Joy of the Lord - His purposes accomplished conviction and purification
Nehemiah 8:1-12 - to hear the truth of God's truth, His commands that assure us of His love and keeping, purification and making - as with so much else, joy and experiencing joy, is a matter of perspective… God’s perspective, His eternal perspective. (Psalm 39; Luke 10:1-3, 16- 20-21)
Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 103:14 “For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.”
Unearthing joy, mining for joy*, experiencing the joy of our salvation (1Peter 1; Psalm 51)
*or in the case of “wisdom” (which is knowing God and His truth and the joy of life in and with Him) “...look for it as for silver and search for it as hidden treasure…” Prov 2:1-11)
Joy is very often buried underneath everything this world has done to us, everything sin has done - as true joy is only found in the fulfillment of our true and real purpose - and this world, and our experiences in it, so often wars against knowing that purpose and experiencing that joy. Our purpose is only found as we discover why we were created - by whom, for whom, to whom we were created, and living that life’s joy that is in us by Spirit and Truth.
This purpose is discovered when we see God in the face of Christ, Jesus - and there, there is joy.
Though the joy be there, it can sometimes feel fleeting… Now, our experiencing that joy can be diminished by sin and its consequences - this does not mean our joy and its source are gone, but that we have often put ourselves in a position to have difficulty seeing and experiencing it - whether that be by the consequence of sin and the discipline that comes - as “no discipline is pleasant” (Heb 12) - but in the end it brings joy because when endured it produces “righteousness” which is, Christ-likeness.
Or by our perspective… The 3 people illustration - proximity and experiencing joy
Joy IS ever-present and never removed - because it is the fruit of our salvation (Luke 10; 1Pet 3; Gal 5:22), yes, it is often blunted by sin and its consequences, BUT/AND ALSO, as well by the perspective our finite selves tend to have of our circumstances.
All of this is why “rejoice…” is commanded and exhorted all through the New Testament as it is - the writers of the scriptures, these letters of love, are imploring us to raise our eyes above the temporal to the eternal - knowing that that eternal perspective will shape the temporal, the now. And, vice-versa, that remaining in a temporal perspective will skew our understanding of God’s intentions and rob us of that eternal, God perspective - the truth of what ACTUALLY is.
We’ve been created to know God, to be known by God, to enjoy God, and be enjoyed by Him (Jer 24:7; 30:22; 32:38-39; Ez 11:20; Rev 21:1-7,22-25; 22:1-5,14,17)
Therefore, joy is found in and through our sufferings, as our suffering is the mining for joy.
God knows, in order for us to truly be the expression of His glory that He intended and the truth of who we are in Christ, we, what have been made to be, must be extracted from the lies that that sin has made us. As by the truth of who and whose we are is revealed and made known, the lies being removed, make way for the truth of who we are to emerge and be revealed.
As this truth is made known we see the image of what we were by God’s first intention (“made in His image and likeness” Gen 2), and are now becoming in Jesus (“created in Christ Jesus…” Eph 2:10), what we are being created to be emerges, and as it is revealed joy begins to rise - because when we are discovering who we really are in Christ, which is our purpose, we see we are becoming all that we were meant to be – like Jesus! (Rom 8:29; 1Cor 15:49; 2Cor 3:18; Phl 3:21; Col 3:10; 1John 3:2).
The words of God are the tools of God’s mining and purifying in the hands of the Spirit.
As we were exposed to the truths embedded in His word, all of the impediments, the adulterations, the dirt and drawse, are exposed and brought to the fore (“light” John 1:1--5; 3:21). As the process of refining commences, the truth and the Spirit work together to strip away what does not belong causing the face of the miner, the refiner, to emerge in the pure gold, the pure silver, that we were meant to be - the image of the creator begins to take shape and form. (Psalm 66:10; 1Peter 1:3-9) (Notes on “glory to glory”)
Psalm 66:10 “You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.”
1Peter 1:7 “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” NLT
Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we b boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Heb 12:4-13
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” a
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13“Make level paths for your feet,” b so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
