Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and pray for all of those affected by the recent fires and evacuations. Move through your people and open homes and hearts to comfort those in need. We also pray for the many putting themselves at risk to fight these fires. Give them protection, energy, for the fight. Lord Jesus, I also pray especially for that which seems the farthest away from our hearts and minds, and for which the Apostle Paul speaks about so often in times like this….JOY. May it transcend our circumstance, our time and place.
Because, Lord, if we have joy that transcends....if we’re able to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit...then it came from you, not from us, you bought it, you made it available by your blood shed upon the cross. It is a grace from you and we thank you, if we have such a joy then we cannot only endure, but soar!
But Lord, how can we have joy when the joy that we know is built around all the things of this life? There is no substance to our joy when the things of this life are taken away. Time and time again this is proved. Build a solid rock, build substance, place yourself as the cornerstone beneath our joy.
James 1 says consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, that whenever you face trials of many kinds you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Lacking nothing, Father…
1 Thessalonians 1 reminds us that even in the midst of severe suffering there is joy given by the Holy Spirit…
1 Peter 1 says we can greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, we grieve, in all kinds of trials…
Colossians 1 says to be strengthened, so that you may have great endurance and patience, and can give joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance…for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption...
But what can we say? We have affliction everywhere...let there be joy everywhere Father! A joy that that is found in you is a joy that can’t be afflicted like our possessions can, our emotions, like our bodies can. When we have joy in you Lord we have freedom! Our hearts leap for the goodness found in you Father.
Some of us are weeping, many worrying, let us not forget these times. We need to remember what it was like. We often say, “I can’t wait for 2020 to be over”, but what will we be returning to Father? Our comfort? Our pleasures? Our property? Our health? As we look back on this year let us remember how it paled in comparison to when we discovered the unmitigated joy that we experienced. Let us not end 2020...Lord, let 2020 be redeemed, transformed; let it be as we just read in 1 Peter: though we have been grieved with trials our faith is magnified! It praises you Lord.
Paul in Philippians chapter 3 counts everything as loss compared to this. Success as loss, health as loss, democracy as loss, acceptance or being culturally connected as loss, our houses as loss, freedom from oppression?…..as loss. I can go on, family, friends, milestones, politics, vacation, power...as loss….loss in comparison to the joy we have in you. Let us remember Father that you give us these things to show that these, things, are not our treasure, Christ is.
May it be plain to the world that all of these things are not our treasure, you are! Psalm 30 declares "though weeping comes and endures through the night, JOY cometh in the morning." By your spirit, by your power, we are free people and we will not be cowed by loss. We rejoice! Yes, Lord…..we rejoice because of you.
Holy Spirit come and comfort, come and bring us joy. Joy that lasts, joy in you, for your glory. Hallelujah.
Amen.
— Written by Jason Downing for Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020