Month: June 2012

The Joy of the Lord

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” John 17:14

Jesus Christ was a man of sorrows, and yet he often spoke of joy. He knew of joy, because he steadfastly possessed it, in spite of everything he had to suffer and endure.  A joy that can face the cross, man’s betrayal, and the apparent desertion of those whom he trusted.   And he desired for this joy to be fulfilled in our lives.

The joy of the Lord is not of this world;  it is not boisterous;  it is a holy joy that manifests itself within us, something that can be experienced from the very depths of our being. We cannot create this joy ourselves; it is a fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us.

This joy is independent of the world and external circumstances.  It is said that in the middle of a storm, there is a central place of utter calm.  In the same way, while on earth, the Lord always stood in that place of tranquility in spite of all the tumult that surrounded him. Christ’s joy is a fortress that no outward force can penetrate or destroy.

Let us consider some practical ways we can cultivate this joy, this fruit of the Spirit.

The first thing we can do is to avoid focusing on our own feelings, but rather practice the art of meditation. This is the secret of joy: we reflect upon the Lord, Who He is, and what He has done for us;  we ruminate upon His Word and promises. The more we seek the face of God, the greater our assurance of His love and of our salvation, and the richer our experience of this joy will be.

Next, we need to avoid everything that will break our fellowship with God, for the moment this is broken, we become miserable.  We must do our best to avoid sin and refrain from looking to the world for happiness.

Most of all, we behold the things that Christ spoke of, the truths that He made manifest while on earth, and contemplate and dwell upon them.

“These things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”

The Lord prayed to the Father, and spoke about the joy He wanted to impart to us.  Indeed how marvelous it is to know that it is possible for Christ’s joy to be fulfilled in us, and thereby glorify Him in our lives on earth!

** Related Post that describes the elements of joy : https://liliessparrowsandgrass.com/2012/01/04/elements-of-joy/

** Reference:  Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Safe in the World: The Assurance of Our Salvation”, Crossway Books, Illinois, 1988, pp. 106-118.

** Photography by David Gois

Where Love Dwells

Where Love Dwells

“And Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.”  Genesis 29:20

Love dwells in eternal habitations,
where seasons form
as the dew from heaven
upon the grass —

In quiet abodes
where burdens are weightless
as scattered feathers
afloat
between the branches —

Where the waiting
is not waiting
and the silence is palpable
as the song
of apple blossoms.

by  D. G. Vachal © 2012

I Considered the Lilies


I Considered the Lilies

“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin” Matthew 6:28

I considered the lilies,
birds of the air,
grass of the field —
You asked,
“Are you not
much better than they?”

From that nascent moment
when eyes first saw the light,
mumbling lips
birthed joy
unspeakable:
my life a conundrum,
a mustard seed,
a gift.

For You pursued me
but I found You:
as the thirsty deer
in summer
pants towards the mirthful
water brooks —

And like the almond
will I blossom
in love’s grace,
by the lilies,
birds of the air,
grass of the field —
by streams
of living water.

by D. G. V. © 2012

*** edited version of a previous post
*** photography by Oleg Shatov

Where to Start When Trials Arise

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of  whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

There is a strategy, a great principle for facing the battles and conflicts of life in the 27th psalm, condensed by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in the following words:  “Always start with heaven and with God, and then come down to face the problems on earth, as you find them in the light of what you have already seen through God’s light”.

Never start with man, never begin with an earthly perspective. Many failures are the result of starting at the wrong place to find a solution.

Why do we start with God?  The first thing we notice in the first few verses is the psalmist’s overwhelming confidence and assurance, not in himself, but in God.  Let us consider the reasons for this unshakable certainty.

The Lord is his light. Light is the opposite of darkness and despair, and in the light, we see things  clearly. When we are in the midst of trials, we grope in darkness:  we have limited understanding, and we blindly grapple for human solutions. But we can look up to heaven and to God for light and understanding, for the Lord shows us another way, another kind of life, a way out of darkness. For He Himself is the light in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who proclaimed, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

The light of life.  The radiance that illuminates our pathways as we live our lives on earth. What a tremendous promise and assurance!

The Lord is his salvation.  When we turn to God, He guarantees our welfare, by showing us the way of escape.  Through Christ, God delivers us out of the kingdom of darkness and translates us into the kingdom of light.  It is a glorious transformation: despite the presence of sufferings, we are rescued out of the stronghold of tyrannical darkness, in understanding and in spirit, and we are elevated to a position of peace, strength and safety.

The Lord is the strength of his life.  In spite of the formidable forces of the enemies of our life and our soul , when we look to God and rely upon Him, we have the confidence of a limitless Power behind us, Whose strength and resources are boundless.

As we look to the Lord before anything else, in whatever circumstance we are in, we ultimately acknowledge Him to be our light, our strength and our salvation.  And from this principle flows the wellspring of our confidence and assurance in the face of trials, even at their very worst.  Whom then shall we fear, and of whom shall we be afraid?

1 Reference: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon, “Seek My Face”