The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
(Friends: this is Part 2 of the message from day before yesterday. As in the past, I am taking the liberty of sending tomorrow and Friday's message to you early because we have weather approaching that may mean we will be without power. Thanks, Glen).
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020
"The Choice To Rejoice"
Part 2
The God who loves humanity so dearly He gave His Son to the cross of Calvary for us takes no pleasure in the hardships and pains we must endure.
"Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11)
"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him" (Psalm 103:13).
To whatever degree we hurt when others hurt, we can be sure our Father's heart feels an infinitely greater measure of sorrow. It remains true, however, that when born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ make the choice to rejoice in our sadness, we please His heart more than we can ever know. Although Job mourned much in complaint regarding his sufferings, he also confessed, "Thou He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15). This led to the Lord's clearly glad affirmation that His servant had "spoken of Me the thing which is right" (Job 42:8).
It is one thing to rejoice in our pleasant blessings, and quite another to rejoice in our painful difficulties. The latter reveals our trust in the heart of God, and our awareness with Job that even if the Lord allows upon us the very worst thing we could imagine, we could still be sure that devoted love motivated and moves His hand. As any loving father - far more than any other - our Heavenly Father's administrations toward those who trust Him move with the current of love, whether by His tendermercies or His disciplined chastening. "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning… Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Lamentations 3:22-23; Hebrews 12:6).
Somewhere in this moment, a believer looks Heavenward with tear-filled eyes and a broken heart to obey by faith the command, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice" (Philippians 4:4). Holy is the scene, and blessed the bond of devotion between our Heavenly Father and His trusting child who makes the choice to rejoice amid conflicting emotions and physical sensibilities. We are all that believer at times during our earthly journey, granted the singular opportunity to bless the heart of God that lies before us when our hearts are hurting. It is not easy, but it is possible to rejoice always in our Father and His truth - "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (II Corinthians 6:10). He could not ethically and morally command us to rejoice were we not able through Christ to do so. The Holy Spirit lives within us to enable such faith, the Bible shines its encouraging light, and the example and encouragement of other believers helps to please our Father in those times when His way does not please us. He will not disappoint us when we so trust Him, and a deep peace and joy will keep our hearts even as we bless His heart.
"I will joy in the God of my salvation."
(Habakkuk 3:18)
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."
(James 1:2-3)
Weekly Memory Verse
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."
(Isaiah 41:10)
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