Count it all JOY

 We are fervently packing up some final things and getting them out of our house.  This is all in preparation to get our house on the market.  We haven't had the time to fully settle in at my parents' house, so we are living out of boxes, which are everywhere.  We are also packing our bags to head over to Hawaii.  The memorial service there is scheduled for this Sunday – 2pm at Punahou in the chapel.


Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice...And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
 
This morning’s study in my daily devotional was very timely, as things with the Lord usually are.  Here is a small excerpt:

Every day we are told both explicitly and implicitly that real joy cannot exist apart from success in all our relationships and happiness with our standard of living.

...joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), and it must be evident at some level in the life of every believer.  Joy need not be tied inescapably to our circumstances, for we have the Holy Spirit, and we can decide to rejoice always (Phil 4:4).

Of course, Christian joy does not deny the existence of pain or the legitimacy of grief.  Being made in God’s image, we are complex creatures who can be both sad and joyful at the same time...

We can grieve the death of loved ones because we no longer have personal communion with them.  At the same time, we can have a deep, abiding joy, knowing that death for the Christian is only temporary.  Christ’s death and resurrection have crushed this enemy, and now we wait for God to finally and fully defeat death when the new heaven and earth dawn (1 Cor 15:20-28; 2 Tim 1:10)

TABLETALK from Ligonier Ministries and Dr. R.C. Sproul

I think this describes well what my family is going through.  

There are tears, and we are very sad....the void, is so big... it is deafening.

But there is no despair here.  There is no hopelessness here.

We do rejoice in the Lord.  He is our rock...our strength...and all of our hope.

Warming up, rehearsing, and worshipping the Lord before the service. 


 I sang ‘Amazing Grace’ at the San Jose memorial service last Saturday.  When looking at the verses, I was interested to learn that there are more than 16 verses – some not part of the original version.  In addition to the first verse, I chose two that seemed the most fitting.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

            My chains are gone
            I’ve been set free
            My God My Savior
            Has ransomed me

            And like a flood
            His mercy reigns
            Unending love
            Amazing grace

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

This is our blessed assurance...it is available only through Christ....