The Center of My Joy

Passage:

Philippians 4:4-13

Key Verse:

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. “ v. 12 (NASB)

One of my favorite songs that our church's choir sings, by Richard Smallwood, is entitled “The Center of My Joy”. In its chorus, the composer was divinely inspired to sum up Paul’s feelings as he wrote the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Philippians: 

Jesus, You’re the center of my joy.

All that’s good and perfect comes from You.

You’re the heart of my contentment.

Hope for all I do.

Jesus, You’re the center of my joy.

We live in a very spoiled society. As such, much of our “happiness” comes from what we do or don’t have. Likewise, most people in the world base their peace on whether the sea around them is peaceful or stormy. Many live in an “entitlement” state of mind and expect things to happen on their schedule and according to their plan. When they don’t get their way, they kick and pout or, worse yet, get depressed.  Ask the psychiatrists and pharmacists around – much of the world’s “peace” these days come from a tiny and expensive bottle, which needs to be re-filled every 30 days. Please note that I don’t intend, by any means, to dismiss the fact that anti-depressants are necessary in certain circumstances. I know the effects of an unbalanced chemistry on one’s brain caused by disease or elevated stress. However, my purpose in this study is to challenge you to think of peace and joy as Paul did. According to this man in shackles, neither our peace nor our joy should ever be based on our circumstances, but on the unchangeable truths that we know as Christians.

Historians agree that Paul wrote this and three other epistles (Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon) as a prisoner in Rome. He had been beaten, scourged, hungry, and cold. Not to mention that, according to chronological studies of his life, he was over 60 years old when he wrote the epistles. What then makes this man write such encouraging words to his flock, while living in such difficult circumstances? As a beacon of hope, his epistles have been guiding God’s people for almost 2,000 years. His strong and assertive writings certainly do not resemble what you and I would normally say in the midst of a crisis: “For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” – This is so much easier said than done, or parading on a bumper sticker rather than in one’s heart. Yet – that is the secret of true contentment – to anchor our hope, joy and faith on the Rock that never changes. But because this type of contentment is not natural to us, we must research a bit deeper into how Paul was able to find it. As we do so, we find out that there are some very particular characteristics of the type of contentment that Paul is talking about:

1.       His Contentment was  independent of external circumstances:

The Joy that Paul found in knowing Jesus built an armor that protected his heart against life’s trials. He knew that his sufferings were temporary and that they would bring him a crown in glory which would greatly surpass the troubles and victories in this life:

“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8 – NASB – emphasis added)

Paul learned that one of the keys of being content regardless of the circumstances was to become Christ-sufficient, rather than self-sufficient. He knew that on his own strength, he would never be able to make it. However, because He knew the source of His strength and the unlimited power that this Source provides, he could be sure of the victory in store for him.  Furthermore, Paul knew that God promises that His children will not be totally destroyed by their trials and so he took great joy in this: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” 2Co 4:9.

2.       There is a Divine Spring of help available to all who know the Son:

In the original Greek, the infamous verse 13 of this chapter reveals that God gives supernatural strength to all His children as they reach out to Him: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” can also be read as “I can do all things in Him that infuses strength in me”. This interpretation shows a God who continually and deliberately pours upon our hearts and minds the strength that we need to bear our loads. Christ infuses His strength into us in the midst of our valleys by His teachings in the Holy Bible, by His examples of patience and long suffering and by the presence in our lives of the Holy Spirit. That is why so many times while God’s children are in the midst of the hardest trials, when they don’t even have strength to pray, they feel a peace and strength when lost people would despair.

If you feel discontent today, rather than focusing on what you don’t have, drink from the Divine Spring that is yours for the taking.

3.      Contentment does not come naturally. It’s a deliberate pursuit.

Never since I started writing these devotionals have I been more tested and tried on the subject matter on which I was writing than this week’s. I have been under attack and really struggled to be content in my circumstances. Yesterday I was truly convinced that I would be hypocritical to even try to teach anyone about finding contentment in the midst of life’s troubles. Then this morning, after having a “come to Jesus” meeting with the Lord, he showed me a new revelation on a familiar passage in the same chapter. Something that was hidden from my eyes. Something simple - but decisive. Here is the passage that bid me good morning today:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (vs. 4-7 - NASB)

On verse 4, Paul urges the church of Philippi to rejoice in the Lord. And the verse that follows shows a deliberate pursuit for contentment, one that does not start with the Lord, but with you and me! On verse 6, Paul urges us to “BE anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving LET your requests be made known to God.”  The fact that Paul uses action verbs in this verse shows me that the pursuit and conquer of contentment does not come naturally – we must diligently seek it until we find it! Contentment is not a magical feeling bestowed on the believer upon Salvation. You don’t become content because you are saved. You become content when you choose to bring each of your problems to God (in prayer and supplication); instead of letting your circumstances flood your thinking and emotions. Next, you deliberately recognize Who you are talking to, as you meditate on the attributes of God and His adequacy. Then you start thanking God as you recognize that, although your circumstances may be hindering your view, God has not changed and never will. He has not moved, His power has not decreased. He is still on the throne and always will be.  And only after you do these things, “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  V.7 (NASB)

You see, Paul did not “magically” become content as he, all of a sudden one day, felt content regardless of how little he had or how much he was suffering. No! Actually, Paul was just a good student in Christ’s academy. He said “I have learned to be content” (v. 11).  You and I can also learn how to be content in every circumstance. But in order to reach that state of mind and heart, when the troubles of this world crush us down, we must plug into the Source of eternal joy and peace. We must intentionally pursue Him, whether we “feel like it” or not.

Are there days that you don’t want to pray?

Pray anyway!

Are there days when your troubles so overwhelm you that you can’t “feel” God’s presence?

Stop “feeling” and start remembering what you KNOW. Unless you are living in deliberate sin, you are still connected to our amazing God who is:

All Loving…

All Poweful…

All-sufficient…

Eternal …

All knowing…

All Good…

Unchangeable…

Just…

Merciful….

Righteous…

And the great news is: He is on our side! We will not and cannot lose!

I don’t know about you, but I am smiling right now! I feel pretty content. Wait – let me look again: NOPE! My circumstances have not changed. I’m still smiling anyway. J

Dear Father – first of all, thank you for being so patient with me! Thank you that you have allowed the issues that I am facing make me discontent enough so I could see that apart from you, I will never have contentment and that I must pursuit You in order to find true contentment. Thank you for how you inspired your servant Paul to write in the midst of the hardest circumstances to teach us that apart from you, we have nothing, but in You, we have everything because of who You are. I love you Father and thank you for the contentment you give me as I reach out to you, the endless Source of Joy. Help me remember to do that again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, as my circumstances may not change, but as I remember that you also never will. You are the same always and that is enough reason to be filled with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

How Do You Count Your Days?

Passage: Psalm 90

Key Verses:

“For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. (…) Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Vs. 4,12 (NLT)

I was watching one of my favorite shows the other day on the Animal Channel, and the TV presenter called my attention. He said, in his captivating British accent: “I am looking down from this mountain at this ancient valley, realizing that the rocks I’m stepping on are over 2 billion years old...”

2 billion years… Really? Wow! My mind cannot grasp that kind of time.

Let me make it clear that the purpose of my study today is not to start a debate on the age of the earth, although I personally believe that, if I understand my Bible correctly, science has the earth’s age calculated way wrong. My purpose, however, is to debate the concept of time through God’s viewpoint and the brevity of life and each of its affairs in light of eternity. The Bible clearly states that a thousand years for God is like a day or the few hours of the night (v.4). In light of His infinity, even 2 billion years are but a blink. But for us, His earthly minded children, some days feel like a week, some weeks like a month, some years like they’ll never end.

Have you ever gone through a trial or a phase in your life, which seemed to last forever? Maybe you are going through one right now… waiting on God for true love, waiting on God for a baby, waiting on God for a job, waiting on God for healing. Invariably, at some point in time or another, we catch ourselves watching the clock tick as we wait on God for different things. Now - can you go back in your mind and recall a trial or situation that you experienced in the past in which, when you were in it, it seemed like it would never end, but now, years after the fact, it seems like it happened decades ago? Yes… We all can.

Time – what do we, God’s children, make of it? Are we counting our years with a heart of wisdom, welcoming the lessons learned even if they cost us much, or are we counting them as the world does – by how much we do or don’t have, by how many things we have accomplished and by desperately trying to reverse the signs of time that show in our aging bodies?

This Psalm certainly hit me square on the head with this question: How am I numbering my days, oh, God? It certainly seems to me like I turned 20 just the other day and I have already doubled that count at the blink of an eye. How have I lived these years? What have I done with time, as I wait for your promises in my life? What am I learning about You, as the trials I face often drag for much longer than expected? What am I doing with the time You give me, one day at a time?

One Hundred Years from Now

About two years ago I came across this coffee mug, meant for teachers, with the following quote on it:  “What you do will matter one hundred years from now”. When I read that, it made me think of life, one hundred years from now. Although I don’t know exactly what I will be doing, I do know two things about my life one hundred year from now: Number One – I will be in Heaven, enjoying the glory of God. Number Two – what happened one hundred years before, will not matter to me at all. It may impact the world I leave behind, but the troubles I faced here will certainly not follow me into eternity! That gave me a new perspective of how truly temporal our life problems are. They will not matter one hundred years from now, when I am walking along the Crystal Sea, enjoying the presence and glory of God. However, this one thing, this will certainly matter: how did I respond to life and its trials?

Heaven Training School

Oh, that we may grasp this very true concept with all our might: that life is a school, a training ground to life eternal. This is the scene of education for eternity. If so, we shall take heed of Moses’ prayer on Psalm 90 as he says “teach me to number my days, not wastefully or with things that do not matter, dear Lord, but help me to gain a heart of wisdom.” (v. 12 paraphrased). This prayer craves God’s teachings in every aspect of our lives. This is the prayer of one who seeks to know the God who gives us each day, who allows each trial, even though we often do not understand why we have to go through them. This prayer reveals a heart that understands that life is not about us, but about God. It affirms that we are His students and as such, we need to pay attention to what the Master is teaching, submit to His instructions and acknowledge His much superior knowledge: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 (NASB).

Think about it: we are so quick to tell our children: “Pay attention to your teacher!”, but how many times do we ignore the teachings of the Master ourselves. Could it be this the reason many times our “lessons” last for such a long time? May it be that we have not attained the answer to the problem yet and, like in math class, we must stay at it, until we learn? May it be that the lesson is not one that will benefit us as we anticipate, but rather, it is a lesson of trust in the One who holds our lives in the hollow of His hand and whose thoughts about us are for good, not ever for evil? The One who promises He is with you always, no matter what? We often read and quote Jeremiah 29:11, but listen to God’s words in the following verses (12-14):

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you, says the Lord.” (emphasis added)

Start the Count Today

How does the right numbering of our days lead to applying our hearts to wisdom? Because it realizes how transitory this life is and how brief all our earthly affairs truly are. But the only way you can truly feel and accomplish this, is if you get to the point where you think little of this world:

1)    Think little of the World’s riches and glory – how much would it matter for a prisoner who has been given a death sentence to know that he was left a fortune? Not much at all! The rich and self-centered farmer on Luke 12 thought that he had it made! He had a very productive land and labored to make more room for more possessions. He tore down his barns to build bigger ones. He kept his mind on earthly riches and glory and thought he had planned wisely, after all, he had enough to last until his old age. He said to his soul: “eat, drink and be merry”.  But the truth was, he did not even have a tomorrow. God said “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”. Luke 20-21 (NASB – Emphasis added)

2)     Think Little of Life’s Troubles – If we apply the “one hundred years from now” concept, we realize how truly brief our problems are, in light of eternity. I know this is easier said than done, and I don’t claim to understand the suffering in everyone’s trials. However, I’ve had my share of hurt and pain and this I can say: any time that I get my focus off of my pain and into the vastness of God and His goodness, His promises, His power, I get new insight into my problems. I challenge you to do the same. Whatever you’re going through, place the blessings you have and God’s promises to you on the other side of the scale. I am confident in this – if you are one of His children, your scale will always tilt towards the good if you look through the lenses of faith and into eternity.  

3)     Think of Life’s Troubles as an Opportunity for Eternal Gain: Paul reminds us of how our troubles, if seen through God’s eyes, shall produce imperishable fruit for our souls: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT – emphasis added)

As I look back in my life and I realize how fast it is going by, I am challenged to count each day of the next half of my life on earth with a heart of wisdom. I am challenged to focus my eyes on one hundred years from now and re-think whether or not I am mastering the lessons of Heaven’s training school. I want to be in the Honor’s roll of the Master. I want to receive my crown with a smile from the Teacher, as He says “Well done!”. I want to have a “crowd of witness” behind me who were impacted because I walked the walk, not just talked the talk. One hundred years from now, when I am strolling on the streets of gold, I want to be able to see faces of people that my life touched for His glory. Not because I want the accolades of the Master, for I know I will lay down my crown at His feet anyway, but because this is the task He entrusted me with. For this is the ultimate lesson of this training school – to live in a way that people around us will want to know our Jesus because of how we lived our lives.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2

Dear Father, thank you for Your Word, which is a  Lamp to my feet and a Light to my path. I am so grateful that I am not alone in life, wandering about like a ship without a sail, but rather, you left Your Word to guide me, teach me Your ways, Your wisdom and Your purpose to my life. Regardless of my circumstances, life is good because I have you, Lord. Teach me to number my days, so as to present to You a heart of wisdom, and a life that impacts the world around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!