When the transcendent God becomes immanent, when the far-off God comes near, our lives are changed forever. Into our lives comes a new lightness and joy, as expressed in the "Ho! ho! ho!" of this prayer. The gravitas has disappeared and there is a levity that is quite uplifting. It reminds me of the saying, "Angels fly because they do not take themselves too seriously." When we personally meet God on the road, or when we take off our shoes, or our hat, because we are on holy ground, that place should become for us a lifting place. As we are believers in the resurrection, our encounters with God should be life-enhancing and enriching. We need to take to heart the words of Jesus when he said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). We who believe this must truly want to pass it on to our loved ones and friends, for we cannot keep such good news to ourselves.
David Adam, The Road of Life, 57.
This morning the Lord awoke me early. I enjoyed some time in prayer and fellowship with Him as I tried to decide if I could get back to sleep. After an hour, I found I could not sleep any more, so I wandered out of bed into the half-lit house. After making my morning coffee, I sat down to read the Word of God and to pray some more. I was completely blessed and overwhelmed by the sight of the sun coming up through the clouds over the Cascades. I was reminded of the passage "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day." Pro. 4: 18
This morning I feel such a lightness of spirit. I find that the touch of the Lord brings such lightness and joy. David Adam is right. Yet, why do we so often lose these feelings of joy? Why do we often need the Lord to lead us to a "lifting place" because we are beaten down?
My father's side of the family comes from deep Appalachia. They were very simple folks from the hills and hollers of West Virginia. As basic sustenance farmers and workers, my Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles understood the hardships of life. They had experienced and witnessed children dying. They had known true economic hardship and despair. They had very little economic or social blessing. As I knew the older ones as a child, they also were experiencing the pain of broken bodies.
When you would talk with these folks, they would share their burdens and heartaches. It would be hard to listen to all of their ailments and difficulties as they would catch us up on what was going on in their lives. Then they would affirm that, "Well, the Lord has been good to me."
On the one hand, you would think their "complaining" ruined their testimony. Yet, if you knew them better, you would know they really meant it when they affirmed "The Lord has been good to me." I have lived in many places in the world and seen many different types of people. Yet, these simple folks taught me much about life. They knew hardship, but they also found joy in the presence of the Lord.
In worship they would cry and be undone before the Living God. In prayer they were serious and authentic. With people they would emphasize with another's pain and rejoice greatly with another's smallest triumph. Somehow they had learned two facts. First, life is extremely hard in our fallen world. Second, God is our only cure and joy is found in His presence.
I must confess that this post is going in different directions than when I started to write! Yet, I marvel at what can be learned from these simple people.
How much time, energy, and joy do we spend trying to make life less hard and difficult? We do everything we can to numb our pain. I wonder if in the process we also work hard to diminish our need to find our rest in the Living God?
In other words, we become so earthly and now focused that we forget or perhaps we never knew that joy is found in the Lord.
Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. This does not mean a life without difficulty! It does mean that in the difficulty, we can find and know Christ's presence and love. He is the healer of our souls! Do you need healing and joy today? Repent of your unbelief and believe that Jesus can touch you with His love.
May the Lord draw us close this day.
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