Influencers Weekly Devotional

Is Joy A Choice? by

Rocky Fleming

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,?and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,?my salvation and my God.” Psalms 43:5 (ESV)

As it often happens, the first person I bounced my discovery off of was my wife, for she is familiar with being my sounding board, as I process thoughts that God may be revealing to me. Since I have been going through some challenging issues with prolonged pain for several years, the question I asked her was personal for me. You see, it is rare for me to dip into self-pity, for I know it to be a perspective the enemy of my soul wants to use against my Savior and me. But, I found myself tipping toward this dark place nevertheless. I have come to understand that the “Accuser” does his best to accuse God and His promises by causing us to doubt His love for us, or His involvement and care when we have to persevere through lengthy trials. It’s like what I’ve heard about water boarding terrorists to cause them to divulge their secrets. It doesn’t kill them, but the gag reflexes and other issues make them break, or think they will die if they don't. I have sometimes felt like I’ve been under the water board for a long time, as well. Even so, my long trial with pain has been endured for years and with a good attitude for the most part, while praying and hoping for healing and its removal. But, that particular day I had grown weary with it, and had even questioned why God would allow it to continue since He has the ability to change it. This is where the alarm went off in my spirit telling me that a breach in my spiritual armor was about to take place, for it is this place in our thinking that “self-pity” knocks on our door. If we chose to allow it in, it will become a downward spiral to much worst things, for it is an open invitation to oppression. Why do I say this? I have come to understand this from my own failures with it, and as well others who have reported the same effect. Oswald Chambers said: “Self-pity is of the devil,” and I know anything that comes from that fallen angel leads to destruction. Thank God the “ALARM” went off and caused me to seek a different perspective. I asked my wife that morning if she thinks joy is a choice. What do you think? Before you give your answer, challenge yourself on this question, for you may be surprised with how “cause and effect” creeps into our thinking. What do I mean by “cause and effect?” Consider that we often think that joy is the result (effect) of being given that which we desire (cause) from God. Therefore, this results in our thinking that joy comes only after God acts on our problem. The problem that results from this perspective is that we linger for long periods of time, even indefinitely, waiting for God to act, and in the meantime, have no joy. Not all believers follow this thought process. However, if most are honest with themselves, they can identify that this is an initial thought process we are born with, and it has to be overridden. This is where a choice becomes critical. Consider some examples: As I look at many of the heros in the bible and how they lived out their joy, I don't see “cause and effect” thinking in them. Rather than waiting to be delivered from prisons to find joy, I read about men who praise and worship God for Who He is, in-spite of their imprisonment. Joy was in their hearts and it was expressed through their songs and prayers before their prison walls came down. I also read about men who would not deny God, which was a condition for being delivered from a fiery furnace to find relief. I don't even read about them waiting for God's deliverance to find their joy. Instead, I read about these men standing firm in their trust in God's plan for their life, and with joy they faced their threat with this hope. They had no idea if God would chose to deliver them. He did, but make note that joywas found before their delivery. On and on I could quote stories from the Bible, and biographies of godly men and women, who endured their pain and challenges with joy. How did they do this? They chose joy, but they had to go where it is found, and this leads to another shift in our thinking about how to find it. “Then I will go to the altar of God,to God my exceeding joy,?and I will praise you with the lyre,?O God, my God.” Psalms 43:4 What do you read about joy in the above passage? I'll give you a hint. It is not about finding joy itself. It is about finding Joy Himself. In fact, the writer of this passage in Psalmssays that God is his exceeding joy. Think about it. If our joy only comes after God acts as some require, then we seek Him as only a joy giver. But, if our joy is God Himself, then we find Him to be the real joy we seek, and place no condition on Him. The good news is that He is ready to receive us at any time, and it is this deeper relationship with Him that we all yearn for and gives us true joy. The Psalmist who wrote 43:4 made a choice and we see him tell us what it was. It was to go to the altar of God. The altar at that time was a place for temporary atonement, and gave only a distant, shaky, relationship with God. However, through Christ we now have open access to God through His complete atonement which results in a permanent relationship with God. The Lamb of God was placed on His altar so that you and I can go to this altar and find our exceeding joy. We do not have to wait to find it. We do not have to be delivered from the threats that come at us to find it. Joy is waiting for us if we chose to go there, The question is, will you chose to go to this place to find your joy, or will you only permit joy to come only when you see an answer to your need. Another “altar” is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1-2. This altar is when we offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice” for God's purposes. This also requires a choice on our part, for it requires an abandonment of ourselves to God. But, this is also the most direct path to the joy that we yearn for, and which often alludes us. Those men and women who could face all manners of trials and still keep their joy were those who had placed themselves on this personal altar, and found that it was their unshakable relationship with the King of the Universe that sustained them through all challenges. Like I said, it is the most direct path to the joy we seek, for it is God Himself. He is our exceeding, excessive, elaborate joy …. and He waits for you to come and get it. Do not tarry. Download file