“…For the JOY set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. “ Hebrews 12:2
Dear Women who Pray,
JOY! We just celebrated Easter. Yet, the beauty and message of Easter can be lived out each day! What the Father sent Jesus into the world to accomplish on the cross had been fulfilled! In the cross, we see victory over sin, Satan, and death. What JOY that brings each day knowing that we can have victory over these same things (sin, Satan, death), because of Jesus and our relationship with Him.
But at the time…. it didn’t look like victory in the eyes of those who were watching! Where was the JOY back then? The mother of Jesus was standing by the cross close enough to hear the words He spoke! I can’t imagine the pain and anguish she felt for her Son as she watched Him suffer on the cross that day. I wonder if she remembered the prophecy spoken to her by Simeon, many years back, when Jesus was a baby. He told her that a sword would pierce through her own soul (Luke 2:25). She would find her heart pierced to the core by what would happen to her Son. Although Mary was highly blessed being the mother of Jesus, her JOY was mixed with much sorrow…but we know the end of His~ story through His death… He brought forth life!
Life in Jesus brings great JOY, not only to us, but it also brings JOY and delight to God’s heart, too! In Matt. 13:44 we see that for JOY over the treasure in the field, he went and sold all he had in order to buy the field. The field represents the world; the treasure is you and me! Isn’t it incredible to think that Jesus was thinking of you and me as the treasure or the prize He would receive by enduring the cross? His motivation was the JOY of being with you & me in eternity…His incentive and His prize was the treasure in the field that brought Him much JOY!
THINK ABOUT IT: If you were to receive a treasure chest full of diamonds and rubies, plus expensive stones, wouldn’t you be full of JOY? I sure would be! In the same way, God sees how valuable we are and views us as His treasure. He takes great JOY in our relationship with Him! Reflecting on that fact alone can help change a poor self-image you may have of yourself from negative to positive. It’s important to see yourself as Christ sees you!
Perhaps you can relate to Mary’s feelings of JOY mixed with sorrow at this time in your life. If you are a Mom, you know the highs and lows of being a parent. I read somewhere this saying – “my house may not always be filled with laughter in the middle of the night, but if I trust God is with me, I will always have JOY in my heart.” What a great attitude. Joy isn’t a feeling that is dependent on our circumstances. I constantly have to remember to bring all of my pain, sorrow, questions and heartaches to the cross; there is victory there! It doesn’t make the pain go away, BUT at the cross I can find strength, hope, peace and life forever! You can, too!
In His presence is fullness of JOY ~ Psalm 16:11
God bless you, Karen