Fullness of Joy

Need more joy in your life?  The answer is to live in His presence.  The Psalmist emphatically stated, "In His presence there is fullness of joy and at His right Hand pleasures forevermore". (Ps 16:11)  David, the Psalmist certainly knew the joy of the Lord, dancing with all his might before the Ark of the Covenant (the symbol of God's Presence and Power), and in his extravagant worship of the Lord was disdained by his very own wife for his open display of ecstatic joy in God's presence.

As the song goes, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."  It is when we look into His face that the things of the earth, the worrying, crippling or niggling things are washed away in the Presence of His Holiness.  Our joy is found in His All-Sufficiency, The El Shaddai. 

The first mention of this name of God is found in Genesis when God commands Abraham, "I am El Shaddai.  Walk before me and be perfect." (Gen 17:1), an impossible command unless, like the baby who nurses at its mother's breast for its nourishment and survival, we come to the El Shaddai to receive from His Hand the power to change whilst we trust in the All Mighty one, who is able to conquer and destroy all the destructive strongholds that seek to suck the joy out of our lives.  When we know God as the Omnipotent One, all our struggles and negative circumstances can be left at the foot of His Throne while He appropriates the grace and help we need to overcome.

Yesterday has gone.  Tomorrow may or may not come.  People have died of the most bizarre circumstances.  The only moment we have is the now.  Should we waste this moment choosing anything less than being joyful, even in the challenging circumstances of living life?  The Apostle Paul is still a great example of having joy in the midst of taxing conditions.

The crowd [also] joined in the attack upon them, and the rulers tore the clothes off of them and commanded that they be beaten with rods. And when they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. He, having received [so strict a] charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened.   Act16:22-24

Paul and Silas's praises transported them out of the severe discomfort, filthiness and smell of the rotting goal into the presence of His Majesty.  As their praises rose into the heavenly realms, it captured El Roi (the One who sees) heart and "Inhabiting the praises" of these two disciples, an earthquake of His presence burst open the doors of the prison and prisoners and guards alike (who were listening to this worship) were swept into the fullness of joy and salvation as the bondages that sought to keep them in despair fell off.  In the midst of circumstances, we too can chose to praise the One from who deliverance comes.  Or we can choose to sit amongst the disappointments, disillusionment and disenchantments of broken dreams and be consumed by these instead of looking heavenly to the One who gave us all, so that we might have LIFE in Him.

Oh the power in praising when we don't understand and when circumstances are beyond our control.  No extreme expression of faith could be more powerful when we choose to praise in the dark of "I don't know why this in happening" and invites the Light of the Spirit to comfort and drop in the seed of peace that surpasses all understanding.  An expression of faith, when we can say no matter what the circumstance, Lord God I trust in you that the outcome will be to my advantage.  We show we trust in what God can do in and within the circumstances when we hand over the control of our life to the control of the only One who is All-Sufficient.  His joy will be our strength.  His joy will help us laugh in the face of adversity and stop the enemy in his tracks. 

His joy!  Found and contained in His Presence.  Linger there today.