Nuggets from An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith by Dave Hunt - Fullness of Joy

Nuggets from “An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith” by Dave Hunt – Fullness of Joy

God is a God of joy. To be in His presence is to be supremely happy. Jesus welcomes to heaven His faithful followers with these words: “Enter thou into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew:25:21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
See All...,23). Joy eternal? David knew it: “In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm:16:11Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
See All...). We begin to know that joy even now in this life as we give ourselves totally into His hands and rest in His love, trusting Him completely. That is when we begin to experience with wonder, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah:8:10Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
See All...).

A favorite hymn begins, “There’s joy in following Jesus, every moment of every day.” Great joy for us and for Him: ‘He will rejoice over thee with joy…he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah:3:17The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
See All...). Even the prophets who pronounced doom upon the disobedient knew this joy in their own hearts and lives: “I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk:3:18Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
See All...). The closer to God we walk in holiness, the greater our joy: “and let the saints shout for joy” (Psalm:143:9Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
See All...). As the hymn writer put it, “When God is near my heart is filled with ecstasy, and all the world’s a paradise when God is near.”

Then “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews:10:22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
See All...). He has opened the way for this intimate fellowship with the shedding of His blood for our sins – but our hearts must respond. As the bumper sticker used to say, “If God seems far away, guess who moved?”

Though the circumstances of this brief life on earth may have worsened, God has not changed. Our earthly condition, no matter how difficult, is temporary and will soon be past – but our heavenly home is eternal and remains secure. That hope brings present joy: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans:15:13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
See All...). Yes, in “believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter:1:8Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
See All...) – a joy that makes us strong enough to live above our circumstances and to demonstrate to all who observe us that God is good and that we are in His hands.

There is much talk about “spiritual warfare” these days, and it often involves much error and extremism. So many Christians spend time “rebuking” demons, time that would be much better spent in praising God. Instead of focusing so much attention upon Satan and giving him so much credit, let us give thanks that “greater he that is in [us] than he that is in the world” (1 John:4:4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
See All...). Here is victory: in thanksgiving, praise, and joy!