30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 24 36-49 COMMISSIONED TO BE HIS WITNESSES 11 25Apr2022 Luke 24 40-43 Our joy to be full
📖 Luke 24:36-49
11 – 25Apr2022 – Our joy to be full - Luke 24:36-49 - COMMISSIONED TO BE HIS WITNESSES - Bible reading: John 16:21-24
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are calling us to rejoice and celebrate in Your presence. We can lay all our cares at Your feet for You care for us. It is a privilege to be yielded and surrendered to you. Teach us, Lord, to keep our eyes on You and not on our circumstances. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
Luke 24:40-43 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. (41) But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" (42) So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. (43) And He took it and ate in their presence.
The disciples had decided that the curtains had come down on their relationship with Jesus. There was no joy in them. Suddenly, the Lord was in their midst and He was urging them to know that He was with them in flesh and bones. This was too bewildering for the disciples. The Lord persisted that the disciples get a full grasp of His physical resurrection, by partaking in a meal with them.
All the darkness, fear, disappointment, that was choking them was being lifted, and it was replaced by the joy that was overwhelming.
Friends, this is what the Lord desires for us at all times. He desires that we rejoice in Him always. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! The key to rejoicing always, is, by being ‘in the Lord’.
Psalms 126:1-3 A Song of Ascents. When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. (2) Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." (3) The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.
We are to be people, who are full of joy and gladness, in a world that is full of sorrow and sadness. We are full of joy not because everything is working favourably for us, but we rejoice because our Lord is with us and we are fellowshipping with Him and He with us. When the Lord is with us, where is the room for despondency and discouragement?
John 16:21-24 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. (22) Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.(23) "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (24) Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
The Lord had prepared the disciples that when His crucifixion, death and burial would take place, they would be filled with sorrow. Nevertheless, that gloom will all disappear for He would be with them again. Then their joy would be full.
The Lord is inviting us to ask anything in His name. We will not need ‘things’ from God. We will desire the Lord, Himself. We are to ask to be in Christ. In Him, there is fullness of joy. He is our sufficiency.
II Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Our joy is to be full, always, in Christ. This is the secret for the disciples of Christ. We are people who rejoice in the Lord, always.
II Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
All our concerns are satisfied in Christ. Therefore, we rejoice. All our inabilities and our insufficiencies are met in Christ. In Christ we are able.
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
We are able to handle all sorts of pressures, in Christ.
Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: (12) I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. (13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We, therefore, humble ourselves at the feet of Jesus and find our joy in Him.
I Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
We can rejoice just like the disciples, who were now beginning to be full of joy.
Thought to ponder
Have you lost your joy in life? Seek Christ…not solutions for your problems