Finding and Maintaining Joy

For the past couple of weeks, I have started to make it a priority of mine to read a Puritan's prayer/devotional from the widely-known Puritan's prayer book titled: "The Valley of Vision". I have started to read a prayer in the morning, as a closing to my devotional time, as well a prayer in the afternoon after spending some time in the Word, as a means to keep my heart and mind on track for the remainder of the day. It has been such an immense blessing for me to do so! The prayers are oftentimes convicting, yet encouraging. And such was the prayer that I read over this afternoon.

I find myself once again at a stage in life where finding and maintaining joy in Him (and Him alone) is a constant struggle (yet one that I know I will overcome by His strength and amazing grace). Taking that into consideration: as I flipped open the book full of precious Puritan prayers this afternoon, this is what I read:

"Remember, O My Soul, It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God: He requires it of thee for all His favours of grace. Rejoice then in the Giver and His goodness, Be happy in Him, O my heart, and in nothing but God. . ."

As I read over this verse in the prayer, my heart was thoroughly convicted. Rejoicing in Him and finding joy in Him is not just a privilege. Rejoicing in Him is not just something that we should do when we feel like it. Rejoicing in Him is not just something that we should do when our circumstances are perfect. Rejoicing in Him is a duty; we owe it to Him. Why do we owe it to Him? Because of the grace that He gives us and will continue to give us; because His Son came and died on the cross for our sins, so that we may be able to obtain that grace. What other reason do we need to rejoice in Him? None at all.

"Thou hast nothing of thine own but sin, nothing to move God to be gracious, or to continue His grace towards thee. If thou forget this thou wilt lose thy joy."

Ephesians 2:8 tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." Obtaining grace was not (and is not) by our own doing. We have done nothing that has or will move God to be gracious to us, or continue to bestow upon us that grace. That thought is so humbling. The Puritan's words in this prayer are so unmistakeably full of truth. When we lose sight of what God has done in our lives; when we lose sight of just how weak our flesh is; when we lose sight of the grace He gives us despite how many times we stumble and fall and dishonor His name: we will lose our joy. And yet, when we keep our hearts and minds on who we are as sinners unable to save ourselves, and who He is as our Savior, and what He has done in our lives through His grace: we will rejoice, and we will find joy. Joy like none other!

Remember, O My Soul, It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God: He requires it of thee for all His favours of grace. Rejoice then in the Giver and His goodness, Be happy in Him, O my heart, and in nothing but God. . .