Orange Moon "The Choice To Rejoice"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

 

"The Choice To Rejoice"

 

        "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice" (Philippians 4:4).

 

    The believer's choice of obedience to always rejoice in God and His truth often takes place amid greatly challenging circumstances, situations, and conditions.  The Apostle Paul wrote of being "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (II Corinthians 6:10).  This seems contradictory upon first consideration.  How can we be both sorrowful and joyful at the same time?  The answer lies in the Heavenly and earthly components of our being that presently constitute our existence and experience.

 

    "For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other" (Galatians 5:17).

 

    The human faculties and members of even the most godly believer feel and respond to the realities of the fallen world in which we live.  The Christian life involves the overcoming of contrary inclinations and impulses rather than the elimination of them.  The Lord Jesus Christ Himself experienced temptation throughout a lifetime in which He "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).  Regarding our current discussion, He experienced sorrow more than any other: "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).  However, Scripture also declares Him as the most joyful human being who ever lived: "anointed with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows" (Hebrews 1:9).  This perfectly defines Paul's meaning: "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing."  Our Savior felt woe more keenly than all.  Amid the challenge, however, He determined within His heart to rejoice in His Father and His Father's truth.  

 

    The same Christ now lives in believers to enable our walk of making inward determinations to rejoice, even as we feel the sorrows of this present world.  Biblical joy involves something far more and far deeper than mere emotion.  It rather consists of an inner choice of faith - the choice to rejoice - regardless of how we feel.  We can rejoice even in times when we feel little or no gladness because the realities of our spiritual being transcend the sensibilities of our flesh.  "Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).  Indeed, we presently "walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7).  This means we must often rejoice by faith when feelings may profoundly conflict with our affirmation of a joy based not on sight, sound, or emotion, but on the living and true God, as known by His Spirit and His truth.

 

    No Biblical confession of faith more confirms the choice to rejoice than the prophet Habbakuk's confession amid great challenge and difficulty.  We close in the holy light of his confidence and joy in God and His truth:

 

"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places."

(Habbakuk 3:18)

 

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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Orange Moon "Expectation and Experience"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

 

"Expectation and Experience"

 

     Our outlook on the future often plays a significant role in our experience of things to come.  King David greatly helps us to secure our expectations in accordance with God and His truth.

 

    "My expectation is from Him" (Psalm 62:5).

 

    We must join David in his anticipation of the Lord's presence and working in all things.  The Apostle Paul amplifies this truth for born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ: "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  In all that will come our way, be it blessing, difficulty, or the mundane, our greatest expectation must be that our Heavenly Father comes with the experience as its greatest reality.  Whether we know and benefit from His involved presence will be significantly affected by whether we expect it or not.

 

    "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (Matthew 8:13).

 

   Wherever we go, whether to the pleasant, the painful, or the pedestrian, our Lord will be waiting for us.  Moreover, He will be with us as we go.  To a large degree, it is up to us whether we will know His greeting when we arrive, and how we will experience events to come.  Our Lord allows us to frequently experience life in accordance with how we anticipate it.  Expectation forms a primary component of faith.  In this sense, we are self-fulfilling prophecies, as determined by who and what we choose to believe.  "The Lord shall be thy confidence" (Proverbs 3:26).

 

     Does God await us at our destinations, and will He be everything and more we will need when we get there?  How we answer these questions greatly affects our experience of the Bible's certain assurance of our Lord's presence and provision.  David determined to expect the Lord along every pathway and at every destination.  God did not disappoint him, as so many of the Psalms confirm.  We do well to share to embrace the confidence regarding the great fact of every moment to come, namely, that wherever we are heading, Someone is already there as our provision and peace…

 

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)

"I will be with thee."

(Isaiah 43:2)

 

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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Orange Moon "The Gift of Gratitude"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

 

"The Gift of Gratitude"

 

     I don't know if you can see him in the photograph below, taken this past Thursday while returning from a neighbor's house.  But I can.  

 

 

   I refer to my son Noah, who I see in my mind's eye - even more, my heart's eye - as he races to catch the football I throw to him.   Actually, such events took place nearly 2 decades ago, before Noah left for the Marine Corps, a career in law enforcement, the raising of a family, and his soon to be attained Master's degree in public administration. We frequently transformed our street into a playing field when Noah was a boy (being especially careful, of course, and grateful for light traffic in the neighborhood!).  It seemed like yesterday, however, as I snapped the picture.  I sent the photo to Noah, who agreed, "It doesn't seem that long ago."  No son, it surely doesn't.

 

    You can imagine my thoughts and emotions when recalling those blessed days.  Remembering happy times we cannot revisit, but which bless us in the recollection, perfectly defines the word "bittersweet."  Most importantly, as we have frequently suggested in these messages through the years, our recollections provide opportunity to make our memories much more than simply memories.

 

    "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).

    "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18).

 

   As I stood gazing down the street, the realization occurred to me that simply remembering happy times would greatly minimize the experience.  So, while seeing in my mind's eye Noah yet again catch a perfect spiral on his fingertips to win another imaginary national championship for the University of Alabama, I stilled myself to give thanks for the blessing of a bygone time, and the bittersweet recollection of the moment.  By God's leading, I made the memory more than a memory.  I visited the altar of thanksgiving in my heart to give thanks for Noah, and for the times he and I have spent together for 38 years (Thursday was his birthday, by the way).  I did the same for my daughters, Marie and Emmie, with whom I have also shared countless happy moments.  The event became all the more blessed, not only in my heart, but in the heart of the One who so loves to grace His children with expressions of His infinite goodness and generosity.

 

    "The prayer of the upright is His delight" (Proverbs 15:8).

    God does not need our expressions of gratitude.  We greatly please Him, however, when we acknowledge His gifts with thanksgiving.  Making memories more than memories offers opportunity to motivate a particular happiness in our Heavenly Father's heart that would not exist if we withheld our expression of gratitude.  So, on Noah's birthday, our Father gave me a special gift that brought fond memories.  He also provided opportunity to make the moment more than a memory.  I did so, and discovered yet again that our capacity for gratitude is itself a most blessed bestowal from the Giver of "every good gift and every perfect gift."

 

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."

(Philippians 1:3)

 

Weekly Memory Verse 

    And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

(Colossians 1:17)

    

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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