Skip to main content

Joy and Hope


Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:6-8)

          In the Iliad, three men and their armies battle for the pride of the men: Hector, Agamemnon and Achilles. Moment by moment as the gods assist or oppose, they experience soaring joy, paralyzing fear or crushing despair. It’s hard not to fall into this trap: associating joy with the momentary experience of getting our way, and the momentary experience of defeat or despair with God being against us. At the same time, this shows us a little about what joy is. Joy is associated with the feeling that someone is on our side, that we are cared for, that things will work out. That means joy and hope are related. 
          Of course, there is a problem with the all-too-human outlook that says “if I think things are going well, the gods are in my favor and if I think things aren’t going well, the gods have turned against me.”  It means a roller-coaster existence of never being able to trust the gods. Jehovah is not like that. This doesn’t mean that those who worship Him never face negative circumstances. It means that those who worship Him have hope that even in negative circumstances, God is working on their behalf. Their joy is in Him rather than in their immediate circumstances.  
          Lord, You have promised that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Cause me to be aware of the light of Your face shining upon me. Your presence fills my heart with joy. Teach me to lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more