Message to the women of Fisherman's Net Church by Margaret Wunschl
Our God is a God of JOY
Jesus came to reveal God to us.
John 14:9 Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
Jesus was characterized by joy in so many Scriptures:
John 15:11-13 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
And that your joy may be complete.
John 17:13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while
I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of
Joy within them.
Heb. 12:1-3 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector
Of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
Scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne
Of God.
When someone lays down their life for you, it is a joy to them or
They wouldn’t do it. Jesus laid down his life for us that we might
Have the full measure of his joy in us. He endured the cross for
The joy set before him.
(Jim Davis, www.focusongod.com)
How then, can we not be joyful? No matter what happens to us, no matter what our circumstances, the most important thing in our lives that gives us joy, Jesus Christ, can never be taken away from us and he will never leave us or forsake us.
That is why I showed you that movie clip. It was from a film produced by Robert Redford called The Milagro Beanfield War. It was made in the 80’s but I never forgot that opening scene. That old man didn’t have much to live for. He lived in a poor little hut with a dirt floor. His body ached so much he could hardly get out of bed. When he looked in the mirror he saw a broken down, wrinkled face with a grey stubble and yet, he says, “Thank you God for giving me another day.” I was inspired by that, and I say that every morning when I first open my eyes.
We need to live life and not squander the days the Lord has blessed us with.
We should look forward to what he has in store for us! Live each day as if it were your last. Love the people around you. You never know if you are going to see them again. I have lost four people close to me in the last six years. My mother, father, father-in-law and my son. In each case I am comforted because the last words we spoke to one another were “I love you.”
I am going to bring you three keys for how to obtain and keep joy in your life and how their opposite effects will rob us of our joy. The first, and most important is:
Key #1: Contentment/Gratitude (Opposite: Jealousy/Covetousness)
Each of us have things to be grateful for. That brings us back to the movie again. That old man, by our standards, had nothing to be grateful for. He was poor, he was old, he was ill. Yet he still thanked the Lord for another day. He was content with what he had.
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, Ps. 92: 1.
Come before his presence with thanksgiving, Ps. 95: 1-2.
Be thankful unto him, and bless his name, Ps. 100: 1-5.
Cease not to give thanks, Eph. 1: 15-16.
Be ye thankful, Col. 3: 15.
Blessing, and glory, and thanksgiving, and honor be unto our God, Rev. 7: 12.
Contentment is a big part of gratitude. When we are not content we begin to feel jealousy or covetousness toward others. We see what they have and we do not appreciate what God has given us. We want more. The definition of covetousness is “excessively and culpably desirous of the possessions of another.” It’s hard to see others who have more than we do and not be jealous. There is actually a term (from the German) called Schadenfreude meaning “delighting in others’ misfortune”. You might not want to admit to having those feelings but deep down you may at one time or another have felt that.
When we start to feel sorry for ourselves, the best thing we can do to regain our joy is to list all the things we have to be grateful for and offer them up to the Lord in thanks. We don’t have to have big houses, cars, clothing, rich husbands or boyfriends to be grateful. We can be grateful for the fall colors, the blue sky, the bushy-tailed squirrel in the front yard, our furnace, a humble meal, our church family, pastor and friends.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there
are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the
Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
Song: “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”
Key#2: Faith (Opposite: Worry/Anxiety)
Faith in the Lord is based upon past experience. It’s important for us to record the ways the Lord has answered our prayers in the past. That way, when we start to doubt we have someplace to go to remind us of our precious Lord’s faithfulness. Keep a faithfulness journal. Each time there is an answered prayer record it! It will help us remember that no matter what we go through, or are going to go through he will be there to help us.
Nothing robs us of joy faster than worry. It is the enemy’s favorite tool to keep us from living a victorious and joyful life. That is not to say we aren’t living in a scary time right now. But we as believers will be called upon to set an example of faith and joy for those who don’t know him.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind.
Matt. 6:28-29 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither
toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these.
Sometimes I think Scarlett O’Hara had it right: “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” If we allow ourselves to worry about what might be in our future, it robs us of the pleasure of enjoying today. Our faith journal will help us to remember that whatever might happen he will get us through it, one day at a time. If watching the news, or reading the newspaper depresses you, or makes you fearful, stop watching it or reading it. There isn’t anything we can do about the craziness in the world anyway, except to pray. I have found it incredibly liberating to separate myself from the daily sensationalism of our news media. Eventually I do find out what I need to know, but I’m not involved in the play by play.
When things become difficult and the mountain seems too high I am reminded of what happened to me on a bike ride I did for a few years. It was called the MS150. 150 miles of riding spread out over two days. I have trouble with hills. I noticed when I saw a hill in the distance a feeling of dread came over me. I’d look at the top of the hill as I started climbing and feel defeated before I even started. The next hill I decided to just look at the ground in front of me instead. Before I knew it, I was at the top! One step at a time. That’s how the Lord will take us through difficult situations. We do not need to worry about things that may never happen.
Deuteronomy 33:27: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath
are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before
thee; and shall say, Destroy them.”
Song: “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”
Key #3: Love/Giving Out (Opposite: Selfishness/Self Centeredness)
Nothing makes me feel better than when I do something nice for someone else. I take my eyes off myself and see others who are worse off than I am.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down
his life for his friends.
If you’re feeling depressed, the enemy wants to isolate you. As a result you end up in a ever increasing downward spiral. Get up, get out of the house, let the Lord use you to bless someone. Don’t let one day go by without brightening someone’s life. Don’t hold back. Make a fool of yourself. Get some exercise, make yourself smile, and your mind will follow. One of my favorite quotes is:
Dance as though no one is watching you,Love as though you have never been hurt before,Sing as though no one can hear you,Live as though heaven is on earth.
Nehemiah 8:9-12: "Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, 'This day is sacred to the LORD your god. Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
Song: Rejoice in the Lord Always
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:4-9
