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May Joy and Delight Be Yours
Andrea Lende • November 12, 2020
John 15:11
May Joy and Delight Be Yours
You may also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/May-Joy-and-Delight-Be-Yours-emd0jm
John 15:11
“I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.”
At a time when joy is less than overflowing, I read this verse today.
Jesus said His joy is in us.
He said He wanted our joy and gladness to be so full that it overflows.
How is that possible at such a time as this?
The world is suffering inside of a pandemic.
Our nation seems divided and in turmoil.
Our normal day is morphing into a new normal which doesn’t seem joyful.
And anything that shows up in our day which is outside of this ‘new normal’ derails me and probably you as well.
So, how are we to be joyful?
I don’t believe real joy is a part of this world.
Real joy comes from within as Jesus was telling His disciples.
The Lord is the only anything Who can put joy into our hearts.
When everything else seems to fail us, the Lord does not.
Jesus was telling His disciples to abide in Him.
To be a part of Him.
To join Him in love with His Father – our Father.
That is where true joy is.
Joy comes when we spend time with the Almighty God of the universe and His Son.
When we spend time in Their presence we are filled with love.
Our spirits are tended to by true Love Himself.
We are covered in mercy.
We are wrapped in peace.
He carefully holds our hearts in His hand.
He leads us beside the still waters.
He restores our souls.
Today I choose joy over sorrow and peace over chaos as I sit in the presence of our Lord.
May you find the Lord will fill you joy so much that it overflows in your heart.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me, once again, that real joy comes from You. Real joy comes from abiding in You, spending time with You, and hoping in You. You are the God of this universe and God of my heart. You, and only You, can fill my heart with joy so much so that it overflows and spills over into others’ lives as well. Fill me up, Father, so I may touch those around me. Help all Your people breathe in Your Holy Spirit so real joy, peace, compassion, love, mercy, and grace may fill us full to overflowing so we may give to others. Lead us to Your still restful waters. Lead us to the peace that passes all understanding. Lead us to Your feet so we may sit with You for a few precious moments of this day. Help us release any and all anger and bitterness in our hearts and restore us in love, Father. Enfold us in Your love so we may love those around us. Help us serve You with joy, Lord. Keep our eyes on You this day and every day. Help us bless someone today. Thank You for hearing our prayer.
Answer: I AM your Source of joy, peace, patience, understanding, mercy, and love, and will fill you to the brim until it overflows.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.