What joy, what peace... { 2 }

"For you have put more joy in my heart

than they have when their grain and wine abound.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."

:: psalm 4:7-8

::

Written Wednesday, May 4, 2011:

From... "What joy, what peace... {1}

I have not been able to get this verse out of my head and just spent the last 20 minutes searching the myriad of word documents I jumbled things down on sometime in the last couple months as I was too lazy to get up and go search the box of note cards where many of these verses have been written!

But, alas, after Bible Gateway was failing me as well, I got up and searched my One Year Bible and found it!

Interesting how no other version but the ESV puts it this way, the way that spoke to me the most, where the psalmist recalls,

“You have put MORE joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

(Hence, one of my problems, I kept searching for it but mixed up the placement of grain and wine, but you would THINK Bible Gateway would still come through for me, alas, I enjoyed finding it here in this text.)

And, I find it interesting that in the NIV, TNIV and a few others, this passage begins as follows:

“FILL my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.”

But notice, this is not the way it is written in the English Standard Version.

There, what hit me the most is, you have put MORE joy in my heart...

Pause. Here it is not a question or desire, such as “Fill,” in these other versions, but in the ESV, we find the psalmist saying it in the past tense. Something the Lord has already done. Not will you fill my heart with joy, but you have PUT more joy in my heart... man, that is beautiful.

Let's continue,

“Than when their grain and wine abound."

What is the author really saying?

You have given me more joy than that joy that is expressed when they have plenty to eat and to drink, when the pantries are filled with food, we have more money than we need, and life is calm and pleasant.

You have given me MORE joy than that of those who find joy in times of plenty.

Though I am in a season of want, somehow, miraculously, I really do not know how this is even possible, but I have, You have given me MORE joy in trouble, than those who have plenty and life is all smooth-sailing.

You have PUT more JOY on my heart...

Like in a season of plenty, yet, technically, I am in want.

I love what the psalmist is after here.

He speaks of a secret that many others, including the Apostle Paul speaks of...

this secret that whether in times of plenty or in want, in feast or famine, no matter the season or our circumstances, there is this secret that we can find.

That we can be content.

Experience the fullness of joy, the life of peace, regardless of whatever situations life throws at us, that in any and all things, our hearts can rest.

We can experience joy, in our sorrows as well as our victories.

We can experience peace, in times of clarity as in times of confusion.

And, most of all, we can experience Him. Who alone enables us to walk through the fire, in a way that we will not be burned.

Yes, Lord, for You have put more joy in my heart... in the strangest of places, in this road marked with suffering.

::

"This is my comfort in my affliction,

that your promise gives me life."

:: psalm 119-50

To Him be the honor, the glory and the power, forever and ever, Amen.

- photo courtesy of Silverbox Photography

A NOT-SO-QUICK ASIDE:

I have been DYING for the chance to post this photo, as I found myself stalking their blog and enjoying looking and saving photos, this is one image I cannot get out of my mind. This bride exudes a joy that is just so so beautiful.

I'm trying to refrain from always posting pictures of beautiful brides and cute children, but weddings, engagement photos, and newborn/maternity/family photos are the majority of what many photographers in this line of business take photos of. Yet, of course there are beautiful things outside of getting married, or weddings, or being a bride, or expecting a child, etc., but many of the photos on their blogs and websites that I find center around one of those things.

So I say this to say, as someone who was single for a while, I want to have a heightened sensitivity that I am not communicating that having or not having these things in any way means you are more or less valuable. Don't get me started on my soapbox about that, but I say all this because I have always loved photos of brides and weddings and pregnant women, and cute children, and engagement photos when I was single as well as I love them now. I just love photography, beautiful photography, plain and simple!

And, these events and photos capture some of the most beautiful human expression and emotion. So, I am just drawn to them, but am not wanting to perpetuate the myriad of lies that are out there that the Enemy can throw at singles or those without children in the Church, because believe you me, the Church and the mission field are some of the places these misplaced value judgments can be overtly or inadvertently communicated, yet they are so far from the truth.

Your worth has nothing to do with your vocation, your marital status, your possessions, whether you have children or not, your weight, your performance, or what others think or feel or say about you. I told you not to get me started!!

Okay, getting off my soap box now after the longest "aside" ever! :)