You and I are putting together the puzzle of joy this week. What does joy look like when we receive it, when we choose it in our lives? Because so often we have to choose joy, right? Our circumstances are not allowed to dictate us anymore. I’m putting my foot down and I’m saying no more. I am choosing joy. God and His love and His joy define my day. How about you? Let’s jump into James now and break open some more nuggets!
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Transcription:
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.
I want you to picture yourself as we kick off the Bible for Busy People today with these words from Deuteronomy 33:12 sitting on the shoulders of the Lord like a child, and he’s smiling and you are smiling, and every once in a while you both laugh at the same time. That is how loved you are. Hi, I’m Erica. Welcome back to Jigsaw Joy. You and I are putting together the puzzle of joy. What does joy look like when we receive it, when we choose it in our lives? Because so often we have to choose joy, right? Our circumstances are not allowed to dictate us anymore. I’m putting my foot down and I’m saying no more. I am choosing joy. God and his love and his joy define my day. How about you? Are you putting your foot down too? Putting a flag in the ground might be a better way to say it. Well, that verse I just shared with you is one of my favorites, and it reminds me of what my friend Luanne is doing right now. Just days ago, she heard the worst news of her life. She has colon cancer and there’s been a mass growing for two years, and the news so far isn’t good. And yet Luanne felt an incredible peace at the doctor’s office when she delivered this news. As a matter of fact, she told me she felt an empathy for the doctor in that moment because she has to do this often, deliver this kind of a news. And when I spoke with Luanne, she sounded joyful. She told me that she’s telling each person she encounters in the hospital that they’re important, an important part of her journey, and she’s thankful for them. And she’s asking to take their pictures so she can have an album full of the people God put in her life as part of her healing. Luanne is exemplifying the piece of the puzzle that you and I are going to pop into place today because joy is an opportunity for us. Are you ready? Let’s dive in to James chapter one, beginning in verse one. I don’t always share the greeting, but I really liked this one.
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.Greetings!
Love that. Alright, verse two, now.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way,
Are you ready for this?
consider it an opportunity for great joy.
Okay, let’s pitch a tent here just for a moment. Great joy. Not just joy, but great joy. What is the trouble going on in your life right now? I’m going to give you a second to just think about it. Name it. Okay, I’ve got mine. Alright, this is an opportunity, whatever it is for you, whatever it is for me, it’s an opportunity for great joy. Verse three,
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 5 If you need wisdom,
Especially about the trouble that you’re going through right now. Okay, back to the Bible now.
ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Alright, skipping down now to verse 12, for the sake of time.
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
Okay, I’ve never noticed this before. I’m going to need a timeout for a second because I’m going to grab a piece of paper and write down what’s going through my head in my heart. So hang on with me.
…
Okay, I’m back. So from what you and I just read, our temptations grow from our own desires which grow into sinful actions and lead to death. But if we go back to the words you and I just read at the beginning of this passage, “When our faith is tested, our endurance grows“, right? And then when our endurance is fully developed, we will be perfect, complete, needing nothing. It leads to life. It leads to joy. Okay? So that’s why in the trouble that you’re in right now, that you’re embroiled in, there is an opportunity for joy. Think about it this way. When you go on a hike, it’s really hard, but when you get to the top of the mountain, the view is so worth it. That’s what God is doing in these troubles that come to us. He’s working. He’s cooking in that kitchen. I’ve got analogies all over the place, but this is just so beautiful to me. God is growing us. He’s growing my friend, Luanne. She’s choosing joy. She’s seeing an opportunity to shine her light for the Lord Jesus to people she never would’ve met had she not been diagnosed with colon cancer. In her trouble are the seeds of joy, and in your trouble are the seeds of joy. In a weird way, I feel like it’s not even me talking right now. It’s my spirit just rejoicing over God’s words and his promises, which are for you and for me. If we just receive them, oh man, I can’t wait to see what piece we’re going to discover together and pop into the jigsaw puzzle of joy next time. Until then, oh, you are so loved.
Thank you for making time for the Bible, for busy people today. If being part of this community is a blessing to you, it’s super easy to share this podcast with someone you love. We’re all about spreading the hope of Jesus like butter. So if you’ve got a moment to write a review, boy, we’d really appreciate that. Maybe you need a little prayer today or you are ready to take that next step with God. I invite you to check out our show notes. You’re going to find lots of encouragement there. This podcast is one branch on a tree called Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and thrive in God’s purpose for your life. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose.
Thank you for making time for the Bible for Busy People today. If being part of this community is a blessing to you, it’s super easy to share this podcast with someone you love. We’re all about spreading the hope of Jesus like butter. So, if you’ve got a moment to write a review, boy, we’d really appreciate that. Maybe you need a little prayer today, or you are ready to take that next step with God… I invite you to check out our show notes. You’re going to find lots of encouragement there. This podcast is one branch on a tree called Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find, and thrive, in God’s purpose for your life. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose.
Find more podcasts that will recharge you at onpurposely.com.
