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We Have Access to Joy
Andrea Lende • October 21, 2020
Psalm 5:11
We Have Access to Joy
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/We-Have-Access-to-Joy-elconm
Psalm 5:11
“But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.”
King David writes about joy.
At a time when there doesn’t seem to be a reason to be joyful, his words are a wonderful reminder that we have access to joy.
We have access to joy, but I am finding that I do not always live in that space.
I seem to be just surviving the difficulties of this world right now.
Lately, I have been taken away more by the cares of this world than looking to the Lord and being joyful in His presence.
These are times in life when praise is given more as a sacrifice rather than a resounding praise to God because all is wonderful and perfect in my world.
But as I read King David’s words here, I see that all is wonderful and perfect in my world because the Lord our God is wonderful and perfect.
He is the Almighty God.
He is Creator of this world and all the beauty that we see and partake of in this world.
I am reminded that we live in the world but are not of the world.
As long as I keep this distinction in my mind, I can rejoice in the Lord and all the beauty that surrounds me.
I can take the focus off what is wrong and put my focus on all that is right.
The Lord is the God of this universe and God of my heart.
As such, I wrote this poem some time ago:
God of the universe
And God of my heart
Fill me with Your Wisdom
Fill me with Your Love
Take me to Your Holy Place
Show me Who You Are
God of the universe
And God of my heart
Cause me to surrender
Cause me to give up
The things I think important
The longings in my heart
Put in me Your Purpose
The things that You intend
For me to complete
Before my life here ends
You sent Your Son to die for us
So that we could be
Filled with Your Holy Spirit
Filled with You and He
Oh, God of the Universe
And God of my heart
Fill me with Your Wisdom
Fill me with Your Love
Lead me and guide me
Every step I take
Before I go the wrong way
And make a big mistake
Set a guard upon my mouth
So that my words may be
Filled with hope and love and joy
For of all those who’ll be
Put in my life by You, Lord
The ones you send to me
God of the Universe
And God of my heart
Fill me with Your Wisdom
Fill me with Your Love
Andrea Lende
As these days move forward, we have cause to rejoice in the Lord.
He is worthy of our praise.
He is our reason to rejoice.
Our verse says the Lord makes “a covering over them and defends them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be high in spirits”.
Today I choose to be joyful in the Lord and take refuge in Him.
May you find that as you spend time with the Lord your heart will be filled with joy.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your gentle reminder that I can be joyful even during difficult times. You are my reason for joy, and I can rejoice in You. Continue to nudge my spirit to be aligned with Yours so I may enjoy the peace and joy of Your love and covering over me. You are the God of this universe and God of my heart. Keep my heart Yours for all eternity, Father. Keep me in Your care. Do not let me wander off into my own world of self-doubt and self-pity. As I spend time with You and sit with You, my spirit is lifted out of the destruction of this world and into Your mighty and beautiful splendor. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours, Lord. Keep me Yours, I pray. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You will always be Mine, sayeth the Lord.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord, 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.