Tag Archives: abundant joy

When your happiness is at odds with God’s glory

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Why do you pray to God? Why do you praise Him?

 

Some say we should pray to God to get what we want…because God is bent on making our lives happy and comfortable. Victoria Osteen, with her husband Joel smiling approvingly at her side, said to her congregation (I quote):

“I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doing it for God – we’re doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy. That’s the thing that gives Him the greatest joy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. Amen?”

 

Really? Look, we all get it wrong sometimes. That is precisely why we need to hold everything up to the light of the full gospel to examine its truth… including Victoria’s and Joel’s messages and also this blog.

 

The bible is very clear in demonstrating that God wants the best for us. He has two plans for us, to save us and to provide for us according to His love. His love is so great that He sent His only Son to rescue us… while we were still sinners!

 

Yes, He wants you to experience great joy, especially the joy set before Jesus as he approached the cross. What joy is that? It is the joy of being united with our heavenly Father, right now and for all eternity. I doubt our sense of ‘happiness’ is the same as the joy Jesus considered on the way to the cross. But God doesn’t worship our happiness. Making sure we are tickled with life is not the object of His message. And it shouldn’t be the object of our worship.

 

GOD, the one and only, the now and always, the Almighty God, prince of peace, author of creation, our rock, our refuge, our strong tower, the one who saves, He who provides, the only one who really knows our heart and understands us…this Holy and perfect, powerful, just, faithful, and – thank you, Lord – ever so merciful God is the object of our worship. Our real happiness comes from our worship of such a great loving God. We don’t do it for ourselves, although we certainly benefit from it. Truthfully, we could be standing at the precipice of life, with one breath left and no chance of being saved, and still God would be worthy of our praise and worship!

 

Our joy doesn’t have to be at odds with God’s glory. We don’t have to give up joy to honor God. But let’s not make the mistake of making our happiness the object of our worship. The heart that is able to worship and praise their loving God regardless of their circumstances is the heart that finds abundant joy. Isn’t that what you want?

 

Be vigilant. Be wise as serpents, gentle as doves. Matthew 10:16.

 

 

Verily I say…whatever you ask

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Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. John 16:23b KJV

 

Having talked so much on the troubles and suffering we must endure, this verse offers us such great hope! Not perhaps what many have acclaimed it to say, but something greater!  Many would have this be a magic genie lamp that you rub while saying, “In your name, Lord” as the magical incantation to get whatever brings us a little pleasure. We want sweets now while He invites us to be satisfied at His banquet table forever. I believe Jesus spoke this truth so that we may know the most immense pleasure of enjoying God in all situations.

 

The context of this passage is Jesus preparing His disciples for His leaving this world. The bewildered followers asked, “What does He mean?” Jesus explains that they will be sorrowful for a while but their sorrow will turn into a joy that no one could take from them (v 22). In this context, Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you.” “Verily” means ‘you can count on this!’

 

He continues by telling them that after their sorrow is done their joy will be full (v 24). It is why He came to this earth, that we may live abundantly, without fear that the enemy will kill, steal or destroy our joy (John 10:10). He offers joy known as peace in a world filled with tribulation; peace because Jesus has overcome the world (v 33).

 

It is what we believe as Christians, unless we follow some other doctrine than what the bible preaches. Our ultimate gift is to be able to enjoy the presence of God more than anything else; imperfectly now and perfectly forever. We are glad to worship Him because His glory exceeds the weight of our sorrows or anything else we might imagine. We take joy in faithfulness. We take joy in the great hope that when this life is done, we will see Jesus face to face. While we see only through a veil now we will then see His glory in its fullest. Our hope and confidence is in His promise we’ll enter into His perfect presence forever… no more pain, no more sorrow or tears. We take joy that the end of this life will be the beginning of an eternity of enjoying God’s greatness and goodness.

 

And from where comes such confidence? It comes from the promise that whoever asks the Father in the name of Jesus shall receive this great joy, whatever we ask and more if we just wait. Our hope is to “Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”  Ephesians 3:20-21

 

Verily!