Brown's Daily Word 5-30-08

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this last Friday of May. It is going to be one of the ten best days. The Grace United Methodist Church in beautiful Burlington, Vermont, is hosting a weekend India Festival to raise funds for the ministry to the children in Orissa, India. Our friends Linda, Warren, and Pam, together with their team, have worked tirelessly for this event. Pray for the Lord of the harvest would grant them His favor and great blessing.
During our Alpha Study program a few years ago I recall Nicky Gumbo making a note about Robert Louis Stevenson, who once entered in his diary what he considered to be an extraordinary thing. He said, "I have been to Church today, and (surprisingly) I am not depressed." Christians are called to be joyful in all circumstances. Christian concepts of joy are different from the world's. The joy of the Lord is the result of God’s work in our hearts (Galatians 5:22). Christ didn’t come that you might have sadness; He came that you might have a full life. (John 10:10) The book of Nehemiah records a time when the people of Israel came back into their homeland after spending 70 years in exile. They began to rebuild their home in the ‘land of promise’. Israel was regaining her homeland and returning to faith. The book of the law had been discovered and Nehemiah called the people together to have Ezra conduct a public reading of God’s law. The Israelites had different stages of reaction to the law. First, they fell into repentant sorrow. Second, they began to praise and worship the Lord. Third, they celebrated the “Feast of Booths” as the law commanded. The result was great joy! Nehemiah told them, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is a great blessing to FIND JOY IN THE WORD. (8:1-4, 8-12) It was in the reading of the Word that the people saw two things: their need for repentance and their joy at God’s forgiveness. We need repentance! God blesses the penitent heart, and we also need some serious introspection! Psalm 51:17 states, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me…. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Repentance doesn’t lead us to depression, but celebration! God forgives; his love causes him to forgive and we are the beneficiaries of his grace. Romans 2:4, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” Repentance is changing our minds concerning our sin. We need to keep a humble, penitent heart. We cannot celebrate without repentance! When we look at the word we both repent and celebrate! It is blessing to know that we CAN FIND JOY IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD (8:5-6)When Ezra read the word of the Lord there were both jubilation (raised hands & Amens!) and supplication (face down in prayer and reverence). There is joy in our personal and congregational worship to the Lord. It is written in Psalm 16:11, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 100 is a song or praise and worship to Almighty God. In James 5:13b is written, “….Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” In James 5:13a, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray….” Our times of worship should involve a bringing of our needs to the Father; this implies trust. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” It is a blessing to know that Joy can be found in the Word and in the Worship of God. It is also a blessing to know that we CAN FIND JOY IN THE WILL OF GOD (14-18). Joy can be found today for all Christians! It is found in the Word of the Lord, in the Worship of the Lord, and in the Will of the Lord! This joy is strength for us. Let us come to the sources that can produce joy in our lives, so that we will have the strength to fight the good fight, to finish our course and keep the faith! “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones”(Proverbs 17:22). “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Psalm 20:5).

In His Joy,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPeVIuRjUi4