While godless people will love pleasure more than God... the Bible nonetheless says that God has given us all things... to enjoy!! Your wife? Not to raise a family with... but to enjoy! Your career? To enjoy? Your children? To enjoy! Paul said that he was working with the Corinthians, not to dominate their faith... but to help their joy. And in Hebrews, congregations were instructed to make the job of their leaders a joy! Wow! Happy churches and happy leaders!! Thats Gods plan! Jesus sits at Gods right hand where there are pleasures forevermore! God is spoken of as the blessed God... which could be translated happy God. Can you imagine that? God? Happy? My focus had been on my sacrifice for Jesus, more than on His sacrifice for me. I thought that I needed to constantly push myself to the brink...demand more of myself until I lived on the edge of my capacities in order to please God. Abundant life came in eternity. Now? Pain and struggle. We actually prayed, Make it as hard as you need to, God, for us to become what you want us to be! Our path was a path of suffering. So we thought. That was until I understood the grace of God: that Jesus took my pain and sorrow so that I could receive his comfort and joy. Does that mean that life will be without challenges or troubles? Not in this world!! But it DOES mean that the goodness of God experienced in our lives exceeds and surpasses by far the challenges!! Jesus took the curse we deserve ...on the Cross!! You know! The Curse: all of the misfortune and calamities listed in Deuteronomy 28: Boils! Pains! Failures! Family betrayals! He did this in order that WE might receive all of the blessings that HE deserves... in... this... life!! Accept it, friend!! Jesus wants your life abundant!! Full!! We are BLESSED to be in Jesus... not cursed! And today, appropriately, I am writing this while on vacation. Yes... vacation! One that I can finally... enjoy!! Guilt-free pleasure!! Condemnation-free relaxation!! Oh... GLORY!! Thank you, Jesus!! And whatever your assignment today... whatever your challenges... realize this: God gave you this life not to endure... but to enjoy! Believe it! Receive it! And enjoy it! In Jesus name!!
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 16:32:30 +0000
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