Joy might seem elusive sometimes or even often. As I write, the power has gone out because of a spring Nor’easter. No hot breakfast for me this morning. Nevertheless, I have my Bible to read and my computer to write with, (as long as the battery lasts.)
This is one of those weeks that I have not known well in advance what I am writing. Today, the Holy Spirit led me on a winding route to the Gospel of John, Chapter 15.
Most of us are familiar with abiding in the vine. Our relationship with Jesus is living and active, like the Word of God. Oh Yeah, John has already made it clear that Jesus is The WORD. . . .
Jesus makes several important points in this chapter, but today, I will camp on the one about joy.
I learned as a young follower of Jesus, that joy is not really a fleeting happiness.
Real joy is a deep seeded confidence in the faithfulness of God and therefore the reliability of His promises.
John quotes Jesus: “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”
During my first two and a half years in Africa, I taught at the Government Secondary School of Langtang. I arrived two weeks after my twenty-third birthday, right at the beginning of the six-month dry season. In that part of Nigeria, that means not a drop of rain for six months.
I faced major culture adjustments and responsibilities, like learning a different African language as well as “Nigerian English.” Team dynamics were sometimes a challenge and learning to live with very limited clean water. The latter still required boiling and filtering.
Also, during that time, my body decided to take Romans 12:13 instruction to “practice hospitality” a bit too literally. Over the next two and a half years I “hosted” many internal parasites. The list occasionally repeated, and includes, but is not limited to:
Giardia,
Hookworm,
Malaria, and topping if all off with
Typhoid Fever.
And I’m still here to tell you about it. (Thank you Jesus.)
Being sick was not fun, but I learned a lot about the joy of the Lord that comes from my certain hope. Now, and even then, I marvel at the goodness of the presence of our Lord with me.
I believe the key is knowing that God loves me.
All of these factors pushed me to choose between the joy of experiencing the presence of the Lord over despair.
Abba, regardless of our current circumstances, help us to practice turning to You and your promises, so we grow in choosing Joy. That is our certain hope. Amen
