I bet you all were thinking… he’s out of town on vacation, there’s no WAY he’s going to send out a WFTD… soooo HA, I am!  Hope you all are well, I’m enjoying fantastic 75 degree weather here in beautiful Kentucky.  I hope these messages are encouraging.  I never want these to come off as if I’m writing about something I’m not dealing with myself – I know that each day pursuing Christ is a struggle, and we all need encouragement, myself especially.  I’ve found the best way to encourage myself and others is through meditating and reminding people of our joy in Christ through the scriptures, so that’s what I’m trying to do.

God has really been pricking my conscience the last day or so with the question “Are you in awe of Me (God)? Does the deepest joy you experience involve sitting in admiration of Me, knowing I have redeemed you for this purpose?”  Before you get discouraged, know that my answer at the moment was “no”.  God did not just redeem us from hell, he isn’t merely a “get out of jail free” card.  Christ did not just redeem us from the just punishment for our sin – when we die we will not simply remain as we are.  No, Christ died to bring us to God.

1 Peter 3:18 – ” ¹⁸For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God”

We are told that God himself is the source of a fullness of joy for all eternity.

Psalm 16:11 – “¹¹You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Here is where God turns things on their head though.  God is not merely the “source” of our joy… like if God gave us a Ferrari or something.  Knowing God IS our joy.  1 John 3:2-3 says this – “²Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

If this doesn’t make sense, think about why people go to the Grand Canyon, or the Ocean.  Being in front of such a massive work in nature doesn’t make someone feel self-important, rather it shows them how small they truly are.  Their joy is in admiring the beauty and majesty outside of themselves.  Now imagine that you are without sin, you are in the presence not of the Grand Canyon or an ocean, but of the almighty eternal God who created ALL things, who is perfectly loving, good, kind, and righteous.  What joy that must be!  We do not yet know God as we will, but God has revealed Himself through His Word to us as believers.  His Word is not to condemn us, but to strengthen our faith in joy, as we see Him clearly in the Word and find, in knowing Him, a joy that surpasses anything the world would tempt us with.

Nehemiah 8:10 – “… the joy of the Lord is your strength”.  May each of us together abound in joy as we see and treasure Christ from His Word.  Sorry for the length, I just wanted to do this justice!  Hope you all are having great weekends, and as always know you’re prayed for.  Let me know if there’s anything going on specifically you’d like prayer about.