Marriage Anchors

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where?” How many of you remember singing this song at camp or in Sunday school? What a great song with a great message. I am learning (the hard way as usual) that “Joy”,  like love, is a choice. It is not so much a warm, bubbly feeling I get from people, things, or experiences. Rather, it is a moment by moment decision to hold the hand of my Savior Jesus and choose by faith to possess a glad heart.  

Now it is time for True Confessions.  I am not joyful or glad much of the time. I find that I have allowed the disappointments in life, the set backs, and the outright royal shafts that come to cloud my judgment and my faith. Like the Apostle Peter on the Sea of Galilee and during the night of Jesus`s arrest and mock trial, I tend to quietly groan in grumbling and, at times, fear.   During these times, I take my eyes off of my Jesus, my Great Shepherd, and lower them to this world, with its intrigues, its pressures, and its troubles. I might not be alone in this. Right?

I do confess I am ‘missing the mark’ for this is what sin is. Sin is an archery term. It is the ‘sin’ distance which measures by how much my arrow misses the mark of perfection on the bull’s eye.

  Sin is a condition which misses the perfection of God.  

Like Peter, whether, sinking in the drink or slinking in denial, I am the opposite of joyful when I do this. I really desire that God gives me the Spirit-directed power to choose joy as well as to choose love. These two are like loyal roommates. One is not without the other. Please pray this for me. I will pray this for you.

“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”   (Nehemiah 8:10c  ESV)  

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The Gospel https://marriageanchors.com/2012/05/18/your-anchor-dont-leave-port-without-him/