A WORD IN SEASON TO THE WEARY
🌷🌷🌷 September 8🌷🌷🌷
“…these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4).
If you go to Denmark, you will not find any poor man there; everybody is prosperous. Nobody is unemployed. Everybody has a good job. They have a sanatorium but no patients, whereas in India, you have a waiting list for the sick for many, many months. Yet in Denmark with all their knowledge and skilfulness and prosperity, they have a large number of suicides. Every day you find young people and old people committing suicide. Those who depend upon their possessions for their happiness are disappointed. But the man of God says in Hab. 3:17-18 that even though he may lose everything which he possesses, yet he will rejoice in the Lord. For the believer there is a joy which is not dependent upon land or buildings, or prosperity, or any kind of wealth or possession. Have you found that joy? It is for such a purpose the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world, and now, so lovingly, He is offering that joy to all people in any part of the world. “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). “Rejoice evermore” (1 Thess. 5:16). That joy will not go away, whether you have good health or ill health, whether you have many friends or enemies, whether you are in your own home or away from home. There are many people who get home-sick. They think that their joy depends upon their home. This joy is not like that. Wherever you may be the joy is there. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy…” (Rom.15:13). Our Lord was saying these words to the disciples, because they were feeling so sad and discouraged. Our Lord was saying, “The time has come. I must suffer, be reviled, mocked and killed for your sake”. They could not understand why our Lord with so much power and authority must suffer like that. “These things (about His suffering and dying) have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full”. He suffered for your need and mine; He did not suffer to get sympathy; but He suffered and died to make your joy full, that wherever you are, you may have that joy.
Not only so, but this joy will increase day by day. “…the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13: 52). They were going through extreme suffering, (verse 50), they were persecuted, hated, falsely accused, and expelled from their coasts. Yet, they were filled with joy. None of these sufferings and trials lessened their joy. But in our case, perhaps even a small trouble will take away our joy, and it will take you many many days to recover it. If somebody tries to accuse you falsely in a small matter, you will be feeling very very hurt and wounded for many months. That is human nature. But, the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to make our joy full.
