Oswald Chambers: Joy - Strength In The LordSample

What was the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ? His joy was in having completely finished the work His Father gave Him to do; and the same type of joy will be granted to every man and woman who is born of God and sanctified, when they fulfill the work God has given them to do. What is that work? To be a saint, a walking, talking, living, practical epistle of what God Almighty can do through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ—one in identity with the faith of Jesus, one in identity with the love of Jesus, one in identity with the Spirit of Jesus until we are so one in Him that the high-priestly prayer not only begins to be answered, but is clearly manifest in its answering—“that they may be one, even as We are.” Job gives expression to a new conception of God; his hope is that an umpire will arise who will not only justify God, but also justify him. It was grief that brought Job to this place, and grief is the only thing that will; joy does not, neither does prosperity, but grief does. Reflection Questions: In what ways do I try to find joy when I am not walking and talking like Jesus? What makes me think this is possible? Quotations taken from Approved Unto God and Baffled to Fight Better, © Discovery House Publishers