Depression, Sadness, Intense Longing, Dispair
Psalm 42:1 As the deer 2pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
His sadness is coming from his circumstances.
Then comes honest self interrogation...
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
This is an important point in the Psalm. He says "Hold it right there"!
Then we are back in depression... One breaker hits after another... Blow on blow and I can't escape...
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And kin the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
He knows the answer... Find Joy in your God not in your circumstances...
He knows this and it cycles and cycles. He can not transfer his joy to His God and not his circumstance.
Joy is a gift from the Holy Spirit. A gift from God through Jesus Christ. Not related to circumstances, but focused on eternal glory.
Joy of recollection - where is your joy focused? Is it selfless? Is it focused on prayer for others? That their needs may be met.
Joy of intercession.
Joy of participation (fellowship) thrilled with the privilege of being in God's church.
Joy of anticipation. being excited over the future instead of depressed in the present.
Philippians 1:6 And I am sure (absolutely convinced) of this, that He who began (salvation) a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Salvation is a work of God.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
James 1:2-4
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
I will consider it all joy whenever I fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of my faith produces endurance. And I will let endurance finish its work, so that I may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If I lack wisdom, may I ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to me. (James 1:2–5)
The Greek verb hēgeomai (consider) is an imperative because joy is not the natural human response to trouble. Christians are under divine command not simply to be somewhat joyful in their trials but to look upon them with all joy. That phrase is variously interpreted by commentators as meaning pure joy, unmixed joy, complete and total joy, or sheer joy. From the context, it seems that all of those meanings are fitting. James is speaking of a unique fullness of joy that the Lord graciously provides His children when they willingly and uncomplainingly endure troubles while trusting in Him—regardless of the cause, type, or severity of the distress. He will always use them for our benefit and for His own glory. It is not because of some sort of religious masochism, but rather a sincere trust in the promise and goodness of our Lord, that we can look on trials as a welcome friend, knowing with Joseph that what may have been meant for evil against us, God means for good (Gen. 50:20; cf. Rom. 8:28).
In his commentary on James, Warren Wiersbe writes, “Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to ‘count it all joy!’ If we live only for the present and forget the future, the trials will make us bitter, not better” (The Bible Exposition Commentary [Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1989], 2:338).
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
I will consider it all joy whenever I fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of my faith produces endurance. And I will let endurance finish its work, so that I may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If I lack wisdom, may I ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to me. (James 1:2–5)
The Greek verb hēgeomai (consider) is an imperative because joy is not the natural human response to trouble. Christians are under divine command not simply to be somewhat joyful in their trials but to look upon them with all joy. That phrase is variously interpreted by commentators as meaning pure joy, unmixed joy, complete and total joy, or sheer joy. From the context, it seems that all of those meanings are fitting. James is speaking of a unique fullness of joy that the Lord graciously provides His children when they willingly and uncomplainingly endure troubles while trusting in Him—regardless of the cause, type, or severity of the distress. He will always use them for our benefit and for His own glory. It is not because of some sort of religious masochism, but rather a sincere trust in the promise and goodness of our Lord, that we can look on trials as a welcome friend, knowing with Joseph that what may have been meant for evil against us, God means for good (Gen. 50:20; cf. Rom. 8:28).
In his commentary on James, Warren Wiersbe writes, “Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to ‘count it all joy!’ If we live only for the present and forget the future, the trials will make us bitter, not better” (The Bible Exposition Commentary [Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1989], 2:338).
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Paul experienced an inexpressible and irrepressible joy--an abiding feeling of peace, calm, tranquility, contentment, delight, and satisfaction that flows from within. It is the expression of the presence of God imprinted on the soul and the product of a conscience void of offense toward God.
A key to joy in the Christian life is to be able to recall the goodness of people--to look past imperfections to capture broader and sweeter realities. A heart dominated by the joy of the Holy Spirit remembers the sweet things in life without dwelling on the distressing things. It savors thoughts of another's goodness, kindness, love, compassion, gentleness, sacrifice, and care. It forgives the rest.
A heart where the Spirit of God is not in control tends to focus on everyone's unkindnesses, ingratitude, faults. Such a heart must learn to walk in the Spirit. Bitterness, unforgiveness, and a constant dwelling on evil are the works of the flesh. Paul's joy was expressed in pleasant memories, which is a work of the Spirit in the hearts of believers.
A key to joy in the Christian life is to be able to recall the goodness of people--to look past imperfections to capture broader and sweeter realities. A heart dominated by the joy of the Holy Spirit remembers the sweet things in life without dwelling on the distressing things. It savors thoughts of another's goodness, kindness, love, compassion, gentleness, sacrifice, and care. It forgives the rest.
A heart where the Spirit of God is not in control tends to focus on everyone's unkindnesses, ingratitude, faults. Such a heart must learn to walk in the Spirit. Bitterness, unforgiveness, and a constant dwelling on evil are the works of the flesh. Paul's joy was expressed in pleasant memories, which is a work of the Spirit in the hearts of believers.
MacArthur On Joy
Men talk about happiness and perhaps we ought to define happiness, at least in a very simple way, happiness is an attitude of satisfaction or delight based upon some present circumstance. Happiness is related to happenings. Happiness is related to happenstance. Happiness is related to hap which is a word that basically conveys the idea of chance. Happiness is that which you really can't plan and program, it may happen, it may not happen and it seems so elusive. But it is related to the delight or the satisfaction that is tied to an occasional happening, a chance circumstance. And that's the best that men can do.
On the other hand, when we talk about joy we're not talking about something that's related to chance at all. We're not talking about something that's related to circumstances at all. We're talking about a deep down confidence that all is well, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what the difficulty, no matter what the problem. And that's very different from happiness. Joy, to be understood in a biblical sense, must be understood to be related to God. It must be understood to be that which becomes yours in Christ. It must be understood to be a permanent possession of every believer, not some whimsical delight that comes and goes as chance may offer it opportunity. We're talking about joy, much much different than happiness.
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