Complete Joy

Sometimes we think joy is the laughter of a baby or the sight of spring's first bloom.

Perhaps you believe joy is making the final payment on that credit card or losing those last ten pounds (or the first ten pounds).

Maybe we imagine the joy of life without mental anguish, physical pain, and emotional scars.

The joy of the absence of betrayal. The joy of friendship. The joy of truth.

Friend, we want the joys of heaven. For those who love the Lord, that joy will be made sight one day.

But for now, where is the complete joy?

Jesus spoke with his disciples before his arrest to prepare them for the days ahead. He said "I am the vine and you are  the branches--abide in Me." He said, "If you keep My commandments you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love."

And then He said it ...

"I have spoken these things so My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."

Oh, for complete joy.

Isn't it wonderful that we don't have to search for it? We don't have to wonder if joy is real.

The joy of Jesus is real. It isn't a buried treasure. He told us how we can have complete joy.

Keep His commandments. He said the two greatest commandments are to love God with all that we are and to love each other.

That's pretty daunting. I can't do that on my own. But if I abide in Jesus--pray, read my precious Bible, praise and worship Him alone, and listen to the nudge of the Holy Spirit when He says "Don't do that, do this. Don't say that, be quiet."

That's abiding and that's obedience. And when we are obedient His joy is complete in us.

There is certainly a fleeting joy in an innocent child's sweet smile and the twinkle in the eye's of a grandfather. There is joy in a pile of puppies and the embrace of a loyal friend.

But true joy. Complete joy. Joy that cannot be ripped from our hearts by anguish, betrayal, cancer, addiction, confusion ...

COMPLETE JOY that rests steadily and quietly---repeating the message "Everything will be okay, because our Father is in charge"--the joy that sustains us until the day our faith will be sight.

Oh, how He loves you and me.


Thank you, Haley White for lending me a pic of your #handletteringbyhaley.