Resurrected Joy
Written by : Dawn Waldeis
An emotion that once seemed lost now so deeply resonates in my soul - if you listen closely you can hear it ringing out. It is not yet the overflow of contagious joy that I once hoped I’d have, but it is a steadfast, faith filled honest joy.
I have wrestled with the Lord many a day when I so desired this joy and all that I could express was from the melancholy heart that I had become so closely acquainted with, that had taken root. It hurts having sorrow at your core. Until I realized one day that my deep sorrow was rooted in a life stuck in a sadness, a remorse for the stain of sin, mine and the worlds, that seemed to echo through my existence as a believer in Christ.
He bore my sin and for that I was ashamed, this shame was formed through the mind of my youth and stuck with me for much of my life until I began digging and seeking on a deeper level into the Word of God and abiding in His love and intentions for me.
In Hebrews 12:2 it states that Jesus - For the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God - How could this be? I have read this so many times but on this day it sat in my heart differently and joy began to take root. His joy was not in the cross or the death itself, but what it accomplished - The Finished Work - Tetelestai! He died and rose again, so we could live and this is the finished work!
Oh, what a Savior we have to take all the sin of the world upon His body so we could live. We could be reconciled with the Father and participate in His divine nature. 1 Peter 2:24 states that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes - You Were Healed! This is the Finished Work - Tetelestai!
Let me ask you - Are you living today in the Finished Work? Have you received the work of the resurrection in your life? In you body? Allowing your sin and shame to stay nailed to the cross as you celebrate the work that has already been accomplished in your life? The One who has promised is faithful! So I invite you today to walk into the promises of God - the gift/inheritance that he offers His sons and daughters because of the Finished Work!
Consider this for a moment: Is the Joy of the Lord your strength? ( Neh 8:10)
The people in Nehemiah wept when they heard the words of the law spoken, they wept and mourned and were sorrowful. A repentant heart is important , to turn back to God if you have gone astray and then because we have a good and Almighty God - we can rejoice greatly because of the work of Jesus’ death on the cross! We have already been set free from sin and death and made new and brought into everlasting life! Now that is something to rejoice about!
In John 15: 10-13 Jesus speaks of keeping His Fathers commandments and abiding in His love, He says that He shares this with us that His joy would remain in us and that our Joy would be FULL! As we abide in Him all else fades away and what is left is a deeply rooted resonate sound of Resurrected Joy! It is the sound of the Finished Work of Jesus that is offered to His children.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ( Hebrews 12:1-2) - TETELESTAI!
Closing Prayer: Father God, I thank you for the finished work and with that, that you would lift our eyes to more clearly see your face smiling at your children, encouraging us, caring for us and drawing us in with your love. Anoint us God with your oil of joy, according to your divine power. You have given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We fix our eyes on you and hear you singing over us and oh what a joy it is - Resurrected Joy! Amen