THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

I am sure we all have met people who have much but still complain of not having enough.  But I am equally sure that we have met those who don’t have much yet never complain of not having enough.  Perhaps we wonder what makes them so different.  There are of course a number of reasons; one of them is greed.  Yes, greed can definitely make us always complain of not having enough.

However, there is another reason that often gets overlooked—lack of joy.  We, who don’t have much joy in our hearts, tend to look at the negative side of life.  Instead of looking at what is right, we look at what’s wrong; instead of looking at what’s good, we look at what’s bad.  Instead of giving thanks to God for what we have, we complain to God for what we do not have.  Instead of saying, “enough,” we say, “not enough.” All because we have no joy.

Joy is not happy.  Joy does not depend on situation while happy does.  In his book, How to Have Real Joy, Charles H. Spurgeon, the English preacher of the 19^th century, explains that the joy of the Lord in our spirits, springs from “an assurance that our entire future, regardless of what may happen, is guaranteed by divine goodness.”

No wonder, Spurgeon continues, “A joyous Christian . . . is strong in a calm, restful manner.  Regardless of what happens, he is not upset or disturbed.  He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”  Knowing that we—and our entire future—are safe and well-taken care of in the hands of Our Loving Savior does not only give us peace, it also gives us joy.  You see, peace is the outcome of seeing, “I have enough,” but joy is the outcome of having the assurance, “I will have enough.”  We don’t know how but we trust that somehow God will provide, as He always has.

Pastor Paul