I woke up this morning with these words in my heart. Much like song lyrics or poetry….they were very much swirling. I guess this morning my closet with Christ will be at this computer. I hope I can keep up with Him:)

Broken plans and broken dreams we often long to be “fixed.” Yet Christ does not always intend on fixing them at all. For His most fruitful work may be a result of that which was broken. Jeremiah 29:11 says this:

I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. (NCV)

Yet this passage shows me my own struggles as the truth is it’s all about “His plans..” not my own. Jeremiah fulfilled God’s desires a the weeping prophet, Jonah even though He hated God’s request and even tried to run from the place God was sending Him…He eventually can we say..HAD TO GO! (chuckle) So down here on this big ole earth…it’s simply not about us ya’ll. He has an eternal plan that affects the souls of man. He is preparing for His bride. he is patiently waiting for her to get ready. Because He desires all to be ready…He allows brokenness …to make us more like Him and also to place us where we need to be for “the plans He has for us.” Which are kingdom plans. In the Kingdom “work” has been assigned to each of us. We have such earthly minded thoughts…rather than eternal minded. I read little about the apostles worrying about long rang plans for their lives. Retirement, vacations, what kind of ministries they are to have. They simply followed His leading daily. Every day was committed to follow Christ and share Him wherever the Holy Spirit told them to go. Sometimes the Holy Spirit did not even allow them into certain areas. It saddens me as I read Paul’s account in Acts. 18:20 “When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent…..but I will return to  you, God willing.” Paul could not be concerned about his own heart’s desires or even the desire of those he was with..for God had given him direction on where to go next..and he simply followed Jesus.

As we shared in Bible study this week in my home I suddenly realized a truth I had missed for years. We have been looking at Joy. Joy in the midst of pain, suffering, and brokenness. Does God expect us to be joyful when tragedy strikes, dreams are lost, relationships die,etc. I have reconciled the answer to be no. He certainly wept over His own people. He also wept when His friend died…He, Himself was a man of sorrows.

As we were wrapping it up the passage of scripture came to mind…but as if the Lord read it to me with very different phraseology. Sometimes that in itself can mean EVERYTHING!

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength – Nehemiah 8:10

Now I have said this a bazillion times.. but I want you to read it like this..and more slowly.

The —Joy of the Lord—is my strength.

He is not say..The Joy I give you is your strength. Or the Joy of Shelly is your strength. or the joy of your dreams, passions, destinies are your strength. or even the joy of your ministry is your strength.

You may say I am splitting hairs here but let me explain to you what I feel He showed me in an instant. I’ll use a few examples. In my past I found plenty of so called joy partying it up on weekends hungover…yet I can assure you there was no ..Joy of the Lord..there.  We can find much joy in sinful lifestyles…where He has no joy. He merely grieves it because He has better plans for us than the fulfilling of earthly joy and desires.

However, I can pursue the forgiveness of several people (this really happened recently) from my distant and recent past where I wounded them unintendedly yet had not expressed my sorrow over it..and I can tell you in that very moment I knew …The JOY OF THE LORD!

Because He dwells in us..when we obey His Word, when we help a neighbor, when we love well, He swells in us. In those moments it is His Joy that gives us our own joy! It is why missionaries can be in the midst of terrible circumstances in countries where there is strife and war! Because they are fulfilling His plan..which brings Him great JOY and in turn His Joy becomes their strength!

It is why even when called to do something you absolutely fear..while doing it there is a JOY in your heart that overcomes the anxiety and fear. It’s not your own joy..It’s HIS! If we could only remember..He LIVES IN US! It’s not a saying or a myth…It’s for REAL! When we bind the broken hearts of the world however God calls us to do this..His JOY will swell inside of you. It’s how I can write a song in the midst of deep sorrow and JOY overwhelmes me. Not because I am joyful…me Shelly in my own sorrow..but because He is joyful at His plan unfolding…remember He sees the end. The beautiful outcome!

What usually happens, however..to me anyways. I will wrestle with my circumstances. I will wish for things to return to that which they were. In this I won’t find much of His joy swelling. For in essence I have not yet yielded to His plan in my heart and mind…I am still hoping for my own plan to return.

Joy

I think  I’ll take your JOY Lord

for it is lasting and means much more.

My JOY..well it seems fleeting

and quickly weakens and becomes sore.

My strength it shall grow as Joy you swell

at plans and desires that you foretell

so release I do that which I’ve hoped

so you can fulfill the plans you know.

I desire nothing less as you reside

than fullness of JOY as you preside.

For my heart your home I gave you to live

so fill it with JOY that only you give.

Let the hungry be fed and thirsty come drink.

You’ll fill me with great JOY as you simply use me.

Let’s cross uncharted waters to do Kingdom work

Swell in me tears of JOY as you heal the hurts.

Seep kindness, gentleness, and  love

as in my heart you swell.

The Joy that you have promised

As  you and I set sail.

 

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength – Nehemiah 8:10

 

Joy comes as we do as He desires. As we choose what He desires us to choose. Whether it’s a new job, a spouse, a ministry partner, feeding the poor, binding the brokenhearted,etc. Joy will escape us if we choose another path or fulfill our own desires. Some choices may even bring us earthly pleasure..but it will not last. As we fulfill His desires..big or small..His JOY will swell within our hearts..and become our strength. We will never want to be without it…it is why we must seek for His desires, His direction, His decisions in small and large matters. Otherwise, we may be void of true joy… and what sadness that would be. It is why so many wander aimlessly in this world filling a void with all manners of things, people, pleasure..yet never finding JOY…For in this case JOY has yet to reside in them…Jesus..