Truth+Love=Joy

This morning, I woke up feeling loved. Loved by my family. Loved by my husband. Even loved by my adorable dog,Coco. Most importantly, I felt loved by my Lord. I felt the cool breeze and saw the beautiful sky and was excited. Not only because I was alive to live another day in Him, but because I knew something exciting: that after 2 days in 1st and 2nd Peter, I was rounding a corner. I was elated because I was aware of what this morning held. It held for me truth and love. It promised to encourage and admonish me. It would be an amazing time and a humbling time. This morning I entered 1st John. It is one of my all-time favorite books in the bible. I knew that I would be reminded of two promises found in God's word. They are the very promises I need to hear, at the very time. I knew it was coming for days and thought about jumping ahead to it, but I knew I was where I was in God's word for a reason and did not want to miss out on what God had for me by rushing to the next book. So I woke up, grabbed my bible and anxiously flipped to 1st John. I was beginning to pray and ask the Lord to speak to me when something happened. My daughter decided to crawl into bed next to me and begin talking about the day. Who can come over? Where are we going? What are we doing? What is (fill in the blank with as many friends as possible) doing? You see, when I am not a pastor's wife, I am a personal assistant, event coordinator, and entertainment guide for my very social 10 year old daughter.(at least this is how SHE sees me). I continued to pray and tried to ignore her when my adorable dog began to boss me into petting her. If you have ever seen this in your dog, you will know what I am talking about. So, I got up and sought solitude and began again. My excitement was even greater now, so I opened my bible. I began to read and didn't make it very far before I had to stop. I was camped in verse 4 of chapter one. A small verse that writes very few words. It simply says this: "And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full". I had to stop because I realized that this entire book was written so that our "joy may be full". I have had the blessing of experiencing much joy in my life. Whether it was my joy or that of someone else, it was definitely a great experience to share in. Joy is defined in the dictionary as "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness" and gives synonyms such as delight, gladness, and rejoicing. That is full just looking at it. Yet God is not giving us His word merely to look at it. He gives it to us so that our joy may be full! He wants us to experience it. To rely upon it and grab a hold of it. To devour it and to apply it. This is where the fullness comes. Many things can make us happy, but few people ever experience true joy. This is why I was so excited to open this book and pour over the contents of the words God has for me through the prophet John. I was reminded of truth: 2:2, 2:25,4:18-19, 5:20. I was enthralled by love: 3:19-22, 4:9-11, 5:3. Read it and you will be blessed! I want to leave you with this verse " We love Him because he first loved us" (4:19) because it ministered to me the most. You see, truth is not optional, but love and joy are. God CHOSE to love us so much that the only way He could close the gap caused by sin was His death. He loved us first. HE loved us first. Doesn't that bring you joy? I am so glad that the ball is in His court, because I am in no way capable of gaining His love or keeping His love. The joy? I am simply allowed to receive it! What an amazing God we serve!