joy

I was jolted out of a sound sleep the other morning. I had a cramp in my thigh muscle and another in my calf. I was trying to be quiet and not wake up my husband. I had to work to get my leg untangled from the bedding so I could rub out the cramp. I ended up crawling out of bed and once the muscles released heading to my chair in the living room. Not in a very good mood.

I opened my computer and my verse-of-the-day was one of the first things I saw. From Psalm 149:4, it was simply, “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.” [NKV]

As I often do, I opened my Bible to read the verse in context using the NLT version. “For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.  Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.” [Psalm 149:4-5 NLT]

I thought, “Really LORD? Sing for joy on my bed?” Then my attention turned to the reasons why I can (and should) sing for joy on my bed …

The Lord delights in His people … and I am one of His people.

He crowns me with victory … simply because I humbled my “self” at the foot of the cross.

He honors me … I am faithful only He has placed His Spirit within me.

So now I have joy, joy so wonderful it sets my heart to singing … even those mornings when I am thrust out of bed with leg cramps! Hallelujah! Amen!

It has been five years since I experienced the first pain and fatigue symptoms of two auto-immune diseases that I was subsequently diagnosed with. The last years have been a daily struggle with pain, fatigue, steroids, medications to alleviate the steroid side effects, infusions, etc.

It appears that one of the auto-immune diseases is in remission, so I am now off the steroids, and as a result off the blood pressure meds and insulin used to combat the steroid side effects.

I was celebrating! Then, last week I came down with a UTI from a bacterium resistant to most all antibiotics except one. That one has a list of side effects two pages long! Including in the list is a low white cell count so I was warned to stay away from places where I might contract something else. (The places to avoid that hurt most are church and prayer!)

I had one of those “Really Father?” moments. While I am fussing with God, He brought back to my mind a song I heard a couple weeks ago in church.

“I’ve got joy in the morning, joy in the evening / You keep me dancing, in every season / Whatever comеs tomorrow, I’ve got joy / Yes, I’ve got joy in thе sunshine, joy in the rain / You keep me dancing, again and again / Whatever comes tomorrow, I’ve got joy.” [Joy (What the World Calls Foolish) Martin Smith]

And, of course, the joy of the LORD is my strength.

I love going to church! I love seeing all the young people around me! I sit in the back and rejoice watching those up-front leaping and jumping for joy during the song service. It makes my heart leap along with them (since my body can no longer leap or jump)!

I post a daily JOYbook quote on Facebook. It can be a quote that is serious, funny, or thought-provoking. One recent quote was … “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin]

There have been times that I have been discouraged with life, hurting physically or emotionally…any hosts of differing emotions on Sunday mornings. I would wake up and all I would want to do was sit in my recliner and feel sorry for myself. Instead, I would head to church.

There I found joy. I found it in the smiles of others. I found it in the hugs. I found it in the concern expressed by people I know and love. I found it in the music. I found it in the message. I found it in the presence of God.

Joy. Nehemiah 8:10 is a familiar verse regarding joy. “The Joy of the LORD is our strength.”

The Holman translations renders it this way, “The Joy of the LORD is our stronghold.”

The word for strength/stronghold is maoz/mauz and it means “a place or means of safety, protection.”

As I read that this morning, I realized that Joy is more than just an interior reaction to the Presence of God, no matter how wonderful that is. Joy is also that place of ultimate protection and safety … safety from the wiles of the enemy … safety even from my own distresses and emotions.

God Be Praised!

Paul was writing a letter to Timothy. He greets him as “Timothy, my dearly loved son.” [2Timothy 1:2a]

Then he offers Timothy a greeting that he uses in most of his letters. “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” [vs 2b]

That is all rather formal. Until … until he begins to think about Timothy and remember his prayers for Timothy. Then it gets really personal. One thought spoke to my heart this morning.

“I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy….” [2 Timothy 1:4 HCSB]

I think that spoke to my heart this morning because it was something I have also experienced. As I remember or pray for others I am filled with joy.

There are people who are a part of my life because of our common salvation in Christ Jesus, people who simply filled my heart with joy. Even just thinking about them brings an instant joy to my soul.

I love the church. Going to church on Sunday or gathering for prayer or in groups – whatever the reason – we meet those who fill us with joy. That does not happen if we just buzz into a service and rush out. It happens when we get involved. It happens when we get to know God’s people.

For many years my involvement in church was up front, now it is greeting at the door, or praying in a prayer meeting. Sometimes it is just talking to people in the foyer. Whatever form “being involved” takes, when I see others who also love the LORD, I am filled with joy!

Decades ago, the church I was going to joined others for a praise and worship service. (If you know me you know I love praise and worship!) As we entered the church, a friend who knew me walked over and said, “Oh no, we are in trouble now!”

Smiling, he said, “In this church, we are not demonstrative in our worship, and we have a woman who will frown upon clapping or raising hands during a song service, going so far as to even confront people about it.”

I don’t think he meant that as a challenge, but then I have never been one to allow others to determine how I worship God. So, I clapped, raised my hands, and sang my praises. And others from our church did the same. And we did get the scowl.

JOY! “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith.” [Galatians 5:22 HCSB]

When I looked up joy in one of my concordances, I found more than 200 references to joy, joyous, joyfully. Christians are not supposed to look like they have been baptized in pickle juice. We are to exhibit not scowls but joy … JOY!

One of the wonderful things about Christian Faith Center (CFC) Caldwell is the joy that I find on the faces of everyone. Greeters, pastors, people who stop me in the aisles to say good morning. There are smiles all around. (The people from The Way are the exact same way!)

JOY!  The joy that flourishes in my heart will (for as long as I am able) erupt in raised hands of praise to my God. I will clap. I will sing. I will worship, praise, and thank my God for all He has done … So joyfully thankful for that abundant love He has bestowed upon me. Amen

Recently I wrote that the world has added many things to the Christmas Season, “food, drink, shopping, partying, and cheer.”

Christmas Cheer! The demand for Christmas Cheer(!) is all around us. The world wants to see massive smiles and hear lots of laughter. But sometimes that is difficult to do. It is tough to try to put on a face of cheeriness when inside we are lonely, sad, grieving, or afraid.

While we see others surrounded by loved friends and we are not. While we see others happy and excited about their prospects, and we are not. While we see others embracing loved ones and we have lost ours. When we see others bravely facing life and we are facing financial problems, relationship difficulties. – All these things make Christmas Cheer(!) challenging.

I am reminded, however, of that first Christmas night when the angels appeared to those shepherds. They did not proclaim good news of Christmas Cheer(!). They proclaimed good news of Great Joy!

“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” [Luke2:10 HCSB]

We can have Joy(!) even when we do not have Christmas Cheer(!). Cheerfulness is usually determined by our outside circumstances. Joy(!), however, is a condition of a heart that has been strengthened by the power of God because of what Christ Jesus has done for us! As Paul prayed,

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.” [Colossians 1:11 HCSB]

So, if this Christmas Season you are experiencing circumstances that dampen your Cheer(!), take heart child of God, He has given you Joy(!) and that Joy(!) is your strength. Amen