Grief for sin is the porch of the house where the guests are full of “The Joy of The Lord”
As certain fabrics need to be dampened before
they will take the glowing colors with which they
are to be adorned, so our spirits need the grace of repentance before they can receive the radiant coloring of delight. The glad news of the gospel can only be printed on wet paper. Is there ever seen clearer shining than that which follows a shower?
Then the sun transforms the raindrops into gems, the flowers look up with fresher smiles and faces glittering from their refreshing bath, and the birds from among the dripping branches sing with notes more rapturous because they have paused awhile.
So when the soul has been saturated with the rain of penitence, the clear shining of forgiving love makes the flowers of gladness blossom all around. The steps by which we ascend to the palace of delight are usually moist with tears.
How to Receive The joy of The Lord!!?? Where are you looking?
The Joy of The Lord doesn’t come from recognizing everyone else’s sins against God and their weaknesses that may be true!! NO!! It comes from my own recognition of depravity and mercy graciously given to me personally by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We have sinned greatly against God when we rebel and neglect to acknowledge His Holiness.
Whatever anyone thinks of me, I am worse.
Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve because the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
God is a very personal God. He deals very intimately and differently with His sons and daughters. The danger we face is when we listen to the lies of the enemy that says, no one gets it, I’m all alone in this battle because although God deals differently with us, God’s Word also says that we all are going through the same sufferings.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9
I have never known the Joy of The Lord when I am focusing on the things of this world, when I’m looking at how everyone else falls short, sinned against me, pridefully wondering why I’m able to do something and someone else can’t get it done. This is the surest way to destruction and the enemy loves to watch this go down because it keeps you from focusing on God and asking The Lord to search, in humility, your own deceitful heart. But God is ever present in those situations, He delights for you to know The Joy of The Lord. Where is it found? In the valley of suffering, surrendering, dependence upon The Father of Heaven and earth, The One Who Created you. The Joy of The Lord comes when you see yourself as the biggest sinner In the world, capable of all evil, when you check your own heart. And then to know The humble submission of Jesus Christ, The Perfect Sinless, Savior that took God’s wrath for me and reconciled me from eternal separation from God. This believing and dwelling in His Truth, allows me to run to The Father with abundant Joy and Thanksgiving. This child of God knows this to be The Greatest gift in order to be set Free from oneself. But by God’s grace, I’m no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness, He will never let me go, so that I may Live and Love! My life is no longer my own, it is His.
“We shall count it to have been a successful morning if the people of God are made to rejoice in the Lord, and especially if those who have been bowed down and burdened in soul shall receive the oil of joy for mourning. It is no mean thing to comfort the Lord’s mourners; it is a work especially dear to the Spirit of God, and, therefore, not to be lightly esteemed. Holy sorrow is precious before God, and is no bar to godly joy. Let it be carefully noted in connection with our first text that abounding mourning is no reason why there should not speedily be seen an equally abundant joy, for the very people who were bidden by Nehemiah and Ezra to rejoice were even then melted with penitential grief, “for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.” The vast congregation before the watergate, under the teaching of Ezra, were awakened and cut to the heart; they felt the edge of the law of God like a sword opening up their hearts, tearing, cutting, and killing, and well might they lament: then was the time to let them feel the gospel’s balm and hear the gospel’s music, and, therefore, the former sons of thunder changed their note, and became sons of consolation, saying to them, “This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. Go your way eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Now that they were penitent, and sincerely turned to their God, they were bidden to rejoice. As certain fabrics need to be damped before they will take the glowing colors with which they are to be adorned, so our spirits need the bedewing of repentance before they can receive the radiant coloring of delight. The glad news of the gospel can only be printed on wet paper. Have you ever seen clearer shining than that which follows a shower? Then the sun transforms the rain-drops into gems, the flowers look up with fresher smiles and faces glittering from their refreshing bath, and the birds from among the dripping branches sing with notes more rapturous, because they have paused awhile. So, when the soul has been saturated with the rain of penitence, the clear shining of forgiving love makes the flowers of gladness blossom all around. The steps by which we ascend to the palace of delight are usually moist with tears. Grief for sin is the porch of the House where the guests are full of “The joy of the Lord.” I hope, then, that the mourners, to whom this discourse shall come, will discover and enjoy the meaning of that divine benediction in the sermon on the mount, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Spurgeon
His Crowned Jewel,
Rachel
His Crowned Jewel 