The Joy of the Lord

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 6th of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We start in 2 Corinthians 6:10: 

"…as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." 

Then we go to the Book of Nehemiah 8:10: 

"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." 

The joy the Lord is speaking about here, is not walking around with a big smile on your face, always laughing. That's not joy. Joy is not a feeling, it is a fact. Why should we be happy this morning? Well, maybe the first thing we can thank God for is for the opportunity of having eternal life. If you love Jesus Christ today, my dear friend, your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and when the Lord comes to take you and I home, we will find our name is written there, not because we are good people but because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

Some people write to us, and they ask the question, "Why is Angus always so happy?" Oh, folks, I have to be honest with you. I am not always feeling happy. I really mean that. Sometimes, I am not happy at all, but it is the joy of knowing that Jesus Christ died for me, He loves me, and He will fulfil everything He promised me in the word. 

Even King David, who wrote all those beautiful psalms, says sometimes, he speaks to his soul, "Oh my soul, why are you so downcast?" We need to understand that joy, always rejoicing, is a decision that we have to make. You know, sometimes when you get bucked off your horse, you don't always feel full of joy, do you? No - I have lost count of how many times I have been bucked off my horse. An old cowboy saying goes something like this: "Cowboy up (in other words, 'cowboy get up') or go and sit in the pick-up." We have got to get up, dust ourselves off and get back into the fight, because the Lord Jesus Christ never promised us a bed of roses, but He did promise us that He would walk with us through the fire.  

A man by the name of W. Aiken, wrote: "No Christian can ever know what is meant by these two little words, 'Always rejoicing', but the Christian who takes up his cross and follows Jesus." That's right, he is the one who knows.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.