Serving Rascals, Clumsy Disciples, and Physically and Mentally Ill Believers with the Unconditional Love of Jesus Christ
Proverbs 17:22, ESV
We have from ‘King Solomon’s mines’ a truth regarding joy. Whether we acknowledge its truth, or not, we find its effects on us to be binding. “A joyful heart” is like medicine for our souls. There are many issues that afflict us, many things that trouble us. I find within myself a veritable zoo. But there is a sure and ready relief.
“Worry, fear, distrust, care-all are poisonous! joy is balm and healing, and if you will but rejoice, God will give power. He has commanded you to be glad and rejoice, and He never fails to sustain His children in keeping His commandments. Rejoice in the Lord always, He says. This means no matter how sad, how tempted, how sick, how suffering you are, rejoice in the Lord just where you are-and begin this moment. The joy of the Lord is the strength of our body, The gladness of Jesus, the balm for our pain, His life and His fullness, our fountain of healing, His joy, our elixir for body and brain.”
A.B. Simpson
For those among us who struggle so, we find a treatment plan that will work. There is an active ingredient within a joyful heart that heals and protects our souls. Real joy— applied frequently to our aching souls— provides something quite like medicine to someone quite ill. I’m no snake oil salesman. Nor am I into herbs and vitamins. (I suppose I could be a little more aware.) But I know that this principle is true.
“A crushed spirit dries up the bones.” We know first-hand that this is true. There is a ‘crushing’ wound that can breakdown our spirits and bodies. We are simply overwhelmed by life and we experience a crumbling and mashing of our personalities. We are as sick in our ‘bones’ as we might be physically. Now there is a huge difference between a physical illness and a spiritual one, but the factual principles are the same. The pain is different, but is it not similar?
A joyful heart is the pharmaceutical of choice for treating diseases of the personality and spirit. Sometimes we are unwell because we ignore the prescription. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) Joy in the deepest part of us is almost always:
If this is true, then we do well to ‘give it a whirl.’
“The joyless Christian reveals himself by having negative thoughts and talk about others, in a lack of concern for others welfare, and a failure to intercede on others behalf. Joyless believers are self-centered, selfish, proud, and often vengeful and their self-centeredness inevitably manifests itself in prayerlessness.”
John MacArthur
Matt. 26:30
This is the only place in scripture where it was recorded that Jesus sang. There is no question that He sang on other occasions, we just don’t know the specifics. The hymn on the way to the Mount would’ve been from the Book of Psalms, and most likely one of the Psalms of Ascent that would of coincided with that particular date. These hymns were known as the Hallel Psalms (meaning “Praise” psalms), and consisted of Psalms 113-118.
Jesus ‘singing’ tells us a lot of His frame of mind while heading for His death in just a few hours. When a man is about to be executed at a definite place and time its unlikely that you will find him to be musically inclined. Yet Jesus joined His brothers in singing to the Glory of God. He sings from darknesses depth.
“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.”
John 4:23, NLT
The search in on! The Father looks into our hearts to find something special. Is it there? Will He choose you? Let’s not foolishly think that because you play the piano or the guitar you’ll be a “shoe-in.” “Spirit and truth” is the awareness needed. Being ‘filled with the Spirit’ is the only thing that is really necessary.
“Be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
Ephesians 5:19, NLT
God is looking for worship that’s sincere and strong. If we are not “spirit and truth” worshippers we can’t fake it. It is malfunctioning. But we can commence to begin. We can start by preparing our hearts. Putting them under the spigot of the spirit and of truth. Let them soak like a sponge in God’s grace. Things that are dry, will saturate themselves in God.
Broken Believers 