My Joy... Your Joy!

​Today I share with you an outstanding devotion by Oswald Chambers in His devotional “My Utmost For His Highest” for August 31.
It is simply, incredibly powerful and worth meditating upon. I will make a few personal comments and share some insights after you read it.
“That My joy may remain in you, and that you joy might be full.” John 15:11
“What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do “I delight to do Thy will.” Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?
The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happiness, not in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had.
The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of the world, said Jesus, will choke God’s word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the shows of things. All that God has done for us is the mere threshold; He wants to get us to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.
Be rightly related to God. Find your joy there. Then out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a center for Jesus Christ to pour living water through. Stop being self-conscious. Stop being a sanctified prig (archaic: one who offends or irritates) and live the life hid with Christ.
The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes.
The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it.”  
Observations Concerning Chamber’s Thoughts

• Happiness is circumstantial. Joy is relational. The joy of Jesus makes it possible for His followers to walk by faith in peace as overcomers through all life circumstances.
• Focusing on circumstances brings unhappiness. Focusing on Jesus and His Word brings joy.
• Self-absorption with my circumstances cuts off the flow of Christ’s joy. As long as I dwell on my situation, Jesus’ joy will be distant until I surrender the circumstances to the Lord.
• Biblical joy flows from the heart of Jesus. I do not manufacture or stir up my own joy. My joy is His joy in me as I trust Him with my life.
• Jesus’s joy is constant as we maintain a faithful, self-denying, self-sacrificing, obedient relationship with Him.
• Jesus’ joy is to be shared, not hoarded. Christians are witnesses of Jesus joy that flows from a personal relationship with Him.
• Jesus’ joy does not have to be advertised, paraded or bragged about. It flows naturally if you will through you and me to touch other hearts of others.
• The purpose of Jesus’ joy: fill us and flow through us to win lost, joyless, searching souls to the Lord. Salvation produces joy unspeakable and full of glory for time and eternity!

I say again, joy has nothing to do with circumstances and everything to do with Jesus Christ. Your and my joy flows out of our relationship with the Lord. What is amazing and spiritually mind-boggling to me is that Jesus’ joy is Steve’s joy.
Jesus’ joy is not just for me. His joy is yours too if you have surrendered yourself to Him and you follow Him as your Lord and Savior.
His joy that is my joy and yours is to be shared with joyless people who do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
My friends, joyless, unhappy, depressed, anxious, fearful people are everywhere. Sadly, many of them attend church. Most never darken the door of God’s house. Where will joyless folks find joy if they do not see the joy of the Lord in Christians?
How about you? Do people see the joy of the Lord on your face? In your attitude and words? Are you a joyful Christian that people who know you are blessed by and drawn to Jesus who you love and serve? A genuinely joyful countenance will get people’s attention!
My fellow follower of Jesus, please do not be a professing Christian whose face looks like you were baptized in lemon juice! A sourpuss never wins anyone to the Christ. Why in the world would a person looking for the answer to life hook up with someone who says they serve a risen Savior but looks and lives like the walking dead? Just saying.
Is Jesus’ joy your joy every day? Do people see Jesus’ joy in you?
“Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat; drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.” John 16:24
“Therefore, you too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” John 16:22
A Word For Your Week: Jesus’ joy is our joy. Hallelujah!