Published by admin on 28 Jan 2011 at 03:14 pm
COUNT IT ALL JOY
When trouble comes our way, how do we react? In one scripture we are told to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations, and another one talks about being in heaviness through manifold temptations. Well personally, I’ve never been tempted to go diving, but I know a thing or two about manifolds, because when I was rebuilding the engine on our motor home, I had fits getting the exhaust manifold back on. Yeah I know, with about 8,000 comedians out of work this may not be a good time to try to be funny, right? But God does not want us to be going around with long faces. He wants His joy to be all over us, no matter what we are facing in life. The Bible says in James 1:2-8;
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jas 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Jas 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
It is written in 1 Peter 1:6-8:
1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Nobody likes trouble, but sooner or later, everyone experiences it. How we react to trouble dictates to a large extent how and how long it will affect us, and our general outlook on life. I have a friend whose wife has been bedridden for quite some time, yet every time I see him, he ends up cheering me up, even though his life has been upended. He always has a smile on his face, and he sees all this as an opportunity to show his wife how very much he loves her. You see, joy is not a function of how good things are going for you out there in the world. Joy is a attitude that transcends everything else that is going on. Basically it’s a trust that no matter what, God has your back, and that He is faithful to His Word.
That brings me to another scripture, Psalm 138:
Psa 138:1 A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
Psa 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Psa 138:3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
Psa 138:4 All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
Psa 138:5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
Psa 138:6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
Psa 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
I guess you could say King David knew a thing or two about trouble, but he praised God right in the midst of all his troubles, instead of whining about them. Yes, I know, nobody ever whines, right? But in the infinitely tiny, remote possibility there could be a chance that someone DOES whine, generally what is the root of that whining? I mean, aside from selfishness that says, WHAT ABOUT ME? Why is this happening to ME?? It has to be their lack of trust that God will deliver them. I have a word of advice concerning that: GET OVER IT!!!
God gives us wonderful promises in His Word that He will neither leave nor forsake us (even though we often leave or forsake HIM if we think things aren’t going our way). Imagine if you will, buying a carton of eggs. The eggs are in a carefully designed package so they are protected from breakage. After paying your money for them, are you going to drop them on the floor and break them? No, and God isn’t going to drop you on your little pumpkin head either. After all, He has quite an investment in you, that being the blood of His Son, Christ Jesus.
Getting back to the “joy” part, if you knew beyond any doubt that no matter what happens to you in life, that God would turn it to your good, would it change the way you see things? You see, God loves you with an everlasting love, not a temporary one like when you tell someone you love them, and then you change your mind later because they didn’t meet your expectations, and “you’re no longer in love with them”. Because people are fickle, they think God is, too. Oh, I’m so thankful for Numbers 23:19 which says, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Time and time again people tell me; Well I just don’t see God’s Word working out like that for me. Did you ever stop to think, first of all, that we have to have a relationship with God in order to receive the benefits under His covenant? People can’t live a life of sin, doing their “own thing”, ignoring the will of God, and expect to be blessed in their ways, it just doesn’t work that way. The things God tells us to do in His Word are for OUR good, not His. Trusting God in every circumstance doesn’t do a single thing for God, but it does everything for us. He knows the past, present and future, for He inhabits all eternity, so He knows what is coming in our future, and if we listen, He will guide us in the path that is best for us.
Of course, He doesn’t grab you by the neck and force you to do anything, but He will direct your path if you let Him. Notice I’ve changed from talking about “us” to “YOU”. It’s YOU the Lord loves, and sent His Son to die for your sins, it’s YOU the Lord Jesus took the stripes on His own body for, so you would be healed. It’s YOU that God holds carefully in His hand, to keep you from evil, so that your life overflows with joy. Yes, I guess it’s all about YOU. So why are you standing around with a long face, looking glum like you’ve lost your best friend? Praise God and worship Him extravagantly, joyfully, exceedingly, and enthusiastically, for you are the apple of God’s eye! And when you look at it that way, what’s there to worry about?
Lorie Leahy on 29 Jan 2011 at 9:22 am #
Thank-you Jerry for this reminder. It is very timely as I am still seperated and prob. will be for awhile. I’m living with my sister and her husband. Thankfully they are believers. When I went to court for support I wrote a letter to my husband of things that needed changing and the counceling we needed. The lawyer is a christian and said I am going to be tuff but no, do not give it to him. He needs to come to the needed changes himself. She is right as I have always tried to be the savior. God is his savior and I need to leave it in his hands. The future is very unsure even to where I will live, but at least I know God is there. He is strengthing my faith in him and teaching me boundaries in relationships. That is hard for me as my mother was dominering and then I married the same.
Jimmy is about the same the last I heard. I live close to 5 hrs. from Jimmy and Shawn but hope to go back in a couple of weeks.
I have forwarded your newsletter to my brother-in-law, Bruce Chesney. Will ask again for him to read it. Hopefully he will contact you. He is the pastor.
May God Bless,
Lorie Leahy