Joy

Psalms 68:1-4(HCSB) - God arises. His enemies scatter, and those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke is blown away, so You blow them away. As wax melts before the fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God. But the righteous are glad; they rejoice before God and celebrate with joy. Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds — His name is Yahweh — and rejoice before Him

A western captain as he lay on the battlefield of Shiloh, suffered greatly from a fatal gunshot through both thighs, and from thirst. He said, "The stars shone out clear and beautiful above the dark field; and I began to think of that great God who had given His Son to die a death of agony for me; and that He was up there — up above the scene of suffering above those glorious stars; and I felt that I was going home to meet Him and praise Him there; and I felt that I ought to praise God, even wounded and on the battlefield. I could not help singing that beautiful hymn: `When I can read my title clear, to mansions in the skies.' And there was a Christian brother in the brush near me. I could not see him, but I could hear him. He took up the strain; and beyond him another and another caught it up, all over the battlefield of Shiloh. That night the echo was resounding; and we made the field of battle ring with the hymns of praise to God."—Anon.

Our joy should not be determined by the circumstances of life.  Joy is something that we find in Christ and who He is in our lives.  When our perspective is on the eternal God, our relationship with Him, and our eternal existence, then we can rejoice in the fact that He holds our every breath in His hands.  He is the giver of life, and if we are in Him, our life, while it may end physically in the way we understand it here on this earth, actually never ends.  Find your hope and rest in Him.  There you will find JOY!

Scott Forsythe

Dean of Student & Spiritual Life