Many people proclaim that they are Christian.  Yet, Christian means to follow Christ.  How many really want to follow the suffering Servant?  True, a lot of people want to believe they are saved from hell.  Others want God to be their “go to” Sugar Daddy whenever they have a problem.  But how many want to really follow Jesus, He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  (Matthew 16:24)

Take up our cross?  Surely, He does not mean that now?  After all, isn’t He to give us the desires of our heart?   Ah, yes, most certainly if we are delighting our self in Him.  But how do we do that?  If we truly are delighting in Him, we take up our cross.  Cast aside our self-centered desires for foolish pleasures that can never satisfy.  Then, He gives us the desires of our heart.  The central desire being Himself.  He is all that we truly need; but to fully grasp that truth we need to fully see and know the suffering servant.  If all we see is the Glorious King, then all too quickly we can become frustrated confused and demanding.

Behold the Suffering Servant Victorious

The book of Isaiah at times is the prophet speaking God’s word and other times it is God speaking through the prophets words.  Minor detail.  Both are the inspired word of God; but at times is God speaking as first person and other times Isaiah is first person.  Well as we come to Isaiah 52:13-15, God is first person and He begins with, “Behold my Servant”.  He draws us to look upon His son, with face disfigured from the beatings. The blood pouring down from the crown of thorns dripping into His eyes and His swollen lips.  The skin on His body, torn by the leather straps covered with nails and glass.

Behold, My Servant shall ^[d]deal prudently (act wisely)
He shall be exalted and ^[e]extolled and be very high. (Victorious) Isaiah 52:13. 

 WE are bid to behold Our Victorious Suffering Servant.  And in beholding to desire Him above all other treasure.  For when we really see His suffering then we may glimpse at the price He so willingly paid for us.  We, who deserved to die can look upon Him high and lifted up.  But we must first behold His as the suffering servant of God, so we might grasp the depth of His love for us.  Only then are we willing to pickup our cross to follow Him.

Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider. Isaiah 52:15

The Suffering Servant Scorned

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no ^[a]form or ^[b]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no ^[c]beauty that we should desire Him.
³ He is despised and ^[d]rejected by men,
A Man of ^[e]sorrows and acquainted with ^[f]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53

Knowing our Savior was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief why would we believe our lives following Him would be any different?  Except, this.  We find our joy in Him.  His love, grace, and presence are more precious than anything else.  We must long to be with Him.

Suffering Servant-Willingly Sacrificied

 

⁴ Surely He has borne our ^[g]griefs
And carried our ^[h]sorrows;
Yet we ^[i]esteemed Him stricken,
^[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded^[k] for our transgressions,
He was ^[l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes^[m] we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord ^[n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

 

Willingly He laid down His life for you and for me.  He is the redeemer of our soul.  The only one who can transform us from death into life.  Spiritually we are all dead until we come to Him, believing Him, accepting Him as our Savior and King.

Suffering Servant-Afflicted

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
⁸ He was taken from ^[o]prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
⁹ And ^[p]they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.  Isaiah 53 

No lying, no deceit.  He did not protest as He was scourged and taken to the cross; because He, above all, knew the debt He was paying for us.  Certainly, He understood the horror of sin within each of our hearts, the darkness that separates us from God.  He could fully see the depths of evil that pulled us from Him.

Isaiah 53:

 

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to ^[q]bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
^11 [r]He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the ^[s]spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

The Father is satisfied

Verse 10, first of all – the Father is satisfied.  Notice how the verse begins and ends – “with the will of the Lord.”  Here is the heart of God the Father. Here is the inner driving burden of the Father.  This is His plan and His purpose and His decree.  It is the will of the Lord to crush Him.  He has put Him to grief.  We could translate that, “It pleased the Lord to crush Him.”  The good pleasure of God rests on the Servant as He bore our sin at Calvary.  It was, after all, the Father’s plan.  ….  The Father Himself we learn purposed the cross.  He sent His Son in pursuit of the accomplishment of His will.  It pleased the Lord.  It was the will of the Lord to crush Him.  Jesus has never needed to persuade the Father to love you, believing sinner. 

It was the love of the Father that sent Him on His saving errand.  “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”  The cross, you’ve heard me say it before, the cross is the pulpit of the Father’s love.  “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”  “How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.” [1]  David Strain 

The Father’s will accomplished.  It was the Father’s will to crush Him—His beloved son.  Why? Because it was the only way that our rebellious hearts filled with sin could be saved.  His Justice was Satisfied.  Righteousness was Satisfied.

The Suffering Servant Satisfied

And the Servant Satisfied.  Jesus saw down through the corridors of time and loved you and that love was enough that He willingly would die for you.  He loves you and delights in you.  How wonderful to think.  He delights in just being with you, day in and day out.  Furthermore He desires to be with you eternally, always present, delighting in His love for you.

He intercedes for us daily, always desiring us to be the fullest reflection of who He knows we can be.  Oh, how He loves me.

And because of all that, we who know Him as Lord and Savior, we are satisfied.  He is our greatest treasure.

When you are with Jesus, when you are in Jesus, the glory that really belongs to Him enfolds you too.  He brings you in, makes you His prize and His delight.  You’re engulfed in His greatness and in Him, in heaven’s glory, we will never need for anything else again.  He will be all satisfying.  The Father is satisfied, the Servant is satisfied, we are satisfied.[2]

Therefore Because of the Suffering Servant

So, let me ask again.  Do you really know the Suffering Servant of God?  He is all you need to satisfy the longings of your heart.  “Behold my servant”, God asks of us.

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace–[3]

 

And because of that:

 

Every morning when I wake up

I put a smile on my face

And I remember that I’m special

Cause Jesus Loves me every day

 

Oh,oh,oh,oh ooh oh oh

 

 

Oh, How He loves Me[4]

 

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
..how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
.. how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Or if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Poetry Books Available

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2 Words of True Hope and Joy: God IS

A Cloud of Sadness Covered Me- A Poem

 

 

Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2020
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

CREDITS

Portrait of Christ courtesy of Ronin Ron’s Custom Art

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

[1] Strain, David, The Servant Satisfied, Sermon from First Presbyterian Church, Jackson Mississippi, December 16,2014.  https://www.fpcjackson.org/resource-library/sermons/the-servant-satisfied/ accessed 11/15/2020

[2] Ibid

[3] Helen Howarth Lemmel, https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/645 Accessed 11/15/2020

[4] John Mark McMillan songwriter; https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/davidcrowderband/howheloves.html

When it might appear that all is lost in the world surrounding you there are two words of True Hope and Joy:  God IS.  He is eternally Sovereign, Righteous, Just, Merciful, and in total control.  He who created the Universe and all that is in it, never sleeps or slumbers.  Although, we in our finite view of all things believe we know what is best or dare to say that He is failing us.  Watching the divisions around the world and in our country, we could lose heart if it we did not remember God is in Control and He does all that is good and right.  He will accomplish all that He has planned.

Whether we fully understand it how He is doing it, we can trust Him.  The Bible is rich and full of prophecies given and prophecies fulfilled.  No other faith or religion can claim that truth.  Written by multiple prophets over centuries of time with limited access to each other’s works, each filled in pieces to the prophecy to make them complete.  Then history itself proved them to be true.

Because there is no way for humans to experience the magnificent Glory of all God’s attributes without their having the freedom to choose light over darkness, God allowed us choice.  Unfortunately, that also means we can choose darkness and evil which is all too often what people do choose.  For that reason, throughout the history of humanity, God has at times had to destroy cities, nations, and even the world to save the remnant.  Evil would otherwise totally overtake and destroy the true believers, His chosen few whom He knew from eternity past would bow before Him.  It is not mine to fully understand how both are equally true but they are.

God is Justice and Righteousness

“Listen to Me, My people;
And give ear to Me, O My nation:
For law will proceed from Me,
And I will make My justice rest
As a light of the peoples.
⁵ My righteousness is near,
My salvation has gone forth,
And My arms will judge the peoples;
The coastlands will wait upon Me,
And on My arm they will trust.
⁶ Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
And look on the earth beneath.
For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,
The earth will grow old like a garment,
And those who dwell in it will die in like manner;
But My salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not be ^[b]abolished.

⁷ “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
You people in whose heart is My law:
Do not fear the reproach of men,
Nor be afraid of their insults.
⁸ For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
And the worm will eat them like wool;
But My righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation from generation to generation.”

⁹ Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord!
Awake as in the ancient days,
In the generations of old.
Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart,
And wounded the serpent?

Our Nation Stands Ready to be Judged

Those who framed the United States Constitution understood something of fundamental importance that ought to be said far more at this present juncture than it is said by anyone, and it is this; they understood that that constitution was only suitable and sustainable for what they referred to as “a religious people.” What they meant by “a religious people” was a people who believed that they were created by God; their lives were sustained by God; he watched over their coming and their going; ..established the bounds of their habitation; he was the one who gave life, and he was the one who ushered in death.

In other words, their entire existence was framed—no matter how well-versed they were in the nuances of Biblical theology—the framers of the Constitution realized, “The only way this thing will work, and continue to work, is as long as God is central to the events. As soon as he is removed, the thing will disintegrate.” That was what they said.

John Adams: “We have no Government armed with [the] Power [which is] capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by … morality and Religion. … Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate [for] the government of any other.” In that same quote, he said what the problem will be is “Avarice,” or greed, “Ambition, … Revenge,” or, he said, even “Galantry.” These things “would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net.”[1] Now, that’s impossible to misunderstand, isn’t it?[2]

And Now?

We, as a nation have turned away from God and deserve His wrath.  Nothing proves that more than the platforms of this election with one side pro-abortion, anti-law and order, with a “woke” that desires to erase history, truth, conservative thoughts, and Christianity.  Yet, those ideas invade more than half of our society including some who falsely proclaim themselves Christian.  How sad!  Would it not be God’s justice to give them what they want and see how quickly this nation destroys itself and falls to the wayside as every other great nation in history.  How the mighty have fallen!

But we, who truly know Christ also know this world and nation are not our destiny.  We merely are journeying here for the moment.

Isaiah 52 

Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, O Zion;
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city!
For the uncircumcised and the unclean
Shall no longer come to you.
² Shake yourself from the dust, arise;
Sit down, O Jerusalem!
Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion!

³ For thus says the Lord:

“You have sold yourselves for nothing,
And you shall be redeemed without money.”

 

Isaiah 52

¹³ Behold, My Servant shall ^[d]deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and ^[e]extolled and be very high.
¹⁴ Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage^[f] was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;
¹⁵ So shall He ^[g]sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider.

God IS in control—Jesus Came Just as Foretold

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no ^[a]form or ^[b]comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no ^[c]beauty that we should desire Him.
³ He is despised and ^[d]rejected by men,
A Man of ^[e]sorrows and acquainted with ^[f]grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

⁴ Surely He has borne our ^[g]griefs
And carried our ^[h]sorrows;
Yet we ^[i]esteemed Him stricken,
^[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But He was wounded^[k] for our transgressions,
He was ^[l]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes^[m] we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord ^[n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

Jesus Gave His life Willingly, Evil did not win, Jesus won the Victory

Isaiah 53
⁸ He was taken from ^[o]prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
⁹ And ^[p]they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

¹⁰ Yet,  it pleased the Lord to ^[q]bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
^11 [r]He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
¹²  Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the ^[s]spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

 

Concluding thoughts

Therefore, whatever happens with this nation and this election, God is in control.  He has not abandoned His people or fallen deaf to their pleas.  He is eternal, Sovereign and all that He plans He will accomplish.  Therefore, we trust Him.  What if it is time, He must purge all this nation, that His remnant remains because evil abounds throughout the hearts of men and women, now.   He knows that if He does not purge the evil, it will pervade everything and destroy everything.   We who know Him can rest assured with hope and Joy because we know God IS.  He is on His throne and will return one day to take us home.

[1] [4] John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, Quincy, October 11, 1798, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-3102.

[2] https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/david-anointed-and-opposed-part-two/

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Or if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Poetry Books Available

If you enjoyed this poem perhaps you would like to read more of my poetry in my newest book which can be found on Amazon

 

 

Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2020
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

CREDITS

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

photo courtesy of RoninRon.com

When no one listens, how long would you continue to speak truth?  Would you continue proclaiming the truth of God’s words.  Isaiah was called by God to warn the people.  Yet, God told him they would not listen. (Isaiah 6) Isaiah asked, “How long, Lord?”  God’s reply “until everything has been brought to waste.”  What?  Until everything has been destroyed, knowing this!  A remnant of true believers will be preserved.  And from them will come the Messiah.

It was more than just the truth that the remnant would be saved. It was the fact that Jesus would come.  That was the hope presented to and from Messiah.    The truth of God spoken by Isaiah was going to one day be proclaimed to the Gentiles as well.  The mystery of the gospel.  Hidden in the past brought to light.  The light of the world came; yet, men choose darkness.

The same could be said of all the prophets of old.  They were commissioned to speak Truth from God and no one listened.  Are we to be like them?

Isaiah 49

Continue reading Speak Truth! How Long if no one listens? →

Dear John Piper,

It was with great sorrow that I read your article and feel that you are judging the person God clearly placed in office in 2016.  You may say for bad; but I believe for good.  After all, were it not for his executive order protecting your right to being bold from the pulpit, you might not feel as free to speak?  Guaranteed that will go away if we do not remain vigilant.

For the first time, we have a man who stands up for Godly principles.  Oh, yes much like Peter in the beginning he is a little rough around the edges; but often that is the case with newer Christians (and sometimes older ones as well).  Yes, watching very closely I do believe him to be a Christian who seeks Godly guidance.  Were you aware there is a prayer team in the white house?  Or have you bothered to go and offer counsel to him yourself, sir?

Many of the things you cited as objections were from the distant past.  Have you forgotten the woman at the well?  Or the woman caught in adultery?  Do you sir believe that the blood of Christ cannot cover all our sins? I know better, sir, for I have listened to your sermons for years and unlike many I read the last few paragraphs.  None of us are worthy of salvation, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  So, where does the difference lie?

Where Does Truth Lie?

Continue reading 2 Pagan Kings, 1 Sovereign God, Dear John Piper →

Last Sunday, Keith Simon from the Crossing Church in Colombia Mo spoke of the truth that Jesus was the happiest person of all and referred to the scripture in Hebrews 1.  Although I have read that many times in the past, it had never struck me as powerfully as it did when he was preaching about it.  Funny how the scripture can be brought alive like that.  So, I do recommend you watching his sermon.  https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/media-feeds/how-you-can-be-sure-youll-never-be-happy-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/ I mean I knew the truth that God is our only source of true happiness.  In Him is fullness of joy.  John Piper preaches Christian Hedonism which is defined as the pursuit of pleasure.  Philosophy of hedonism is defined as the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.

So how does happiness and the pursuit of pleasure fit in with who we are as Christians? So many would save that is impossible.  After all, are we not to take up our cross daily to follow Jesus?  How can we know happiness while at the same time carrying a cross?  The burdens and sorrows that we face daily refute any hope of happiness.  How do we satisfy our desires and pursue pleasures in a world filled with such trials?  But that is because we are confused by thinking our pleasures and desires can only be fulfilled by worldly pleasures.

The book of Ecclesiastes refutes that idea thoroughly. Solomon wrote, “Vanity of Vanities, all is vanity” when pursuing every form of worldly pleasure from pursuing justice to holding position, power, money, human wisdom or seeking sexual fulfillment only to conclude: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Where is True Happiness Found?

My Grandchildren seem to believe that happiness is found in a carefree pursuit of “games, games, and more games” with no responsibility, no chores, nor school.  Yet, on those rare days that they get this, I have noticed that rather than happy they are more and more frustrated, irritable, and angry as the days wears on.   But isn’t that true of us as well?  So, like Solomon we find, what we thought was pursuing pleasure and happiness are all vanity and vexation of spirit.  In the end there is no lasting joy or happiness there.

On the contrary. “the joy of the Lord is our strength” as Nehemiah 8:10 says.  Let us look at that in context.

Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth^[a] of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. ²² And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful.  Ezra 6:21-22

But What about God’s Laws?

So, well and good. Of course they were happy. God had just returned them from captivity; but, life would have to go on at some point.  The labors of life as they rebuilt the wall and the temple.  All the temptations and frustrations society brings as well, many of which I detail in the book “When God Commanded Build that Wall” as a study in Nehemiah.

So, briefly back to the children of Israel’s story.  Later, the Levites read the law to the people, who initially worshipped God, then began to weep. Did they weep because they knew of their own inadequacies to fulfill the law?  Or was it the fact God had rules, something our modern society balks at.  After all, if I am to pursue all my desires and pleasures, what place do societal rules play? And God’s rules?  Won’t those mere restrict my pleasure? But this was God’s response through Nehemiah.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8: 9-10)

So, Back to Us and how to know Happiness Always

Jesus in His prayer for us as recorded in John 17 says:

these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify^[i] them by Your truth.

Our Joy is fulfilled in what?  Knowing Him.  Even if the world hates us.  Our joy is fulfilled in Him, His Word, and the truth that He is my greatest treasure.  But is He truly joyous?  If we are to have His joy, what kind of joy is that?

Hebrews 1: 8-9

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A ^[f]scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Therein lies a key.  Jesus Christ was given the oil of gladness.  His happiness exceeds all others.  But for what was He anointed this?  A scepter of righteousness, for He loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.”

So, to know true Happiness always begins not with a lawless pursuit of pleasure; rather to love God first.  He is the treasure, the true happiness and joy our hearts need to fulfill every desire of our heart.  Only in Him.

Happiness and True Joy

In his prayer to the Ephesians, Paul wrote:

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and ^[c]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption ^[d]through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1

Note—longsuffering with joy means even in suffering, we are filled with patience and joy giving thanks to the Father for His unfailing Grace, Love, and because He has already placed “conveyed us in the kingdom of the Son of His love.  My address has changed, I am merely awaiting the final move.  Meanwhile how to hold fast and know this joy here and now is through being filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understand.  WE are to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  Therein, we are strengthened with all might according to His Glorious Power for al patience and longsuffering with joy.  He is the happiness and joy we seek always and forever more.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Previously

What is all you need to know? God IS!

 

Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2020
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Scriptures here are from:

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo by Sander Weeteling on Unsplash