May 3 – Grown Up Joy

The privilege of life among those who believe that God is good and that He does good is a very high privilege indeed. To know Him as Father, to trust Him as the Father Whom Jesus revealed Him to be, is a magnificent benefit, the surpassing wonder and joy of life.

Now what?

Please, Sir, we want some more.

Within the monastery of the heart, we want not only to know we are loved but also to return love. We want not only the blessings of God, not even the intangible sweetness and pleasures of faith, but also to take part. Jesus knew we would. He did. It was not enough for Him to sit at the right hand of the Father and soak up the majesty and goodness of that place of honor and eternal glory, not when the Father had ordained an epoch in which the glory of Father and Son together would be magnified in creation and redemption.

This desire to move into the circle of the will of God begins with a passion to know Him better. It moves along because we see that He is “up to something” in the earth. Undoubtedly, we begin to want to know the joys of obedience, because we house the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the fully obedient Son of God.

We are His own, His children, actually offspring by faith sharing in the inheritance of Jesus Christ, but we are not babies. Let us endeavor today to remember back, perhaps far back, to that time when it pleased us to be obedient children. Let’s see if we can remember those short days when obedience brought us deep inner joy, when the “well done” of our parents filled us with good pleasure, those days when it was enough just to obey, even without commendation.

There is grown up joy in obedience to our Heavenly Father; Jesus Christ will prove this to us every day by His Spirit within us. In Cor Unum, we are finding the joy of obedience, seizing it, and making it our grown up glory.


"Yes, Ma'am"
photo by Kerry