“So there was much joy in that city.”(Acts 8:8 ESV)
Our church is right in the middle of Vacation Bible School and there has been much joy at Emmanuel Baptist. We are very much blessed. So I want to say something that I desire to be encouraging: joy comes only from the Glory of God and that is a wonderful thing.
Grace is much more than forgiving sinners, it is the unlimited capacity of God to love sinners and make them righteous. And in doing this He is entirely free to destroy and disturb all that binds us. I want to assume that everyone reading this grasps that what binds us is always our own misconceptions, sinful desires, and outright rebellion against God’s desires. He is working His glory into us, because His glory is our joy.
As much as I am anything I am an advocate of good marriage, good friendships, good church fellowship, and good food; let us understand that these are gifts He gives to demonstrate His glory. They themselves are not what brings joy, He works it in a believer. And so He retains Sovereignty over them and has authority over how we pursue them.
Here is where the rubber meets the road for a believer, we do not get to choose who God brings into our lives. We do not get to choose who He draws to our churches. And here is what is truly wonderful about that. Even if we give all of ourselves and get nothing in return, His glory always remains. Even if all our effort appears to add up to nothing, His glory always remains. Joy is Everlasting!
Grace be with you,
Jason
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