Joyful

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is 1st of May, Wednesday morning, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Habakkuk 3:18:

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Then we go straight to Nehemiah 8:10. We all know that verse: 

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  

Now, you might say to me this morning, “What is there to be joyful about?” Well, let’s start with our salvation, because He has saved you and me from a terrible life of bondage to the devil. He has set us free! He has covered us with a robe of righteousness; He has hidden our shame; He has clothed us with garments of salvation. That’s right, yes, a new beginning. He has given you and me a brand new life. 

You know that scripture in Isaiah 61:3? He has given us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Folks, this joy that the Lord is speaking to us about is not a feeling, it’s a fact. We don’t have to walk around with a big smile on our face all the time and be happy all the time. It’s a deep knowing that if we have to die today we are going home to be with Jesus, not because we are good people but because He is a Good God, and He loves us and we have acknowledged Him as our Lord and Saviour. It is a guarantee. For us to live is Christ and to die is but gain - that is what Paul, the Apostle said. I want to say to you today, it is the joy of the Lord.

We need to praise God because when we praise Him, that is what takes that spirit of heaviness off us. Do you remember that song which the Gaither’s wrote, Bill and Gloria Gaither? It’s a song that has gone right around the world so many times. Early in the morning, on a Wednesday morning, there are men who get together in our little chapel on the farm, and we sing together, and this is one of the favourite songs that the boys love to sing, and I want you to sing it with me. It goes like this - Because He lives, that’s right, I can face tomorrow:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
And because I know, yes I know, He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Now come on, all together:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
And because I know, yes I know, He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Go out now and praise the Lord because He lives.

God bless you and goodbye.