"To Know His Joy"

"If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy." (Psalms 137:6)

   I prefer to rejoice, if I have a choice! We always have a choice; no matter what might be pressing into us, making a choice to push back, makes the people around you see that there is something more important that keeps you, other than any of this stuff. Do people ever ask you, Where does that hope you have come from? If they don't, they should! We own something more important than all the treasures of this life; more than life itself, because it is something out of this world! That is maybe the most important part, that it is beyond the reach of anyone, and no one can touch it or take it away from us; dare I say, not even ourselves. I here Pastor Mike make mention of this all the time: "You cannot loose your salvation; but you can throw it away." Maybe that is true; and maybe it is just something we will need to wait and see what happens. Personally, I don't particularly buy it: If you throw it away, then it was never really worth having in the first place; because if you have tasted what is Good, how in the world could ever really want to be rid of it? I will still keep an open mind, when it comes to other people; but as for me, this is too real to throw away, even if I have doubts, those doubts are the things that must be thrown away, not the Truth! I still stick by John's answer to that question, as he says: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19) It is really quit simple to understand, you either love the Lord and hate the world, or you don't; because if you love the world, you cannot love the Lord! Look at the last five words of that statement, because there are a couple different ways to look a John's description of what was manifested in those that left; the one that I believe is being put forth is the Way, meaning that they were not all in and about going in the same direction. It is a lot like Paul's description about our conversation, where conversation is speaking about where your heart is located and in what direction you are thinking towards. It is what controls your behavior or conduct; it is the thing that makes you tick! Do you really want to know something amazing? When you count it all joy, you actually feel stronger! It is really strange the way that works, because the whole point of the tongue clinging to the roof of your mouth is that of being parched or weak. It is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength! Next time you feel like throwing away anything to do with following Jesus, think about what really gives you joy, because there is no greater joy that knowing where you are going...

"According to my earnest expectations and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21)