The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Galatians 4:8-10, 15a,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!... What has happened to all your joy?"
Paul's indictment against the Galatian believers was that they were turning from the faith that brought them into a relationship with God back to the religious principles they clung to before they came to know God through the gospel message Paul preached. They were placing themselves in slavery under "those who by nature are not gods." and "weak and miserable principles".
What captures my eye this morning is that as the Galatians began to turn from the true faith, they began to lose their joy! Paul asks them, "What has happened to all your joy?" This points to the fact that having a right relationship with God brings great joy!
Joy is a word that has somehow lost popular circulation in our day, except at Christmas time. Possibly this is a reflection of the pull of our society away from the things of God these days. Joy is a natural outflow of our relationship with God. For those of us who know God, we are convinced of the wonders headed our way in the resurrection! Paul tells us the kingdom of God is not a matter of splitting hairs over every doctrinal issue that can develop within the church, "the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" Romans 14:17. Righteousness, peace and joy! In the next chapter Paul tells us joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22. Because of this we should find ourselves always joyful, 1 Thessalonians 5:16. We know that God's angels live in the presence of the Lord and therefore are described as those who are in "joyful assembly", Hebrews 12:22.
The one passage that sticks out in my mind relative to the joy that is ours in Jesus Christ is what Peter has to say about believers, 1 Peter 1:8-9, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." Here is the appointed disposition of those who are eagerly awaiting the return of our wonderful Lord from heaven: joy!
Paul's indictment against the Galatian believers was that they were turning from the faith that brought them into a relationship with God back to the religious principles they clung to before they came to know God through the gospel message Paul preached. They were placing themselves in slavery under "those who by nature are not gods." and "weak and miserable principles".
What captures my eye this morning is that as the Galatians began to turn from the true faith, they began to lose their joy! Paul asks them, "What has happened to all your joy?" This points to the fact that having a right relationship with God brings great joy!
Joy is a word that has somehow lost popular circulation in our day, except at Christmas time. Possibly this is a reflection of the pull of our society away from the things of God these days. Joy is a natural outflow of our relationship with God. For those of us who know God, we are convinced of the wonders headed our way in the resurrection! Paul tells us the kingdom of God is not a matter of splitting hairs over every doctrinal issue that can develop within the church, "the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" Romans 14:17. Righteousness, peace and joy! In the next chapter Paul tells us joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22. Because of this we should find ourselves always joyful, 1 Thessalonians 5:16. We know that God's angels live in the presence of the Lord and therefore are described as those who are in "joyful assembly", Hebrews 12:22.
The one passage that sticks out in my mind relative to the joy that is ours in Jesus Christ is what Peter has to say about believers, 1 Peter 1:8-9, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." Here is the appointed disposition of those who are eagerly awaiting the return of our wonderful Lord from heaven: joy!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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