DAY 27 – God wants ___________(your name) to soar!

Please read John 16:20-24

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

“ A wild duck was flying northward with his mates across Europe during the springtime.  En route, he happened to land in a barnyard in Denmark, where he quickly made friends with the tame ducks that lived there. The wild duck enjoyed the corn and fresh water. He decided to stay for an hour, then for a day, then for a week, and finally, for a month. At the end of that time, he contemplated flying to join his friends in the vast Northland, but he had begun to enjoy the safety of the barnyard, and the tame ducks had made him feel so welcome. So he stayed for the summer. One autumn day, when his wild mates were flying south, he heard their quacking. It stirred him with delight, and he enthusiastically flapped his wings and rose into the air to join them. Much to his dismay, he found that he could rise no higher than the eaves of the barn. As he waddled back to the safety of the barnyard, he muttered to himself, “I’m satisfied here, I have plenty of food, and the area is good. Why should I leave?” So, he spent the winter on the farm. In the spring, when the wild ducks flew overhead again, he felt a strange stirring within his breast, but he did not even try to fly up to meet them. When they returned in the fall, they again invited him to rejoin them, but this time, the duck did not even notice them. There was no stirring within his breast. He simply kept on eating corn, which made him fat.”  A parable by Soren Kierkegaard

Every human wants joy or at least happiness in his or her life. People look for Joy in prestigious college degrees, jobs, relationships, etc., and continue in those situations/relationships hoping that one-day joy will pop up. The sad part is while God created you and me for a life of Joy in Jesus, we settle for stuff that gives us fleeting joy. 

So how do we get this joy? When you and I value Jesus’ promise of his presence (John 16:22) – right now he resides in us and one-day he will be with us forever. King David teaches this in when sings, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

Next, we have to ask for what really matters for us. You and I should be focusing on Christ’s joy and ask for what truly matters (John 16:24) for the objective of our lives is “ask and …. receive" the right thing. David tells us the same (Psalm 5:11, 51:12).

Dear Jesus you created me to soar, but I constantly shift my focus on things that give me temporary pleasure and then grief. I thank you for your patience towards this prodigal fool. Amen.

DAY 26 – For those who wait…

Please read John 16:16-20

One snowy morning at 5:00 a.m., an applicant for the position of overseas missionary rang the bell at a missionary leader’s home. He was welcomed by the missionary leader’s wife and was seated in the living room. He waited 3 hours and exactly 8 am the missionary leader, a retired missionary, came into the room, did not greet him but asked, “ Are you a good speller?”

The applicant, somewhat puzzled by the question, replied, “Yes Sir I am.”  

 Leader –“How do you spell three”

Applicant – “T-H-R-E-E.”

Leader - “ Good! Are you good with numbers?”

Applicant –“Yes sir.”

Leader – “Okay what is two plus two?”

Applicant- “Four.”

 The leader then said, “You did great in the interview. I will recommend to the missionary board to hire you.”  The perplexed yet thankful applicant left the house after thanking the interviewer.

Later that day the Leader went to the missionary board with this report, “He will make an excellent missionary in any foreign country – he has all the qualifications. First, he came for the interview at 5 on a snowy morning that shows self-denial. He was on time on a cold snowy morning. Second, he is very patient- he waited three hours without complaining.  Third, he has the right temperament – he was not offended that I asked him questions that are normally asked of a 6-year-old –he did not show annoyance or irritation. Ladies and Gentleman, you have your missionary.” 

In our text for today Jesus tells the Apostles He “ will see (them) again, and (their) hearts will rejoice, and no one will take (their)  joy from them.” They did rejoice after his resurrection, but some still had doubts (Matthew 28:16-17; Mark 16:14). It was at Pentecost, when they were filled with God the Holy Spirit and then the Apostles really changed.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I are in a much better position than that of the Apostles. Apostles did not know God the Holy Spirit until Pentecost. We are blessed, God gave us his Spirit to dwell in us and to be with us and guide us at the feet of Jesus.  And that coupled with the hope of everlasting joy of being with Jesus and no one will take our joy from us. So lets' wait on Jesus and His promises.

Dear Jesus, I am already rich because you gave me Your Spirit. Help me to continue the walk of faith of Hope of the Joy of being with you forever.

Day 25 – What/Whom will I remember in Heaven?

Please read John 16:21-22

On February 19, 1812, 23-year old Adoniram Judson, along with his wife of 7 days boarded a ship to go to India. However, when he reached India, he was refused entry into the country so he landed in Rangoon, Burma (present day Myanmar). Soon Judson realized he and Ann were the only Christians in Burma. For seven years he toiled to bring people to Jesus and finally on June 27, 1819, Judson baptized the first Burmese believer. People came to Christ- but slowly – yet Judson persisted.

He and lost their first–born Roger at 8-months of age. He also lost two wives to disease, as Cholera was common in Burma at that time. He was thrown in jail, accused of being an American spy.  Yet hardships never deterred Judson from his work for God.

When Judson began his mission in Burma his goals were very modest – the writing of a Burmese Bible and a church of 100 converts. However, God blessed his servant mightily. When Judson died, at age 61, he established over 100 churches with over 8000 Burmese Christians. He not only accomplished his goal of writing (translating) a Bible in Burmese, he also finished the first-ever Burmese to English Dictionary.  His work is monumental – Burma has the third largest number of Baptists behind, USA and India.

 Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in chapter 16 and surrounding chapters, Jesus is getting his disciples ( and us) ready for trials and tribulations – so when they come they are not blindsided. In John 16:10 Jesus tells his disciples “ I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer.” They are perplexed with this ‘going to the Father’ phrase. They don’t understand. (You and I have an advantage over them because we know what happened next.) They are trying to process and understand the words of his impending death. Comforting and preparing them for the trials, in these chapters, Jesus alternates between the good news and bad news. But here in these two verses, he talks about both – the trials and sorrow to come and in the end, Joy.   Judson knew trials but he knew Joy was to come.

Jesus also teaches us something that we can’t comprehend with our feeble minds – the Joy that we receive from Jesus will make us forget our sorrows (V. 21).  People often ask me whether they will have relationships and if remembrances will continue with in heaven. In heaven, we will not remember our trials both in and outside the church. When we are around Jesus and God no one else matters, nothing else comes to mind. This Joy is forever – in V. 22 Jesus says  “no one will take your joy from you.”

Dear Jesus, equip me to trust in your mercy, grace and the future everlasting joy you have for me. Amen.

DAY 24 – The Overcomers

Please read John 16:16-20; 1 John 5:4-5

In verses 16-19, Jesus is talking to his disciples. He tells them that he is going to be leaving them and it will be good for them that he goes away. Then in verse 20, Jesus gives the bad news, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.” Immediately in the same verse, he comforts them saying, “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

The disciples so far have spent approximately three years with Jesus following him and learning about the Kingdom of God and about Jesus himself. Now they are grieving at the news that Jesus will leave them. Even before this, they are troubled because Jesus warns them that the world hates them (John 15:18-19) and that the world is ready to drive them away from synagogues and kill them (John 16:2). The disciples, who see the enormity of Jesus’ suffering and death, three days later, rejoice at His resurrection.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, the world does not care about Christ or Christians. For us believers, the thought of Jesus suffering and dying on the cross for your sins and my sins brings sadness. The world does not care – the world never understands God’s plan (1 Corinthians 1:18) of his own Son’s death for its sins. The resurrection news is also met with a yawn except for the ‘holiday’ of Easter. The death and rising of Jesus are met with apathy and skepticism and even abhorrence. So our contemplation and suffering is a time of joy to the world. The world’s source of joy is opposite and unfit to that of a believer. But your joy and my joy are found in Jesus alone.  So let’s live as God’s children waiting that great day of Revelation 21:4. 

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis  

Thank you Jesus, for giving me the faith to overcome the world and its deceptions. Amen.