(Letter 149 in my series of letters on assurance and fighting for joy)

In my post Three Years Later: Dancing & Skipping with Mrs. Durham, I had written:

Three years ago this month, I became desperate to know, to really know, the joy of the Lord. I had found myself continually overwhelmed and overcome by the here-and-now, by my circumstances, unable to run the race set before me, being dragged down, down, down into doubt, depression, and despair. I was wilting and withering, and not thriving and blossoming as I knew I ought to be as a Christian.

At that time, through my reading and studying the Bible, as well as through other reading (including that of Jonathan Edwards and Martyn Lloyd-Jones ~ and Lord willing, in the near future, I'm hoping to blog on a portion from one of ML-J's books about this, and when I do, I'll add the link here), I'd begun to see there was a supernatural joy available to all the children of God (no exceptions) that I'd not yet experienced – though I'll admit that for quite some time prior to that, I was skeptical about it, and I balked at the notion; I doubted and even argued that such a joy wasn't a real possibility for me due to my own personality (prone to depression and unhealthy introspection). I'd put myself in the very dangerous position of limiting and provoking Holy One of Israel (see Psalm 78).

The Bible must always be our primary authority. We are to test and try all things against the God-breathed, infallible Word. However, in addition to the Bible, God has always provided His Church with ministers to instruct and equip and build us up and guard us in His ways (~ Eph. 4:7-16). If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was one of those men who has been instrumental in my life (in addition to that post, please see my posts here, here, and here.)

As I titled this blog, I truly did bristle at much of what ML-J had written about joy in his book "Safe in the World" (a compilation of his sermons on John 17) – in particular, these words from Chapter 9 ("True Joy") really provoked and incited me:

   We have been considering together the ways in which, as Christians, we manifest our Lord's glory, and we have reminded ourselves of our tremendous responsibility as we realize that we, and we alone, are the people through whom the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in this world of time.

   Now that was the second reason for our Lord's prayer –– the first reason, you remember, was because of who and what we are – and here we come to the third reason, which he puts quite plainly in verse 13. He says, in effect, 'I am praying all these things audibly in their presence because I am anxious that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.' He is anxious that this joy that he himself had experienced should also be fully experienced by these his followers. There is, therefore, a very definite logical sequence in the arrangement of these matters. In dealing earlier with the ways in which the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in us, we spoke of the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, and so on. At that point, in dealing briefly with joy, I said that I would not go into it in detail, because we would be returning to it, and this is where we must do that. And what we see here is that one of the ways in which we, as Christians, can glorify Christ is this life and world, is by being filled with this spirit of joy and rejoicing. This is a fruit of the Spirit which our Lord singles out in particular in this prayer to the Father on behalf of his followers. And so we glorify him in a very special way be being partakers of this his own joy.

   Obviously, therefore, this is an important subject. Our Lord would not have singled it out like this and given it a special place and emphasis unless it was something of vital concern. So clearly we must start our consideration of it by reminding ourselves again of what a wonderful display this is of our Lord's care and solicitude for his own people. How anxious he is that their welfare should be catered for! He is going to leave them, he is going back to the Father, but he does not lose interest in them for that reason. In a sense he is still more interested in them, and though he is going to face the shame and the agony of the cross, what is uppermost in his mind is the condition and the future of these disciples of his, whom he is leaving behind.

   But there is more than that – indeed it is something which is of even more vital concern. All that we have been saying is something to rejoice in, but there is a bigger, deeper lesson here. This whole subject of joy is one which is prominent in the New Testament, and, therefore, it must be of primary importance to Christian people. We can see in John 16 how our Lord constantly referred to it, and if you go through the four gospels and look for it, you will find that he was always emphasizing it. And if you read the epistles you will find the subject of joy there, in perhaps a still more striking manner, for some of them are almost exclusively devoted to it. It is a great theme, for instance, of the epistle to the Philippians. Paul's concern there is that Christian people should experience this joy – 'Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice' (4:4). It was his burning desire for all Christian people. And then, what, after all, is the purpose of the book of Revelation except that God's people should be taught how truly to be filled with joy and to rejoice? John himself in his first epistle very specifically says, 'These things write I unto you that your joy might be full' (1:4). He was an old man realizing that he was at the end of his journey and thinking of the Christian people he was leaving behind in this difficult world. So he wrote his letter to them in order that their joy might be full. It is, I say, one of the outstanding themes of the entire New Testament, and so it behoves us to be very clear in our minds about it.

   There are certain principles that seem to me to stand out very clearly. The first is that we are not only saved for eternity. The gospel of Jesus Christ, of course is primarily something that does safeguard our eternal destiny. Its fundamental purpose is to reconcile us to God and to see that we are saved in that final and eternal sense. It puts us right once and for all and into a right standing in the presence of God. It reconciles us to God, and establishes definitely in our experience that we are his children. It takes from us the fear of the death, of the grave, and of judgement, and it assures us that our eternity and our eternal destiny is safe and secure. But – and this is what is emphasized in this particular verse – we are not only saved for eternity. It is a false and incomplete view of Christian salvation that postpones its blessing to the realm that lies beyond this present life and beyond the grave.

   This sounds so obvious that it is almost foolish to emphasize it, and yet if you go into the history of the church you will find that very often, and sometimes for a very long period, Christian people, by the subtlety of Satan, have been entirely robbed of this particular aspect. This has very often been a result of our reaction – a healthy and right reaction – against worldliness. Christian people have realized that because they are not of the world they should separate themselves form everything that belongs to it. They interpret that as meaning that while they are in this life they are – to use that line of Milton's – 'To scorn delights, and live laborious days'. So they have thought of the Christian as someone who is melancholic, someone who is never going to experience any happiness or joy in a sinful world like this, but who really does look forward to a great joy of unmixed bliss in the land that lies beyond the present and the seen. Thus they seem to rob themselves entirely of any benefits or blessings from salvation in this present life. Now that is tragically and pathetically wrong. The blessings of Christianity are to be enjoyed in this world as well as in the world to come. There are different aspects, of course, of salvation, but we must never so emphasize the future as to derogate from the present and detract from the future. There are blessings to be enjoyed here and now and our Lord emphasized that very clearly in this verse.

   But then I draw a second deduction, which is that one of the particular blessings which the Christian is meant to enjoy in the present life is this experience of joy. Our Lord says that he prays in order that this joy might be 'fulfilled in themselves'. We see that in John 16 when he exhorts us to pray: 'Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full' (v. 24). The Christian is meant to be a joyful person, one who is meant to experience the joy of salvation. There is no question about that; it is something which is taught everywhere in the New Testament, and so it is our duty as Christians to have this joy, and to be filled with it. And we must give ourselves neither rest nor peace until we have it.

   But there are many obstacles to that, and many things which hinder the Christian from having it. There are certain people, I know, who react against the false and carnal sort of joy, that they rob themselves of true joy. But the opposite of carnal and fleshly joy is not to be miserable. It is to have true joy, the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And in the light of all these exhortations from him and from the apostles we must start by realizing that it is our duty to possess and to experience this joy of which our Lord speaks. We have no right not to have it. Indeed, I put it as my third principle that it is clearly dishonouring to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the work he has done, not to have this joy. The teaching seems to be that he came into this world in order that we might have it. Take, for instance, the words at the end of chapter 16: 'These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace' (v. 33). That verse couples peace and joy together: 'In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' And because he has overcome the world, we are meant to have this joy and to experience it; we are meant to be Christian people who rejoice.

   This links very naturally with the precious subject of glorifying him – a miserable Christian does not and obviously cannot glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Everybody else is miserable, the world makes people so. But if the Lord Jesus Christ has done what he claims to have done, and has come to suffer all the he suffered in this world, to the end that his people might be made different, they are obviously to be a joyful people. He has done all that in order to make it possible for us, and so our failure to be joyful in our lives is to detract from his glory and to cast queries upon his wonderful work. It thus behoves us as Christian people to realize that is out duty to be joyful. This is often put to us in the New Testament as an injunction. We are commanded to rejoice and if you are commanded to do something, it means that you must do it. Now that, obviously, is going to raise a question in our minds as to the nature of this joy. People say that it is no use going to a miserable man and telling him to cheer up. But there is a sense in which you can do that – not directly, but indirectly – and it will result in joy. This is what we must consider together. 'Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice' – that is what we are meant to do, and we are meant to be joyful, not only for our own sakes, but still more for his.

   So that leads us to the vital question – what is this joy, and what do we know about it? We will content ourselves, for the moment, with just looking at what our Lord himself tells us in this particular verse. The first thing is that it is his joy. 'These things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.' Now this is most important because it means that it is not the kind of joy that some people sometimes seem to think it is. It is the kind of joy that he himself possessed and therefore we can say of necessity that it was not carnal or fleshly, it was never boisterous.

   I emphasize those negatives because it is always essential to point out that in a matter like this there are two extremes that must always be avoided. I have already mentioned one of them, that of being so anxious to avoid the carnal as to become almost melancholic, but we must also avoid this other extreme. There are certain people – and they have been very much in evidence I should think for the last fifty years or so – who, having realized quite rightly that a Christian is meant to have joy, have been so anxious to manifest the fact that though they are Christian they are still joyful, that they assume a liveliness which is certainly not the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are a kind of boisterous Christian, but our Lord was never boisterous. Our Lord's joy was a holy joy. Yes – let us not hesitate to say it – it was a serious joy. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and yet joyful.

At the time I first read those words of Lloyd-Jones, I felt them to be goads, and I was vigorously kicking at them! But now I thank and bless and praise God for each and every one of those words!

In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon wrote about such blessed goading...

10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.   11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

Though I initially didn't welcome those words of Lloyd-Jones (far from it!), in retrospect, I can see his words were words of truth and words of the wise, and they were much-needed goads and nails for my miserable and misdirected and misguided soul, words which came to me from the Good Shepherd through one of His undershepherds, so I might begin to learn to rejoice in the Lord always!

In his Complete Commentary on Ecclesiastes, here's Matthew Henry writing about God's blessed and precious goading and nailing:

      That which he [Solomon] and other holy men wrote will be of great use and advantage to us, especially being inculcated upon us by the exposition of it, 11. Here observe,

     (1.) A double benefit accruing to us from divine truths if duly applied and improved; they are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in righteousness. They are of use, [1.] To excite us to our duty. They are as goads to the ox that draws the plough, putting him forward when he is dull and quickening him, to amend his pace.

The truths of God prick men to the heart (Acts ii. 37) and put them upon bethinking themselves, when they trifle and grow remiss, and exerting themselves with more vigour in their work. While our good affections are so apt as they are to grow flat and cool, we have need of these goads. [2.] To engage us to persevere in our duty. They are as nails to those that are wavering and inconstant, to fix them to that which is good. They are as goads to such as are dull and draw back, and nails to such as are desultory and draw aside, means to establish the heart and confirm good resolutions, that we may not sit loose to our duty, nor even be taken off from it, but that what good there is in us may be as a nail fastened in a sure place, Ezra ix. 8.

     (2.) A double way of communicating divine truths, in order to those benefits:-- [1.] By the scriptures, as the standing rule, the words of the wise, that is, of the prophets, who are called wise men, Matt. xxiii. 34. These we have in black and white, and may have recourse to them at any time, and make use of them as goads and as nails. By them we may teach ourselves; let them but come with pungency and power to the soul, let the impressions of them be deep and durable, and the will make us wise to salvation. [2.] By the ministry. To make the words of the wise more profitable to us, it is appointed that they should be impressed and fastened by the masters of assemblies. Solemn assemblies for religious worship are an ancient divine institution, intended for the honour of God and the edification of his church, and are not only serviceable, but necessary, to those ends. There must be masters of these assemblies, who are Christ's ministers, and as such are to preside in them, to be God's mouth to the people and theirs to God. Their business is to fasten the words of the wise, and drive them as nails to the head, in order to which the word of God is likewise as a hammer, Jer. xxiii. 29.

I invented and concocted a long litany of arguments and excuses for why Lloyd-Jones' words didn't apply to me, and, even more gravely, for why Jesus' words didn't apply to me. But the Lord was patient and longsuffering with me, and I will tell you this:  God kept goading, and kept nailing! Thank God for grace that abounds to stiff-necked sinners like myself! God intended all that goading and all that nailing for my good... every prick and every puncture sovereignly ordained, coming down from the Father of lights in order to excite my dull soul to my duty as a Christian to pursue and possess joy, and to engage me to persevere in that duty. As part of that process, God began to hedge up my way with thorns and make me even more miserable (much like Hosea's wife ~ see Hosea 2). In the Valley of Achor (trouble), God did open wide a door of hope, so I might begin to drink of the joy that Jesus died to give me. But along the way I had to let God explode my flawed, false, and faulty theological concepts that a Christian shouldn't and couldn't really be joyful, and that any experience of God's joy I might have would have to be somehow limited by my own personality and my own particular circumstances. Though like Sarah, I didn't exactly laugh at the prospect of joy being a reality for me, I confess that I did smirk...

Genesis 18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13  And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15  Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

My brothers and sisters, how dare you and I smirk or laugh at the exceeding great and precious promises of God! We are not only justified by faith, but we LIVE by faith. We live by faith in the God who makes promises that seem so far-fetched and so absurd and so impossible to our puny and pygmy fleshly understanding. However, let us never forget this:  we have the mind of Christ, and we have the Holy Spirit that we might know the the things that are freely given to us of God (see I Cor. 1:6-16), that we might begin to know and plumb and dip into and taste and see and savor the unsearchable riches of the glory of our inheritance in Christ.

Is anything too hard for the LORD? Is it too hard for the LORD to grant you joy in Him?

Go to the Scripture, and seek out good, orthodox instruction from men like ML-J, and pray to the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth (remember: the devil is a liar and the father of lies!), and then watch God begin to blow-up your own home-spun theology and your ill-formed and false conceptions about the character of God and of Christianity, and I will guarantee you this: you will find God to be more precious and more glorious and more wonderful than you could have ever imagined, and you will begin to get a taste of what the Psalmist wrote when he said:

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

All who are Christ's have already been reconciled to God by the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith in the the offering of Jesus' body and blood on our behalf. Therefore, all who believe have already been brought on to that path of life, and we have already been given access to drink of that fullness of joy and to sup of those pleasures forevermore beginning in the here and now!

As I said, God kept goading and nailing, and the discipline was very grievous at many times, but it was all for my good. (And He continues to goad and nail: that's part of His loving discipline to all His children ~ the Father chastens those He loves! If we are without such discipline, then we are illegitimate children and not His children! ~ Heb. 12:3-11). God opened my heart to consider His precious Word, so that I eventually began to understand and embrace that Jesus' words were spoken to me and were prayed for me... Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word...

It was just over three years ago that I began to ask, seek, and knock for that joy which was my duty to have, and that joy which is the duty of all Christians to have. (I recounted some of that story in my post here.) I got tired and weary of being miserable, and by faith I put myself into the blessed yoke of Jesus. I had come to see that my choosing to live as a miserable Christian was living (if you want to call that living!) at such a low level because I was flat-out refusing to embrace and trust God's blessed promises, and to pray for and to expect God Himself to impart to me His joy. Many of you are in that very same place right now. I urge you to go to the Good Shepherd and read and soak in His promises for you, and then to ask, seek, and knock. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Wrestle with Him like Jacob, and importunately plead like the widow! Remember:  without faith it is impossible to please Him! Ask God to bless your mustard seed of faith, or if you don't even have a mustard seed of faith, ask Him to give it to you! Remember: to enter into Jesus' joy is the duty of all Christians, no exceptions. May God guard us so we might not be guilty of provoking, grieving, tempting, and limiting our God as the Israelites did:

Psalm 78:40  How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! 41  Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. 42  They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. 43  How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan...

When we're not seeking by faith what has been already purchased for us at Calvary and what is already ours by the second birth, we are not only robbing ourselves of joy, but we are also robbing our God of the glory due His name. Remember His hand! Remember His power! Remember His love! Remember His mercy! Remember His grace! Remember the day He delivered you from the devil's realm of darkness, sin, and death!

May the Holy Spirit of God continue to guide and lead us into all truth, and by His truth set us free to glorify and enjoy God as God has intended for us. God willing, I will continue goading and nailing you, as my Lord did for me. May God make my efforts effectual for your progress AND JOY in the faith... ~ Karen

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Related posts:

my other posts on assurance & fighting for joy.
my posts on Christian hedonism

More from Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

Updated 2/12/13:  Thanks to the MLJ Trust you can access for free over 1600 sermons of the late Dr. Lloyd-Jones at the Martyn Lloyd-Jones Audio Library here:  (http://www.mljtrust.org/). I regret to say that the sermon I cited here as well as the other sermons from this book aren't currently available on the site.

You can also subscribe to a weekly Podcast of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermons at Living Grace Ministries at oneplace.com.

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Photo credits:

I edited the Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chianina_steer_lying_down.jpg  / CC BY-SA 3.0
I edited the Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxen.jpg  / Public Domain

Almost four years ago, I blogged about how my NKJV Bible is filled with lots of notes and references that I've written in it. It's really my own personalized study Bible, so to speak (see my posts here and here). Though I had that particular Bible rebound in early 2009...

... it's beginning to come apart again, and even though I managed to find an identical copy of that Bible, I can't bring myself to lay this one aside...

In my recent post "Dancing and Skipping with Mrs. Durham," I included a poem I'd written with the following lines based on Psalm 55:22 (KJV - "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee..."):

This past Sunday morning, as I turned to the book of Philippians in that Bible (our church is currently in the midst of a series on Philippians), I noticed a notation I'd made in reference to Philippians 4:6-7 (Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus). The notation was a quotation taken from the 17th century Scottish Puritan Henry Scougal's (1650-1678) book "The Life of God in the Soul of Man":

To do justice to Scougal's words, I'll give you the fuller context of what he wrote in the portion of the book entitled,

Photo credits:

I edited the work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Lord_is_my_Good_Shepherd.jpg / ((PD-Art|PD-old-70}}

Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexandre_Couder_-_Woman_Kneeling_in_Prayer_-_Walters_371369.jpg  / CC BY-SA 3.0 / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hare_desert-flowers.jpg  / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Public Domain

Three years ago this month, I became desperate to know, to really know, the joy of the Lord. I had found myself continually overwhelmed and overcome by the here-and-now, by my circumstances, unable to run the race set before me, being dragged down, down, down into doubt, depression, and despair. I was wilting and withering, and not thriving and blossoming as I knew I ought to be as a Christian.

At that time, through my reading and studying the Bible, as well as through other reading (including that of Jonathan Edwards and Martyn Lloyd-Jones ~ and Lord willing, in the near future, I'm hoping to blog on a portion from one of ML-J's books about this, and when I do, I'll add the link here... Just posted October 22: http://naphtali-deer.xanga.com/769016382/the-book-that-made-me-bristle-gods-blessed-goading-for-my-joy--his-glory/), I'd begun to see there was a supernatural joy available to all the children of God (no exceptions) that I'd not yet experienced – though I'll admit that for quite some time prior to that, I was skeptical about it, and I balked at the notion; I doubted and even argued that such a joy wasn't a real possibility for me due to my own personality (prone to depression and unhealthy introspection). I'd put myself in the very dangerous position of limiting and provoking Holy One of Israel (see Psalm 78).

To clarify, the type of joy I'm talking about here is a joy that can't be worked up and can't ever be conjured up, no matter how hard we may try; rather, it's a joy that comes down from above, as the Holy Spirit sovereignly descends upon the Holy Bible to make the doctrines found in the Word of God fire in the heart. However, though the gift is sovereign, we ourselves can't be passive about it, but must pursue it (pursue Him).

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Psalm 86:4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

In his book, "Joy Unspeakable," Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote about three types of assurance that are available to the Christian (I blogged about that here and here, and I would encourage you to read both those posts.)  As way of quick summary, the first two types of assurance are based on: 1) deductions we  make from the Bible, and 2) examination of our lives. Now here's The Doctor explaining the third type of assurance:

But there is a third type of assurance, which is the highest, the most absolute and glorious, and which differs essentially from the other two. How? Like this. You notice, in the first two types of assurance, that what we are doing is to draw deductions, as we read the Scriptures, perhaps. We arrive at the assurance by a process of reading, understanding, self-examination or self-analysis. It is a deduction that we draw from the premises given; and it is right and true. But the glory of this third and highest form of assurance is that it is neither anything we do, nor any deduction that we draw, but an assurance that is given to us by the blessed Spirit himself.

On October 9, 2009, sitting in a coffee shop, I began to embrace the promises of God and to seek the face of God in earnest so I might experience Habakkuk 3 joy no matter what:  no matter my circumstances, no matter my feelings, no matter what others might say about me or do to me, no matter the amount of fruit (or no fruit) in my ministry, etc. I was seeking to know and to experience joy in the Lord so I might be sustained to carry on and persevere in and through all God had in store for me. I was asking, seeking, and knocking for God-breathed joy such as that which the first century Church possessed (or should I say the joy which possessed them?!) – Habakkuk 3 joy which enabled the early Christians to rejoice and sing in hardship and persecution. I was seeking the joy of the Reformers who would not relent and sang in triumph as they were martyred, and the joy which the Scottish Covenanter Mrs. Durham exhibited (a portion of her story is recounted below).

At that time, I recorded some of my heart's burdens and desires in my post, the laborer's lamentation and affirmation, some of which was based on portions of Habakkuk 3. I concluded that post with these words:

Lord of the harvest, grow Your fruit in me first and foremost,
The sacrifice of praise, the fruit of my lips giving thanks to Your Name,
whether I see fruit on the vine or not.

My prayer on that day was the beginning of my series of letters on assurance and fighting for joy (though I'd not titled that blog as such).

Much to my amazement (God does do exceedingly above all we can ask or imagine, does He not?!), it was only a few days later, three years ago today, on October 14, 2009, as I was out walking, that I was surprised by a sense of God's joy that I'd never known prior to that time. I tried to described that moment and what led up to it in my 18th letter on assurance & fighting for joy (posted a couple weeks later on October 29).

If you are Christ's, know this: our God is good, and He is for us and not against us, and He wants to give His children good gifts: God Himself being the greatest Gift!

I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward... Genesis 15:1

... Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.... (See Psalm 73.)

Luke 11:1  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3  Give us day by day our daily bread. 4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. 5  And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6  For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7  And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9  And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Jesus died so we might have fellowship with God. By His blood He redeemed us and reconciled us to God.

I Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God...

That's one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture! Have you ever really considered the wonder of our being brought to God:  that we were all sheep each gone to our own way, dead in our sins, children of disobedience who were under God's wrath and condemnation, eternally separated from God, we were without hope or power –– but while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ suffered and died for His sheep, He became sin for us, He took the punishment we deserved, so we might become the righteousness of God in Him, that we might be brought into the one fold to sup with the Good Shepherd! The way to Eden and to the Tree of Life has been restored to all who believe in Jesus Christ! As Christians, we now have peace with God through out Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!

However, it's far too easy for any of us to get so caught up in the Martha mentality of do, do, do. As a result, we don't take time to savor our relationship with God and to sit at Jesus' feet like Mary and seek to know Him. When was the last time you were lost in wonder, love, and praise over the love, mercy, and grace of God? Christianity in this day and age has been turned on its head. There are many, many exhortations for us to do good works (and of course, faith without works is dead), but there are pitifully few exhortations made from 21st century pulpits for us to follow in the way of the Psalmists: to pant, thirst, and long for the living God. Remember how Jesus Himself defined eternal life:

John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

God wants us to know Him more and more, and to experience joy and peace in believing, so we might be able to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God no matter what our flesh, the world, and the devil are screaming at us, no matter how incessantly they continue to taunt and tempt and tantalize us to throw up our hands and chuck it all! So many of us scurry around like Martha, and we end up burning out because we make our work the be-all and end-all, and we miss out on the one thing necessary. Instead, let's quiet ourselves in the presence of God and sit like Mary, and seek to eat and drink of Christ, so when we do go out to work, we'll be fortified and by God's glorious power, we will be able to stand with patience and longsuffering with joyfullness...

Colossians 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness...

The world is full of grumblers and whiners. As Christians, we are strangers and pilgrims in this fallen world, and, in contrast to unbelievers, because we have the Spirit of God indwelling us, we are uniquely equipped to live above it all:  to put off the self-centered, sinful spirit of grumbling and whining, and to put on Christ so we might rejoice in the Lord always, to receive perfect peace in tribulation and experience joy unspeakable in the midst of our trials. Our God is ready to supply all we need to according to His riches in glory. Do you know those riches? Do you seek them out in your Bible?

Paul's prayers for the churches included prayers that the eyes of their hearts might be opened to know the riches of our glorious inheritance (in addition to the Colossians 1 passage I cited, please see Ephesians 1:15-22 and 3:14-21). How do his prayers compare with your prayers? Jesus said that those who believe on Him already have eternal life. Yes, that life will be consummated in the Glory Everlasting, but my friends, we already have access to foretastes and intimations in this life. The apostle Paul wrote that we are already seated in heavenly places. May we consider our ways! Let us not be sluggish or slothful to open our Bibles and be in prayer, that we might more fully understand and embrace the privileges that are ours, and then to take hold of the great and precious promises, and like Jacob, to take hold of God and not let go until He blesses us, to strive with a holy violence to enter into and to enjoy in greater measure the inheritance that is already ours as children of God. Like Habakkuk, may we be able to bring glory to God as we shine in contrast to the world:  resting rather than panicking in the day of trouble, and rejoicing in the Lord rather than falling into despondency – even as the vicious, cruel, and merciless Babylonian armies may be panting just around the corner, all primed to invade, sack, and devastate Jerusalem, and carry her people away into exile for 70 years!

In the first chapter of his first letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote:

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)

I'd like to rephrase that a bit...

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained JOY, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Like Paul, I consider myself the chief of sinners, and like Paul, I want to be a pattern to those of you who are (or will become) Christians, to show you that the power of God can do immeasurably above all we can ask or imagine: in this case, that God's gift of joy is part of His manifold mercies offered to all who are in Christ, and my prayer is that you might not remain downcast and waste your life grumbling and murmuring and doubting and despairing, but instead, that you might seek the Lord in earnest, so along with me, you too might begin to know and experience the joy God has for you, i.e. - to know and sup with Him who is exceeding Joy, which is part of your inheritance as His child; and that you might shine as a light in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. There is so much I could write on that last point (and I'm hoping to blog more on this in the future), but as you look at the salvation of God coming to God's people, and their joy bubbling up as a result, you'll find that joy goes out to and draws in all the nations (e.g. - see Isaiah 55:1-5, 12-13; Isaiah 61). In other words, our joy in God is holy fuel for evangelism and missions, it's all about gathering souls from every tribe, language, people and nation to worship God, which is God's ultimate purpose:  Isaiah 43:21  This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

I wrote the poem below as a tribute to the work God began in me three years ago, and as testimony to His steadfast love and His abounding grace pouring out to me, so I might be a witness to His never-failing faithfulness to His elect. Remember, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to drink freely of the Living Water, to drink of our God, who is exceeding Joy!

Romans 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

From Strong's Concordance: "make glad" = samach (saw-makh') a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome:--cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, X very.

John 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Isaiah 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4  Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5  Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

I thank and praise my God that He was very gracious to my cries three years ago, and that He continues to be very gracious to me. Now, to be clear about this, I have had to continue to fight for joy all the time, I'd have to say that pretty much every day something from my own flesh, the world, or the devil tempts or provokes me so I might lapse and slide down, down, down into doubt, depression, and despair in the blink of an eye –– but the Lord has continued to be gracious to me time and time again, and, as I come to my senses, and confess my sins of doubt and fear and unbelief, and as I take my eyes off myself and my circumstances, and turn and seek God's face and ask Him once again to rejoice my soul, He never fails to surprise and refresh and undergird and thrill me over and over again with firm assurances from His Word, and on certain blessed occasions, He grants me a felt sense of His presence, and fills me with joy unspeakable and full of glory. O! To dance and skip for joy all my days – that is my desire! To dance and skip for joy even in the darkest, cloudiest, and most discouraging day, when all seems fruitless and hopeless, when all is crying out to me to quit! To have a Spirit-imparted, blessed assurance of the sovereignty, love, goodness, mercy, grace, and glory of God, so I might be strengthened to rejoice at the days to come like Margaret Durham. My friends, never forget:  we have not because we ask not! Is anything too hard for the God of all flesh? As our days, so shall our strength be! As our days, so shall our joy be! The veil has been opened, and through the Spirit we now free to dance from grace to grace, and skip from glory to glory. Like Caleb's daughter Achsah (Joshua 15; Judges 1), let us be importunate and ask, seek, and knock for the blessing, so we too might receive the upper and lower springs, to be strengthened by the Lord to walk upon our high places!

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Here are links to some of the other letters on assurance and fighting for joy which I've written. You can access the rest here: http://naphtali-deer.xanga.com/tags/assuranceandjoy/ (Sometimes Xanga is quirky, and you might need to add a page # onto the end of that web link to access all the pages, e.g. http://naphtali-deer.xanga.com/tags/assuranceandjoy/15 ). If you have further questions, please comment below and/or message me. Please note: if you're struggling with assurance over forgiveness of sins and cleansing from guilt, please see my posts here: http://naphtali-deer.xanga.com/704329622/links-to-my-series-dealing-with-past-sins--guilt/.

• Letter 1 on assurance and fighting for joy
• Letter 3 on assurance and fighting for joy (Jesus' desire vs. Satan's desire)
• Letter 10 on assurance and fighting for joy (joy is for ALL!)
• Letter 13 on assurance and fighting for joy (strengthened for endurance and patience with joy)
• Letter 15 on assurance and fighting for joy (Joy is a gift of God, more than a feeling)
• Letter 16 on assurance and fighting for joy (our prayers, His wise denials and joy)
• Letter 18 on assurance and fighting for joy (my testimony of joy)
• "give me also springs of water" - Will you be an Achsah? (letter 66 on assurance & fighting for joy)
• Will you finish your course with joy? (Acts 20:24) - letter 71 on assurance & joy
• Christian, don't waste your life whining - letter 72 on assurance & joy
• a conversation with Jesus about misplaced joy ("do not rejoice in this" - letter 73 on joy)
• Doubting one, do you know Me as a rewarder? | letter 78 on assurance & fighting for joy
• Are you a radiant Christian or a drunken old woman? (letter 82 on assurance & fighting for joy)
• asking a hard thing (letter 84 on assurance & fighting for joy)
• Are you keeping calm & carrying on? Do you react or respond? ~ Isaiah 7:1-9 - letter 112
• The flags unfurled ... Christ's eternal banner | Lloyd-Jones ~ a third type of assurance - letter 118
• disappointment ~ appointment | letter 119 on assurance & fighting for joy
• Who wants candles when he has the sun?" ~ Edward Payson | letter 124 on assurance & joy
• five years ago ~ for your joy (AND an inheritance | Richard Sibbes & the Sealing of the Spirit) ~ Letter 136
• "Your works I know, your toil, your pain" (Labor Day reflections) | letter 146 on fighting for joy

Other related posts:

• birthday reflection: "the great & glorious possibilities" ~ "Now therefore, give me this mountain"
• Advent #1 WHY HAS JESUS COME? that we might have life & life more abundantly
• Advent # 5 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might draw near to God | Even a Vapor
• Advent # 7 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might be satisfied with Him
• don't waste your new year ~ teach us, satisfy us, make us glad (Psalm 90:12-15)
• As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
• Embittered, pricked in heart? Go into the sanctuary of God (Psalm 73)

• postcards from England: are we excited over a dead fish and a car wreck?
• The Christian should not just believe the truth, and know it..." | the Father's assurance
• update w/ excerpt: Lloyd-Jones' sermons on the role of experience in Christianity

More on the Persecution in Scotland:

• The Covenanters: The Fifty Years Struggle: 1638-1688
• Covenanter on Wikipedia
• Who Were the Covenanters
• The Covenanters - Index
• The Great Ejection: English Religious Laws 1660-1728
• Ladies of the Covenant:  Memoirs of Distinguished Scottish Female Characters by Rev. James Anderson

Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. Emphasis mine.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo credits:

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