Joy's Missing Link

In the presence of God, there "is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11, NKJV).

I love this encouraging verse; it shows me that God offers true joy in the midst of sorrow and confusion. However, we often forget a key facet of this truth:

In the presence of God, our iniquities arise, and we see our filth.

In the words of Isaiah, “[we are] undone” (Isaiah 6:5, NKJV). God’s purity and wholeness leave no room for offense, bitterness or insecurity. For that reason, approaching God forces us to face the hard truth of our imperfections.

Isaiah experiences such a “reality check” when called to the Lord’s work in Isaiah 6 and 7. Upon seeing God in the temple, the first thing Isaiah vocalized was regret at his unclean state. Only then did God cleanse him and call him to the people. Even though God called Isaiah to preach judgment, Isaiah found great joy in being used by his Savior.

So, yes, God brings fullness of joy, but is joy our goal? Not really. We need wholeness. Unfortunately, I have to admit that coming before God doesn’t always reveal my sin, because I enter the throne room on a mission of my own conjuring. Later, I expect to experience joy, but I remain unhealed within. 

From now on, I pray that the overwhelming power of God would overtake us every time that we enter into His presence. May we seek healing and forgiveness with no ulterior motives except to draw nearer to our Savior, and only then may we experience fullness of joy.

Too Full to Move?

There may come a time in our spiritual walks where Jesus’ teachings are no longer impactful, not due to any fault of His, but due to our tendency to take life-transformational truths for granted. This is especially true for those of us who have grown up in the church. We hear the stories of Noah or Daniel and the Lions’ Den and fail to realize the weighty importance they hold.

But I have to wonder: Does extensive exposure to the Word of God excuse a lifestyle devoid of a revolution in our thoughts, words and actions?

Jesus speaks about dying to the flesh, but do we really die to pride?

He speaks on uplifting language, but do we really encourage one another?

He speaks on glorifying our Savior with every action, but can others see Christ in our lives on a daily basis?

Sometimes I wonder.

Reading the holy Word of God with fresh eyes provides such a thrill as we uncover new truths in even the most popular passages. May we be renewed day-by-day as we seek to know God more (2 Corinthians 4:16).

“But He answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."'” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV)