I went to Africa on a quest for Joy.
Where do I begin?
God is faithful. So faithful. Even when I am not. He can not change who He is. I love this about Him. I love that He is perfect and constant in His character and never changes. I am learning to take great comfort in His sovereignty. I am seeing Him less as human and more as God. He is not like us. He is holy. High and lifted up. His ways are not our ways. In fact they are far beyond understanding. He is the most beautiful mystery I have ever known.
He has rescued me from the pit. Brought me from darkness to light. He has peeled back layer after layer of His greatness for me to
see over the years. I never would have
imagined I could know such joy, beauty, sorrow, pain, purpose all bound up in
His Son alive inside of my heart.
I keep getting these snapshots of what He intends for
spiritual family to look like. The
intimacy and care that He wants for us to have for each other. Letting go of every non-eternal thing that
doesn’t matter. Casting off every idol
and sin that gets in the way.
Intentionally growing deep roots with people and inviting strangers into
the family He is creating among us.
There is always room for another if they are willing to come and make
their home with us. No one will be
turned away. There are many rooms in
His house. I see an earthly picture of
this when 100 orphans are piled into a few small spaces in Africa living as one
family. I see it when God brings one
child after another into my own home here in America. This space He has given us is filling up with people and our
hearts are filling up with joy.
Why? Because this is what matters. Living together to bring Him glory. Serving Him together for the joy of
others.
So when I feel weary, foolish, rejected by man. My heart cries out…YOU ARE FAITHFUL…YOU ARE
THE ONLY ONE I AM LIVING FOR…YOU ARE MY PORTION AND MY REWARD…YOU ARE WORTH
EVVERY TRIAL, TEAR AND SUFFERING…YOU ARE MY SOURCE OF JOY! Not my spacious living conditions. Not my
material possessions. Not my status among men.
No, YOU Lord Jesus are my joy.
Living to do your will. Living
to fight the good fight. Living to know
You more. Living to pour out my life
for your causes. Living to make You
known to others. This is where true joy is found. This joy inside your Son that wells up despite poverty of spirit,
lack of resources, weakness and inability to live for you on my own. Your joy can not be taken. It is a gift from you. What you have given to me, no man can take
away. Your joy is deeply rooted in me by the power of your Spirit and it’s
evidence is known to me more and more as I seek You and obey what Your Word
calls me to.
When I got on a plane to fly to Africa for the 12th time 2 weeks ago I was on a quest for joy. I had determined to fight for it. I had spent a great deal of effort seeking it out. I knew if I was going to not grow weary in doing His will that I must have joy even if it meant chasing it down. So I searched the Scriptures, fasted, prayed out loud on my knees, asking God over and over like the persistent widow. He heard my cries and answered. I am back in my home country and I have brought His Joy with me. It is real, alive and rooted in my heart. He has given it to me and I will hold onto it with all of His power that is a work within me.
He died for us while we were His enemies. We brought nothing to the table but
sin. He gave us life when we deserved
death. How much more does He want to
give us the good things we ask for now that we are His children? Ask Him for what seems impossible. Watch as He answers in ways that are beyond
your comprehension. He is a good God
and He has good gifts in His hands to give us.
Let us seek Him and wait on Him in trust to provide everything we need
for life and godliness. He who is
faithful (even when we are not) WILL DO IT!
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