Then Comes Joy!
By Peggy Kleckner
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
By Peggy Kleckner
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
As the temperature began to rise, I saw the snow melting away. I was amazed at the speed at which it left. I was excited as I began to see the grass beneath. My heart remembers spring. I was thinking of blooming yellow daffodils and tiny crocuses. My mind pondered the birds that sing, the green that would take over, the buds on trees! Ah yes, my heart was set on spring. However, as I watched the snow melt away, I began to see all that it had been hiding. The filth beneath was now exposed. You see, I own a dog. That’s right! “You know what” was now visible….yuck! It was going to take some work to clean away the filth before I could enjoy the look of flowers, much less the fragrance of them!
How like our spiritual lives. Our hearts are cold and frozen over until we meet Jesus. As we spend time with Him, He begins to melt away some of our frozen places. We are suddenly confronted with the filth that was invisible to us without the light of His love. We want to run from the work of clearing away the old stuff that we have hidden for so long, but what of the “joy set before us”? What of the promise of new growth? He has planted the seeds in us for the fruit of the Spirit. How can those seeds grow and be enjoyed if we don’t clear away the waste left over from our yesterdays?
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter (finisher) of our faith. He has known of the filth all along. Don’t run, stay and be transformed. Spring will surely bloom!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Which revealed things have you been refusing to acknowledge? Are you willing to admit to their existence and ask Him to help you clear them away?
FURTHER READING:
Galatians 5:22-23; Hebrews 12:11; Galatians 5:22-23
Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - two sons and two stepsons. She is the Co-coordinator of Oakwood’s Wednesday p.m. Bible Study.
