Thursday April 19, 2012

Read Deuteronomy 12:12

 

Verse 12 really slapped me in the face as I read for the first time in many months earlier this week. I wonder what effect vs 12 had on you as you read it.

 

Here’s why it slapped me in the face. As a pastor of a church, Sonday mornings are generally busy and hectic with much thought and concern about what’s happening, the service and the sermon and how it will be received. There’s a plethora of things that need to happen and even though they are shared out, someone has to make sure they happen. Often there’s a million thoughts racing through my head simultaneously. Unfortunately, joy is not one of those thoughts or emotions in my head/heart on Sonday mornings.

 

How often do you and I come to church anticipating and looking forward to a morning of JOY in the Lord’s presence? How often do we get excited on Saturday or earlier as we anticipate the joy of meeting God and worshipping with His children? How often do we salivate in anticipation of the sheer joy of church?

 

When we come together in the Lord’s presence it is meant to be a joyous gathering. We have so much to rejoice in. Israel had much to rejoice about but we have more. If nothing else, think of church as an opportunity to recall that Jesus, the Son of God, entered our world and became a man for our sakes. Though he was God, he did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made Himself nothing. He came as a man and as a man lived a perfect life. Even so, He was executed upon a cross. He was cursed by both man and God so that you and I can be totally forgiven. We have been adopted as children of God because of the work of Jesus on our behalf. That should fill us with joy.

 

Jesus rose to life on the third day and, as the first fruits, guarantees our resurrection. We have an eternal hope that nothing in this world will or can

take away. We have a certain future with Christ in the new heaven/earth and God marches with us along the way, preparing us for our heavenly abode. That too, should fill us with joy.

 

Even more than that, God has blessed us with an extended family - brothers and sisters who also love the Lord and are headed to heaven with us. We walk together towards our heavenly home. That should fill us with joy.

 

As I finish this passage, I am rebuked and corrected but also filled with joy and anticipation that next Sonday will be a joyous Lord’s day where we gather together in the throne room of the King and refocus our lives on Him.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that we as a congregation will rejoice in the Lord as we gather on Sonday. Pray that joy will flow out from us all week as we anticipate that  gathering. Pray that our joy will be contagious and spread to many more people, even non believers and so bring them to Christ.

¥ Pray that our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in North Korea will be filled with the joy of the Lord, even in their terrible conditions. Pray that this joy will also bring many to the Lord in repentance and faith.