God’s Song of Joy
Sunday, April 11, 2010 – AM
By Pastor James May
There is an old hymn that we often sing that says, “What have I to fear; what have I to dread? I’m leaning on the everlasting arms. I have blessed peace with my Lord so near; leaning on the everlasting arms.” Are you leaning on those everlasting arms this morning? We live in a day when fear stalks the land and, as the scripture prophesied, men’s hearts are failing them for fear. And with each passing day that fear grows deeper and stronger. But the Child of God, whose heart is stayed upon Jesus, has no fear.
1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." Satan loves to torment God’s people if they will allow him to. He will steal your peace by making you so busy that you forget to cultivate that love relationship with Jesus. It is always easy to spot those who are not as close to the Lord as they should be. You can see it in their eyes; you can hear it in their voice; and you can see in the way in which they live.
As you can see from this verse, perfect Love; that love that can only be experienced in Christ, will bring victory over fear, for perfect love brings peace and trust to the heart and life of God’s people. The world knows no peace. Even in those times when peace seems to be at hand, there’s always an underlying storm just waiting to break forth upon them.
A Christian who is truly in Love with the Lord should not be overly concerned with what is going on in the earth. Think about when you are traveling through a city that is not your hometown while you’re on a vacation, or some kind of trip. You can ride along and see the political signs if there’s a local election, or the news on the local TV stations and you can even see where the economy may be either faltering or bustling. But what does that really matter to you? You’re a stranger and a pilgrim traveling through; on your way to somewhere else. Let the local people take care of their own problems. After all, you have enough problems of your own, don’t you?
Now I’m not saying that we should ignore what’s going on in the earth. As long as we live here, what goes on will have its effect upon us, so it’s good to be aware of what is happening. But we should never get so involved with the things of this life that we forget that this isn’t our final destination. We are just passing through. I’m on my way to Glory Land. This world is not my home. My treasures are laid up in Heaven and that’s where I’m going.
I may leave a few dollars here and there while I’m traveling. I might have to pick up something to eat, or rent a room for the night, or put gas in the car; but I’m not stopping to make an investment in the local real estate market. My home has already been established; and unless I’m planning on spending a lot of time somewhere else, why do I need a second one. My treasures, my investment, my property is right here so why get involved elsewhere when I have nothing to lose but those few temporary, minor things that I’ve had to use in a strange place?
The problem I see with a lot of Christians is that they have far too much treasure right here on earth and it tends to weaken their resolve to get to that heavenly home, and it keeps them from making the right investment in the that eternal home.
Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
We all have to work and earn a living for our families while we live, and that requires investment in time, money and personal sacrifice. To not provide for our family is to be considered as worse than a non-Believer because even sinners provide for their families.
The problem arises when we begin to try to live such a lifestyle here that we don’t have time or energy to invest in the Kingdom of God. What’s more important to you right now? Is it building a better, bigger house to live in right now, or is your first priority to invest in the work of the Lord and add value to your heavenly home? The scripture bears out the fact that there will be differences in our heavenly reward based upon how much we have invested there while we were yet living on the earth.
Matthew 16:27, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."
Romans 2:5-6, "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:"
Romans 2:7-8, "To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,"
Romans 2:9-11, "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God."
You are building your account in Heaven right now. How much are you depositing? What is the balance of your account in the bank of Heaven? Some Christians make so little effort in serving the Lord; and are so focused on enjoying this life, that their reward in Heaven is lacking.
Are we more concerned with how much we have in Capital One, or Regions, or whatever bank you might use, then we are with how much we have on account in Heaven? When you see a Christian that is worldly minded and focused on the things of this world, while neglecting their service to the Lord; and ignoring their commitment to the House of God and the Kingdom of God, then you can bet that their Heavenly Bank Account is low.
The devil loves to bring troubling thoughts into your mind that will result in fear if we allow ourselves to dwell on them long enough. Will I have enough money for retirement? Will I be able to maintain my present lifestyle; or will I have to cut back drastically? Will my family be provided for? What about this? What about that?
Questions and concerns are always there. Sometimes you might wake up in the middle of the night and out of nowhere comes these kinds of thoughts. Do you ever lie awake for a while just thinking about such things? Does the devil torment you with thoughts that you just haven’t done enough, or that you should work more and put more away for a rainy day?
It’s not wrong to plan ahead, or to do what you can to insure your future; especially when we have no promise of tomorrow and we don’t know what we may have to face in the future. Life will go on and the troubles will continue to come.
But never forget that Jesus is in control of your life and that He is Jehovah Jireh; your great Provider!
Matthew 6:25, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"
Matthew 6:26, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"
I’ve never seen a barn added on to a bird’s nest. I’ve never seen one packing a suitcase with extra feathers or a picnic basket with extra worms. None have refrigerators for extra food, and they don’t even have grocery stores where their bird seed is sorted and laid out for them whenever they need it. But I’ve never seen a bird starve to death either.
Well, maybe once, but it was because the poor thing was locked in a cage and it’s owner thought that he would eat the empty hulls of his bird seed. God had food waiting for him outside, in the open, but he was locked in a cage and couldn’t get to the food that God had for him. He belonged to the wrong master; one that just didn’t understand how to take care of him. That poor bird dug didn’t make it. (There’s a sermon in there somewhere I think. If you’re not serving the right master; then my friend, you truly have something to fear.)
Matthew 6:27-29, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
I’ve often wished that Jesus hadn’t said the first part of this. I would like to have added a few inches to my stature at times. But no matter how hard I tried, or how much fertilizer I put in my shoes, I just couldn’t reach the six foot tall level. I’ve been stuck at 5 ft 6 inches for a very long time; and now I’m beginning to think that I’ve lost ground because my pants seem to be getting shorter. But that’s okay because what I’ve lost in height; I’ve more than gained back in girth.
There have been a few more flowers planted in the beds in front of the church and I want to say, “Thank You”, to Sister Starla for her work and trying to make the ground look nicer. But I don’t think she told a single flower that it had to keep the weeds down and pick up the trash that people throw in the yard as they pass by. No sewing machines were planted along with them to help them make new leaves, or new flower petals. She just planted them and we turned on the sprinkler system to give them a little more water.
But those plants will grow because Jehovah Jireh is their Provider too. God not only provides the nourishment from the ground; and the rain from the heavens; but he gives them a beauty all their own.
You can really tell when someone has been investing in the things of God and when they are focused on that Heavenly Kingdom. They have a sweeter disposition; and a beautiful heart and spirit; and the Love of God surrounds them, and they are just pleasant people to be around. There’s an inner beauty that only God can give; and it shines through to the outside for all to see.
It’s not so for those who are focused on the things of this world. They are selfish, preoccupied with making a living and have no time for the things of God. They aren’t satisfied with anything; and they are quick to tell you about it too. And even though they may dress up the outside and put on a good front; you can sense in their mannerisms that there is no real inner peace.
Matthew 6:30, "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"
Matthew 6:31-33, "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
God is able to meet your need. He is able to take care of His people. God has promised that you would never be forsaken or that your seed would never have to beg for bread. If we can just learn to trust him, cast all of our care upon him and believe that God will do what He says he will do; then we will finally come to realize that there is truly nothing to fear and nothing that we need to worry about. We will come to know that all we need to do is just put everything in God’s hands and then stay in communication with him.
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
I believe that Heaven is a happy place. There’s rejoicing, praising, singing and dancing around the Throne all of the time. God desires praise; and I want to be one that joins the people of God as we give Him that praise. Heaven is a place of perfect peace and rest. No one there is concerned with anything at all except just praising the Lord and enjoying the beauty of God’s great Heavenly City.
Why is Heaven that way? It’s because Jehovah Jireh is providing all that is needed and no one has to work, to worry or to be concerned with anything. If God can do that in Heaven; then surely He can do the same for us in the earth.
We serve a Mighty God. He lives in us and we dwell in Him. He has provided all that we need for the salvation of our souls and for the salvation or needs of our body as well. God rejoices over you, for you are His child. That means that when God looks at you, and your love for Him, that he laughs for joy and carries a smile from ear to ear. He is happy with you for being a faithful servant and He rests in the fact that there is perfect love in your heart and that you are focused on your eternal reward.
Can you picture God just walking around Heaven or sitting on His throne and suddenly just breaking forth in singing because of the joy that you bring to His heart? I don’t know what He sings but maybe its something like, “Well done my Child; Joy comes in the morning.” Or maybe it’s kind of like what we all do with the kids on Wednesday night when they sing, “Father Abraham”. Is it possible that He joins in with us with laughter and go through the motions like we do? And when we sing praises to Him, I know that the Angelic Choir of Heaven joins in and sings right along with us.
My God is mighty. My God loves me with a love that I can’t even understand. My God will supply all of my needs. My God will give me the desires of my heart. My God rejoices over me and carries me in the palm of his hand. My God is happy with me, and breaks out in joyful song because of my Love for Him. And that’s how God feels about you too, if you are truly serving him.
Don’t let Satan steal that from you. Don’t allow the devil to destroy that relationship with God or kill your chance for that Heavenly reward. Just sell out to God and serve Him with all of your heart. That’s what God wants and that’s what will make Him rejoice over you.
Do you know Jesus today? Have you been washed in the Blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? Is God rejoicing over you? Today you can become a Born Again Child of God. Today, you can be the reason that all of Heaven breaks out in joyful singing. Every time a soul comes home to Jesus there is joy in Heaven. Right now could be your time and this could be your day.
Will you come to Jesus? Will you bring joy to the heart of God, and help God sing for joy? Will you put your hand in the hand of the man of Galilee and serve Jesus with all of your heart? Come now, and be a part of the celebration and let God be your Jehovah Jireh. God will take away the worry and fear and replace them with faith and with His great Love.
