Mindy Lee Hopman

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 (NET)

 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:37-38 (NIV)

Enough was enough.

She was finished with the way she was living.  She sought love, but she could not find it regardless of how hard she tried.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. Luke 4:14 (NIV)

The stories of the miracles He performed gave her hope.

She took her valuable perfume, because the treasure of this world was nothing compared to the One who treasured her heart.

Her life changed the moment she realized she had been loved the entire time.

The moment she believed in Him she was different.

The lifestyle she was living did not reflect the condition of her heart anymore.

No longer did she seek to please others, but rather the One who offers forgiveness and new life.
No longer was she a slave to her circumstances, instead she pursued the One who offered truth and a solid foundation to stand on.

There is no joy like love. There is no joy but love. Christ had just spoken of the Father’s love and His own abiding in it, and of His having loved us with that same love. His joy is nothing but the joy of love, of being loved and of loving.  Andrew Murray

Joy is found in knowing you are loved, living fully loved, and fully loving others.

Jesus came for each of us.  He took care of all of our sin on the cross.

Joy is here.

God has been in a battle for you the entire time.

He pursues you. Pursue Him. Meet God in the presence of the New Covenant and joy will find you.

She was finished living a life without joy.  He came for her.  He captured her heart. She pursued Him.
She laid aside what was holding her back.
She let him fill her with the presence of His love.
She lived loved and followed Him.
She loved others.

Those who have been forgiven much, love much.

She heard his story circulating the land and she believed.

As descendants of Adam and Eve, we each have our very own beautifully-messy story.

It’s when we come to the end of ourselves that we find Him –
and then we learn He has been there the entire time patiently waiting for us.

I was finished living a life without joy.  He captured my heart and I pursued Him.
I laid aside what was holding me back, and I let Him fill me with the presence of His love.

In His presence fullness of joy is found, and joy may be found in all places because in all places He is present.

Do you realize He is pursuing you?
Are you pursing God?

1.   Lay aside whatever is holding you back from God and let your heart turn back to the lover of your soul.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

You cannot find joy if you are holding onto sin.  Sin covers up joy. Let it go.  The eternal joy found in God is greater than the temporary fulfillment found in the world. You cannot run forward if you are holding on to the past.

2.  Let Him fill you with His love and the free gift of the Holy Spirit. Life is found in The Word.

…for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 (NASB)

You are loved.  He died for you out of His love for you.  You do not have the Spirit until you turn back to Him. Believe and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It comes from belief in the enduring Word of God, otherwise known as Jesus Christ.

3.  Live loved.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17 (NASB)

You are loved deeply and every fiber of your being was planned for with purpose.

~ Carve out time to spend with Him in prayer and Scripture.  You spend the most time with those you love.
~ Trim away aspects of your life where you spend time that do not let you live loved (social media, television, people who do not bring out the best in you).
~ You have a Spiritual gift and you have passions.  They are unique to you. Identify them and pursue them. In our busy culture you will have to intentionally carve time for them.
~ The Holy Spirit traveled from creation, to the tabernacle, to the temple, to the home of your body when you believed. Your body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. Give your body temple treatment: rest, eat well, and exercise.  Take care of it with ease.  No need for extremes here, but physically feeling well allows God’s joy to explode from within.

4.  Love others.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

Be His hands and feet and meet the needs He presents to you. Give joy, receive joy.  Joy is found in loving others as He has loved you.  You were loved so that you can love. Loving others begins in the home with your husband or wife and your children.  Then it reaches out to the people God has placed around you.

You cannot create joy yourself, because joy comes from God.  However when you fix your eyes on your Creator and the lover of your soul, you bring Him naches. He pursues you and when you pursue God, He fills you with JOY in abundance, because in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

Heavenly Father,
I praise You for being our Creator, the Creator of joy, and the lover of our souls.  I praise you for pursuing us even before we begin to pursue You.  You came in love to bring joy to our weary hearts.  I’m sorry it took me so long to realize how much you love me.  Now I know that in Your presence is fullness of joy and my gratefulness within explodes with JOY.  May we continue to lives lives full of Your joy which reflect the love you sent down so many years ago.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen

Reflect & Respond:
~Joy has come for you.  Are you pursuing joy?
~Would your life look differently if you were honestly pursing joy?
~Identify your gifts and your passions.  Spend a little bit more of your time doing what you love this week – go for a longer run, paint a picture, marvel at a sunrise or sunset, take out the bikes, draw, read a good book… I can recommend a few 🙂

Seeking JOY with you,