WHEN GOD SMILES

John 15:11  "I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

So often I have heard, Father, the scriptures of Your joy but did not fully understand.  One scripture, "the joy of the Lord is your strength" is used so much.  I have used it so often. But never really got the true meaning of it.  Your Joy.  The joy is Yours.  Which means Your heart filled with the same joy that You give us.  That same joy that floods my heart to overflowing, causes me to cry with happiness in You, is the joy that You feel also.  Yes, I can see You smiling now, see you nodding Your head that Your child has got this right.  I agree, sometimes it takes me a while to understand, but You have been so faithful to teach me Your word, to open the scriptures to me. 

Your Joy.  Your joy comes at the birth of a new baby, when it crys out its first cry from the mother's womb.  The estatic laughter of children playing, pure laughter from the heart of them, causes You to smile, filling You with joy; Your children falling in love with each other and making plans for marriage, this causes You joy.  So happy to see the moving of Your plans for Your earthly children. So much joy.

But I feel great joy comes when one of Your children comes back to You after straying away.  I can sense Your smile so big, so wonderful, lighting up Your face when You hear them call on the Name of Jesus, when they call out to You for help.  When that wayward child cries out to You, "Father, forgive me", and You pick them up out of that pit they were in and hold them to You, I can feel Your joy.  So much happiness fills Your heart at this time.  What joy.

Joy comes pouring out of You, I know this, Lord I have felt Your heart touch mine; yes, joy came flowing from You when I learned how to worship You, when You showed me how to worship You; the morning I rose out of bed with worship pouring out of me, I felt you smiling at me.  You smiled at me and You poured Your joy from Your heart into mine.  I was so wonderfully happy.  It was so natural then and continues to be second nature to breathing to me to worship You.  I love to worship You, my God.  How could I not worship a God that has been everything to me.  You have shared Your heart with me, spent time with me; oh, Lord, how I love Your presence.  You have stamped Your joy on my heart. 

I understand, it is all Your joy.  The only reason we can have the joy of the Lord is that it originated with You.  It is Your joy.  You are sharing Your joy with us, with Your children.  It is one of the most heartfelt gifts You give us.  Your joy.  Live sustaining joy.  Where would we be without this precious joy in our lives. 

One day, everyone will be worshiping You, my Lord.  They will be lifting up Your Name is unashamed praise, glorious worship, singing Holy, Holy, Holy are Your Lord.  And I know that there will be an outpouring of Your joy, Your greatest joy, on that day over the entire land.  People are always talking about revival. I do not think this is such a hard thing to accomplish.  If they would just turn from their sin, ask forgiveness, and begin to worship You with all their hearts, Your joy would pour out over them all, and love would flood their being.  Love would be given from You to them, and from them to each other, and with the love going forth to everyone, revival would indeed spread across this earth.  When all Your children finally understand Your love, and Your joy; understand You, then You will descend from Your throne room and fall on us.  Joy would fill the earth, Your joy.  You would never stop smiling as this would fulfill Your plan.

I love it when You smile on me, Your beloved child.  I know exactly who I am and am not going to give up my place beside You.  I will not give up the joy You have in me and that You give to me.  I love making You smile, it is one of my deepest joys, knowing I put a smile on Your face.  The smile grows and shows through Your eyes. I can feel this my Lord.

I can feel Your smiling now as I am finishing this writing.  Thank You Father for once again filling me with Your thoughts, Your words.  I am filled with joy, actually bubbling over with it.  I love You so much, my Lord.  This 15th day of March, 2011, I am full of the joy of my Lord, Your joy.