his worst.    

When Peter and John were arrested and taken before Jerusalem’s religious elite they looked like ordinary men on the outside, but on the inside they were seasoned Christians; faithful, strong and courageous.

God calls ordinary people to follow him, knowing we can’t do any out-of-the-ordinary thing without Him.  

Father God, thank you for being the EXTRA in our ordinary.  Give us courage to be used by you in extraordinary ways.  Through Christ,

amen.

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas