Exceeding Joy Part 2
By: Misty Grimes
Last week we began looking at the truth that there is always a reason for us to express joy by looking at the basis for our joy, our salvation, as well as looking at the first attribute of God that causes us to be full of joy, his unconditional, never ending love for us. This week we will look at two more attributes of God that give us reason to experience joy in all situations: His control and His wisdom.
Day One: Grateful for Control
Scripture: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers” (Psalm 24:1-2)
Introduction: For nearly two years now our world has appeared to be in a constant state of chaos and change and the one phrase that has become the norm for most everyone is, “trying to adjust to a new normal” as we have all experienced so many different things in our lives that have affected every area of our life. Life is strange to say the least, everything can be going along just great then from out of nowhere disaster strikes. We are knocked down sometimes with a single blow, sometimes with repeated blows which come so quickly we don’t have time to react. Before we know it the problems of life can leave us lying wounded and bleeding in a ditch. When we are in this frame of mind we may ask ourselves if God is in control. The answer is now, and always will be, YES!! Even in these chaotic times, even when we are knocked down, even when we are wounded and bleeding and left wondering where God is in the midst of it all, He is still there and still knows what He is doing. When we come face-to-face with the problems, disasters, and tragedies of life, we need to remember that God is in control and thus we can face problems and tragedies and not be shaken in our faith in the goodness of God.
Lesson: Perhaps you have a hard time seeing God’s power because life is full of storms, swelling and threatening everything you hold dear. So ask yourself, who is in control of your life right now? Who is in control of the storms that are threatening to overtake you? Maybe you say to yourself, and others, “I got this, it’s all under control.” If that were true then why is your life full of fear and anxiety when it comes to what is going on in your life right now? Anxiety and fear are relentless and are two of the enemy’s most popular weapons that Satan uses against us. So I ask again, what do you have control over? NOTHING, except yourself and your reaction to people, places and things that may be causing the storms to rage and the anxiety and fear to blossom to the point where they are beginning to weigh you down. Trying to be in control just tires us out because it’s a futile exercise. The Lord is already in control so we need to let Him be. So how do we do that? Below are five verses that will help you to realize that the only One with true control is God and thus why we should be more than happy to give up our false sense of control to Him.
- John 16:33: “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world.” The two key words here are, “I HAVE”. This is past tense meaning that we can have peace and express joy in the midst of the hardships because God has ALREADY won! Thus, when we try to control the battles in our lives we are fighting a losing battle because God has already won the victory, a victory we can’t experience until we give up control and trust the victor.
- Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Not only does God have the situation under control, He has you in His grasp and will never let you go. Hold tight to Him and He holds tight to you. There is no need to fear, be anxious or worry because the mighty hand of God strengthens you and upholds you as he works within you to calm the storms and bring you victory.
- Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” A refuge is a safe place, a place where we can go when the storms become more than we can bear and we just need to hide from the world and seek a place where we feel okay because we know nothing can harm us as long as we are there. So who or what is your safe place? If anything but God then you live with a false sense of safety. There is no situation we will ever face that is out of God’s control so the best place to be, always, is right with Him.
- Philippians 4:6-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Even in rough or desperate situations, we can be filled with the joy of the Lord. He is our consolation and His Word eases anxiety and fear like nothing else can. God can bring joy to your soul even during times when you’re most anxious or afraid by simply knowing that He’s present, He’s in control, and trusting in His power.
- I Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you”. We shouldn’t worry because God will take care of the big stuff and the little stuff. Worrying doesn’t change things, big or small, except to make those problems appear worse than they really are. So why let yourself get so full of worry, fear and anxiety that you are weighed down with a burden you don’t need to carry? Cast your cares on God and then trust Him knowing He’s got this and He’s got you!!
The key to experiencing joy in hardship is remembering there is nothing we can do – it is out of our control – but we can take it to God and leave it trusting Him because you fight through faith in the goodness of God. God is in charge and he is always in control. We see here and now while He sees the big picture and wants only what is best for us.
Conclusion: While no on one likes to experience the hardships of this life, when something hurts, it hurts, we can rejoice even during these times because of the good we know will come of it because God is in control yesterday, today and forever. That is trust. When we face difficulties and uncertainties in life we can maintain our joy in the midst of the pain and still love and praise God because when we do we have grown closer to God and, as a result, Satan receives a major embarrassment and defeat.
Application: Are you tired of wrestling over and over again with the same old concerns? Is this “wrestling” match beginning to weigh you down? Then it all to the God who is in control of all. Let go of your false sense of control and lay it all at the feet of the One who does control it all, the one who is omniscient, and knows what is best for us. Rest in his faithfulness. No matter what you are going through, all your worries and concerns can be given to Him because He cares for you! Look at Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved”. Now, having read this lesson and focusing on that verse spend time in prayer with God and let go of those areas of your life that you need to give him control over. Leave them there and rest in his faithfulness. If you need some help, here is an example prayer to relinquish control: “Father, I have tried to control my life and even to control other people’s behavior to suit my purposes, forgive me. You are the King of my heart, one and only Sovereign, Lord of all. Thank you that I don’t have to be in control because YOU are. Thank you for perfect leadership, for you omniscient command of every situation and for loving me while you hold all things together. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”
Day Two: Grateful for Wisdom
Scripture: Proverbs 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Introduction: What is wisdom? The dictionary definition of wisdom is “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise; the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge and good judgment.” Basically wisdom is based on knowledge we have gained through experience and is expressed when we make good, sound judgment calls in our actions and our decisions. However, wisdom cannot exist without a knowledge of all facts pertinent to any purpose or plan. Wisdom is not just knowledge but know how. Wisdom entails the skillfulness to formulate a plan and to carry it out in the best and most effective manner. Many of us think we are wise or look up to someone who we believe to be wise. Yet there will always be times when we, nor they, are as wise as we think we/they are so where do we turn then? It is then that we turn to the One whose wisdom and knowledge are unsurpassed and infinite – God.
Lesson:
We will look at two aspects of wisdom today: What the Bible says about the wisdom of God and then answer the question on how can we obtain wisdom?
What does the Bible say about the wisdom of God?
- He is all wise.
Job 12:13: “With God are wisdom and strength; he has counsel and understanding. “
Romans 11:33: “O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
- His wisdom is vastly superior to human wisdom.
Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Job 28:12-28 (For space reasons I won’t write all the verses here but encourage you to read the whole passage): “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Mortals do not know the way to it, and it is not found in the land of the living…It is hidden from the eyes of al living, and concealed from the birds of the air…God understands the way to it, and he knows its place” (vv. 13, 21, 23).
- He alone is wise.
Romans 16:27: “to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.”
- He is the source of wisdom.
Proverbs 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
Daniel 2:20: “Daniel said: ‘Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his.”
James 1:5: “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
How do you acquire wisdom?
- Recognize that true wisdom is something that we need. Like grace, wisdom is something God offers and which we much receive. It is a gift.
- Ask God to forgive you for believing that you know better than Him, that you are wiser than Him, that your ways are better than His ways (i.e., self-reliance). Surrender your self-reliance and embrace His all-powerful, all knowing, wisdom. To have true wisdom, we must cease trusting in ourselves and trust rather in Him.
- Being open and receptive to receiving His wisdom as you recognize that it is only through His wisdom that we are able to see what is right and what is wrong and to know what to do and when to do it. Cry out to God, and He will answer you and give you the wisdom you both seek and need.
- Use wisdom for the glory of God and for the good of others. The very nature of wisdom instructs your heart to use your insights, your discernment, you discretion, your vision to fulfill His will and to demonstrate how to love and minister to others.
When we endure the test and trials of this life and left not knowing what to do, we are left with only one thing in which to do – trust God! When life simply does not make sense, we must look to Him who sees all and knows all and trust Him who has a great plan for our lives to reveal Hs glory and to accomplish that which is best for us. We must trust in Him who is all wise and who is all powerful!!
Conclusion: Knowing that God is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight, In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” The Lord offers wisdom freely, however, most don’t bother to ask and, therefore, never receive it (See Proverbs 1:20-22). Wisdom is a plenteous crop with a meager harvest. Wisdom personified cries out in the street, “I am here! I bring great blessings!” God offers to share with us the treasure trove of his wisdom if we will but pause and ask for it. Will you answer the God of all wisdom who cries out to you wanting to grant you the wisdom you so need and so desire or will you continue to believe you know better than anyone else, including him, will you continue to ignore him, avoid him and continue to stumble through life wanting more but receiving less? His wisdom holds happiness, abundant life and so much more. How much longer will you let the urgent noise of self-reliance drown out His calling to you?
Application: James 1:5 says, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.” How many ask? How many pray? Solomon asked for wisdom and it is this prayer that unlocked so much for him (See I Kings 3:8-13). Today is the day that you let go of your self-reliance and step out and ask God to give you the wisdom you need. For whatever situation you are facing, for whatever decision you need to make, He is waiting to show you the way.