How to hold tight to our Joy in The Lord, In the midst of our sorrow.

[Nancy]

The greatest labor of laboring to enter into His rest is in not laboring at all.

Hebrews 4:10-11 KJVS
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
[11] Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Entering into the rest of God is like walking into a room. Once we do, we do not have to try to be in that room, strive to stay in that room, work to be there. We accept our place in His rest. God's rest home as it were.

I had an aunt Mary who was a Christian and who radiated peace. Even as an unsaved child I saw something unique in her. Never fretful or critical, taking the harshest things in Stride. ALWAYS gracious and soft spoken.

I now realize she had entered into the rest of the Lord and was no longer laboring to be there.

The rest, peace of God is a place to abide. The greatest frustration is allowing anything to remove us from the place of resting in Him continually. I confess to you that from time to time I allow something to evict me from His peace. My only solace is that it takes less time to re enter His rest than in past times.

What removes me? Anger, fear, self condemnation, weariness, lack of faith, chronic pain, rejection. All the things of the world that fight us and try to hinder us. We stumble on our corpses.

Nahum 3:3 KJVS
The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

Not allowing anything to remove us from that rest of God is the greatest struggle, labor.

Hebrews 4:9 KJVS
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Religion says work work work to be accepted by God. That rest only comes in "the sweet by and by". As my old pastor was fond of saying "Honey we don't need it in the sweet by and by, but in the dirty here and now"!

As spirit baptized Christian believers we can always walk in His rest and the labors given us are light burdens that seem not to be work at all. His yoke is easy and will not hinder the peace and rest.

AMEN!

 

[Nancy]

I understand the premise of expression, but doesn't it seem to put pressure on the believer to work something up?

Sorry Soulman I just saw this.
My post was primarily to show biblically, and not to mention, my own experience in my faith, how we CAN be fulfilled in this world. God as our heavenly Father, wants us to be happy people, he wants marriages to grow strong, He wants us to succeed in our dreams. I think just the word "obey" brings negative connotations. But, when our perfect Heavenly Father say's to obey, it is solely for OUR good, He has given us pleasures aplenty on this earth, and to the fullest. Satan would have us believe that God does not want us to have pleasures in this life, that sin is fun and God is boring. When we submit to God's ways, there may be trials in the short term but, it always results in lasting joy and pleasure. So, I say to obey Him is to" “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” It’s an invitation to enjoy God!

 

[soul man]

Sorry Soulman I just saw this.
My post was primarily to show biblically, and not to mention, my own experience in my faith, how we CAN be fulfilled in this world. God as our heavenly Father, wants us to be happy people, he wants marriages to grow strong, He wants us to succeed in our dreams. I think just the word "obey" brings negative connotations. But, when our perfect Heavenly Father say's to obey, it is solely for OUR good, He has given us pleasures aplenty on this earth, and to the fullest. Satan would have us believe that God does not want us to have pleasures in this life, that sin is fun and God is boring. When we submit to God's ways, there may be trials in the short term but, it always results in lasting joy and pleasure. So, I say to obey Him is to" “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” It’s an invitation to enjoy God!

Yes and amen! I would agree, many trials and tribulations can come to a Christian but the focus is in the big picture of the lord developing a mature saint in this world we could call the school house.
Through it all the joy of the lord is the strength of being a son/dauther to the father.

 

[Nancy]

Yes and amen! I would agree, many trials and tribulations can come to a Christian but the focus is in the big picture of the lord developing a mature saint in this world we could call the school house.
Through it all the joy of the lord is the strength of being a son/dauther to the father.

Agree 100%! Not always easy to hold tight to that joy...sometimes it can be a struggle on certain days...Satan knows our every move and every weakness just waiting for a foothold to grab onto...and God knows, I have plenty of them! Lol.

 

[soul man]

Agree 100%! Not always easy to hold tight to that joy...sometimes it can be a struggle on certain days...Satan knows our every move and every weakness just waiting for a foothold to grab onto...and God knows, I have plenty of them! Lol.

You must be doing something right to disturb hell :-))

 

[Nancy]

You must be doing something right to disturb hell :))

Good, I hope I p-off that evil thing! lol...

 

[soul man]

Good, I hope I p-off that evil thing! lol...

Lol

 

[Helen]

Agree 100%! Not always easy to hold tight to that joy...sometimes it can be a struggle on certain days...Satan knows our every move and every weakness just waiting for a foothold to grab onto...and God knows, I have plenty of them! Lol.

I believe that some muddle joy with happiness.
Jesus was probably not in a state of what we call happiness as He 'set his face ' toward the cross...but it says " for the joy that was set before Him..."
Somehow I think it is hard to separate deep joy from peace...
"the joy of the Lord is our strength"
"In the presence of the Lord is the fullness of joy.."

So to me...true joy and deep peace go hand in hand.

:)

 

[Nancy]

I believe that some muddle joy with happiness.
Jesus was probably not in a state of what we call happiness as He 'set his face ' toward the cross...but it says " for the joy that was set before Him..."
Somehow I think it is hard to separate deep joy from peace...
"the joy of the Lord is our strength"
"In the presence of the Lord is the fullness of joy.."

So to me...true joy and deep peace go hand in hand.

:)

"the joy of the Lord is our strength"
"In the presence of the Lord is the fullness of joy.." <---excellent verses!
"I believe that some muddle joy with happiness." <---- Very much so, and like you said "...it is hard to separate deep joy from peace"
So to me...true joy and deep peace go hand in hand. <---- Yes! One and the same to me too...that "...peace that surpasses ALL understanding." Different than any "peace" I have ever experienced "in the world".
hugs my friend!
:)"

 

[faithfulness]

For the joy set before Him He endured the cross…His love for His Father…our love for…
Either "Truth" or "Stranger" remarked that Jesus was no "good-time Charley"…amen.
…a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief…for with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
We've all known men and women of God that made you stand at attention when they spoke or wrote, never exhibiting a soulish and surface "joy", because they are living epistles and testimony of the depths of where they abide...in Him Who is Joy unspeakable, Whose Presence is Fullness of joy!
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Rev 12:11
God help me...

 

[Helen]

"Rejoicing in hope."

*The hope which is laid up for you in heaven. * If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
* Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. * The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
* Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
* Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing. ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. * By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

ROM. 12:12. Col. 1:5. I Cor. 15:19. Phi. 4:4. Rom.15:13. I Pet. 1:3. I Pet. 1:8. Rom. 5:2.

 

[faithfulness]

"Rejoicing in hope."

*The hope which is laid up for you in heaven. * If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
* Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. * The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
* Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
* Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing. ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. * By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Amen! Thanks!
ROM. 12:12. Col. 1:5. I Cor. 15:19. Phi. 4:4. Rom.15:13. I Pet. 1:3. I Pet. 1:8. Rom. 5:2.

Amen! Thanks!

 

[justbyfaith]

There can be joy in the midst of sorrow (Ecclesiastes 7:1-5); because joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and therefore if it is better to be in the place of sorrow than laughter (and it is); then the fruit of joy can be borne in the midst of sorrow.

For his anger endureth for a moment: in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night; but his joy cometh in the morning! Psalms 30:5.