The Source of Peace, Love and Joy Lives Within Us

Today we’re looking at the Fruit of the Spirit and in particular, peace, joy and love. God gives us these things and if we’ve given him our lives, we simply need to access what we already have. We’re featuring the writing of Jim who writes at Jesus Gives Life. This is an older piece, but I encourage you to click the title below or the link in the previous sentence to discover his more recent writing.

Love, Joy, and Peace; The Greatest is Love

I saw a birthday card that had the following three keywords on it; Joy, Peace, and Love. It was not meant to be a religious card, but those words reminded me of what eternally is at the heart of what true Christianity is all about. The gift of God to us is Jesus, God our savior.

I know I will not be doing these words the ultimate justice they deserve, especially from a biblical text standpoint, but with the help of God, hopefully it will put things in the proper context.

We have all heard the words, or the various quoted biblical texts about the fruit of the Spirit. The quoted texts below have been used by many folks both in the Christian and secular worlds, and even those words have been used in many songs throughout the ages. I have to say though, the words have lost their true meaning, because we as a world, fail to realize of “who” the words are actually talking about.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Colossians 3:14

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 John 4:8

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Romans 13:10

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Bible quotes from English Standard Version

What I really want to point out here, is each and everyone of these attributes are of God, or should I say is how God displays himself to us through Jesus Christ.

Some folks might be thinking that you are able to outwardly perform one or two of those attributes described above sometimes, and even you might say to yourself you can do some of them most of the time, but inwardly they can not be attained not even close to 100% of the time, nor can you display those fruits to all people all the time.

What is Love? This is the question that has been asked down through the ages. Until we understand what God’s love has been, and is for us, we can not love the way God loves us.

Love is forgiveness; not as the world forgives, but as God has forgiven us. Before we ever asked for forgiveness, God forgave us all (the whole world) of all our sins. Yes, read that a second time, God forgave you of all your sins before you ever asked for forgiveness. He forgave you of all your sins before you even committed them. He forgave you of all your sins before you were even born. God in Christ Jesus, sacrificed himself for all of us on the cross. God is not upset with you. Love is Jesus and Jesus is love.

Once we understand true forgiveness from God’s perspective, then we can start to forgive others as God has forgiven us.

Joy in my heart, because he has done it all for me. There is nothing more I need to do to have God love me. I am forgiven for all time. I am loved for all time. Nothing separates me from his love.

Peace that passes all understanding. Jesus gives us the peace that passes all understanding. His peace is the greatest, because in spite of our circumstances, in spite of what we do, in spite of what others do to us; he will never leave us or forsake us, and totally loves us.

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now is the time to receive his forgiveness, receive his love, receive his joy, receive his peace, and receive his life giving Holy Spirit today.

The Well-Watered Christian

•••by Clarke Dixon

37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water. ’” 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39 NRSV)

Here is a wonderful promise of the Holy Spirit so infilling the Christian believer that “rivers of living water” flow and others are blessed as well. You get the impression that there will be “times of refreshing” to borrow a common phrase and that things can’t help but grow in the presence of Holy Spirit filled people. The believer will be a “breath of fresh air” to change metaphors. Of course we recognize that God is the source, we are merely the vessels. Yet when we are being honest there are some days we feel more like a drip than a river, more dry in our own spirituality that overflowing with the goodness of God. How do we get to that place of being so refreshed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, God’s presence overflows to refresh and bring life and growth to others?

Jesus tells us how: “Let anyone who is thirsty . . . ” It begins with thirst. But thirst for what? The timing of Jesus’ call to the thirsty helps us figure that out for thirst was an important theme of the festival happening that day. Actually it was seven or eight days, depending on whether you counted the eighth day when things were being wrapped up. This was the Feast of Tabernacles and over the course of seven days priests would go to the Pool of Siloam to fill pitchers with water which would then be brought up to the temple to be poured out around the altar. All this happened with prayers being made for rain and with certain “watery” scriptures floating in the background of people’s minds.

For example, the people would have been thinking of the time God provided the Israelites with water from a rock in the wilderness following the escape from Egypt.

But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:3-7 NRSV)

That miracle began with thirst. They also would have been reminded of Ezekiel’s prophecy to God’s people in exile about coming back to the Promised Land. The temple was to be rebuilt and there would be a life giving river flowing from it.

1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple; there, water was flowing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side. . . . Then he led me back along the bank of the river. 7 As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh. 9 Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. (Ezekiel 47:1,2,6-9 NRSV)

The exiled people of God were thirsty for God’s forgiveness and restoration. By the time Jesus makes his call to the thirsty the people had returned from exile, at least some of them, and the Temple had been rebuilt. However, with the Romans in charge, it hardly felt like God’s promise had been realized. Surely this is not what the prophecy through Ezekiel was pointing to! Hence, there was still thirst for the presence of the Lord in a fuller way, and for the fulfillment of His promises. “Let anyone who is thirsty . . . “, thirsty for God’s presence and provision, thirsty for God’s glory. Rivers of living water will not flow from us if we are not thirsting after the presence of the Lord.

While it begins with thirst, it does not end there: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” Here we have not just thirst, but a call to decision. God’s people had faced decisions before. Looking back to the example of God providing water from a rock in the wilderness, the people faced a decision. They could either go back to Egypt, or go forward with God trusting He will continue with the blessings of His presence and provision. They could cave into temptation, or crave the presence of God. When Jesus calls out to the thirsty at the temple, he is pointing to Himself as the rock through whom God’s presence and provision happens. He is calling people to decision, to trust in him.

The example from Ezekiel is similar. When Ezekiel prophesied the restoration of the nation and the rebuilding of the temple there would have been a temptation for the exiles to just blend into Babylonian society instead. Ezekiel’s prophecy about a rebuilt temple with a flowing life giving river came with a decision, either cave into the temptation to blend in, or crave the presence and provision of God, looking forward with trust to His keeping of the promise. When Jesus calls out to the thirsty at the Temple, he is pointing to Himself as the Temple, the source of the living waters, and those waters will not flow from a building, but from Himself and through the people of God. He is calling people to decision, to trust in him. We face that same decision.

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.”

Perhaps we do not feel like the promised vessels of God’s blessing and refreshing because we are not thirsty for God. Or perhaps we are thirsty, but we try to quench that thirst with gods we have created instead of the God Who is. There is so much temptation all around us to cave and blend in. We will never be vessels for God’s living waters if we drink deeply from our society and culture with a fire hose while we sip at God’s presence with a straw. When we feel dry ourselves, when we feel our presence in the lives of others lacks any kind of spiritual refreshment, let us evaluate our thirst for God. Then let us evaluate the decisions we have made in quenching that thirst. Have we gone to Him? Do we drink deeply?

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.”

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Enjoy more of Clarke’s devotionals/studies at Sunday’s Shrunk Sermon

 

The River of God

Who knew the Southern Baptist Convention publishes a daily devotional? We didn’t until last night. The depth of study in what follows — the devotional posted for yesterday — certainly is at the level C201 readers should expect. I was going to do some editing on this, and then decided to let you see it as it goes out; a devotional thought, some word study, the Christological connection, prayer requests for an SBC worker and a specific nation, and a memory verse that I assume is in the KJV.

We don’t have a link for this; to read today’s devotional go to sbc.net/devotions. At the bottom is a link to SBC’s devotional content provider, but you need a password in order to see their material.

Ezekiel 46 to Ezekiel 48

Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side (Ezek. 47:1-2).

A river as a symbol of life and health has appeared multiple times in the Bible. The first mention is in Genesis 2:10-14, discussing the river flowing out of Eden. The prophets Joel and Zechariah each mentioned fountains of living water that were sourced from the Lord (Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8). It is the river of water of life, from the Book of Revelation, that comes the closest in both physical description and purpose to the river of healing described by Ezekiel. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1-2).

In each vision, the river flows from the presence of God outward. Each river is lined with trees that perpetually bear fruit and whose leaves have healing properties. In Ezekiel’s vision, the river flows eastward, getting wider and deeper the further it goes until it mingles with the dead sea and purifies the water, bringing life back to the sea (Ezek. 47:8). The rivers, which typify the life-giving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, clearly illustrate the limitless transforming power of our almighty God. God’s power is not bound by proximity; the further we get from the truth and the light the more He is needed, and the stronger His power grows. Anywhere we find ourselves, no matter how dark and troubled the place, if we reach out to God we will be able to find Him. The restoration of the Dead Sea by the river of healing is proof that nothing is beyond the power of God. For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

As with all other spiritual aspects of our lives however, we must seek redemption in order to find it. One would think that God’s river would be easy to see, but sin has a way of clouding our vision. We become “comfortable” (even if we are not happy) with where we are, and pushing through the weeds of sin that have us landlocked away from Him seems like too much trouble. We tell ourselves that we “are not that bad off,” or that “God will understand.” The reality is that, no matter what our reasons are, God will never understand or excuse unrepented sin. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt (Ezek. 47:11). If we choose stay there, rooted in the byways of the world, then we shall surely die.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:8).

Thought for Today:

God forgives sin, but He does not accept it.

Christ Revealed:

Through the river of living waters and one of the Names of God, Jehovah (Yahweh)-Shammah meaning: The Lord is there (Ezek. 47:1-12; 48:35; also Rev. 21 ‑ 22).

Word Studies:

46:7 as his hand shall attain unto = as much as he can afford; 46:24 places of them that boil = where the Temple servants are too boil the sacrifice; 47:2 utter gate = outer gate.

Prayer Needs:

Pray For Staff: Amanda Horn • Government Official: Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL) • Country: Bulgaria (6,924,716) Southeastern Europe • Major Languages: Bulgarian, Turkish • Newly opened to evangelism • 59.4% Eastern Orthodox; 7.8% Muslim; 1.7% Other (Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, Jewish); 3.7% None; 27.4% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Pray for a greater desire to serve the Lord (Ps. 42:1-2).

Memory Verse:

John 15:1-5
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Devotion courtesy Bible Pathway Ministries

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I decided to include this song at the end, and after debating it for a few minutes, decided to use this version that incorporates a rather unusual choice for background images. (If you’d prefer a more traditional video for this song, click this link.)

Drink Living Water From The Fountain of Life

Last night I was searching the ‘net for a song that represents a genre not often heard in today’s contemporary Christian music market, Living Water by Denny Correll.  I have the LP somewhere, but I was dying to hear the song.  In the process, I found a blogger who uses the songs from the Jesus Music era as the foundation for devotionals.  So I invite you to either click over to the blog Great, Great Joy now; or read what follows and then link over to click the audio track and follow the lyrics on a classic song.

Have you ever felt so excited about something that you couldn’t contain yourself? You just had to tell your friend, your neighbor, the person you met while walking down the street? This news you had was just too good to keep inside. It was like something that was bursting out of you that you couldn’t control!

The Joy that Jesus brings to my life is like that sometimes. Almost like a geyser, the Spirit bursts forth from me, usually in songs that I know, and that Joy comes out with it. It is literally energizing to have this happen, and spend the next several hours with music coming out in hums and whistles and fragments of song.

Jesus talks about this in the Gospel of John, chapter 7, verses 37 to 39: “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”

This “living water” that Jesus spoke of, the Holy Spirit, is obviously so much more than just a song. But His work in your spirit could be through tears and repentance, or through joy and song. And I know that one way in which He works (at least in me) is to bring back to my remembrance Scripture that I’ve learned in the past — or possibly a song. And regardless of how He chooses to work in me today, it gives me something I can use to water the thirsty land around me, if I choose to let it flow!

Denny Correll released an album in 1979, Standin’ In The Light. One of the tracks on that album, Living Water is a joyful song that explains what I’ve said above in different words. Enjoy!

Click over to Great Great Joy to hear the song and read the lyrics.

The Gift of Analogy

You’ve heard the story of the monkey who puts his arm in the vase or urn in order to get the banana that’s inside.   His fist is clenched around the banana, but the clench prevents him from getting his hand out of the neck of the container.

It’s a lose-lose situation.

I shared that with someone this week as an analogy for something else, but today, while doing some yard work, it reminded me of the quotation from Jim Elliot:

He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.

It doesn’t fit the analogy.   It implies something better.   A whole bunch of bananas is waiting if you’ll let go of the one.   More than you know what to do with.    Trading the temporary for the permanent.   It’s an offer that you’ll never hunger again.

Elliot’s well-known saying isn’t scripture.   But in the New Testament, Jesus promises a Samaritan woman a kind of “living water” so that she will never be thirsty again.

But first we have to let go of the grip we have on that which will only satisfy us momentarily.