Sept 14 - Psalm 94:12

Joyful are those

[who ________]

Psalm 94:12

Fill in the blank. What makes you joyful?

Hmm. 

Family makes me happy. (Most of the time. -- Hah! How many of you said that?!) 

Successes make me happy.

 

The smell of bacon in the morning is exquisite. Birthdays are fun. And Christmas is "the most wonderful time of the year," as Andy Williams used to sing.)

 

I'm not a huge back rub guy, but I actually dreamed last night of getting a good back rub. 

 

I'm a guy ... football season makes me happy. (As does the coinciding drop of humidity this time of the year.)

 

The taste of pizza, the smell of honeysuckle, the first glimpse of the mountain, the sound of birds, and the touch from my wife's hug. Those things make me happy. 

 

I actually have a book entitled something like "10001 things to make you happy." It's a long, long list. And while not every one of this author's make me happy, most make me smile. 

So fill in the blank. 

And remember, there's a difference between happiness and joy. 

Happiness is fleeting. Football season doesn't last. A birthday is just a day. The smell of bacon disappears about as soon as you eat it. 

 

Joy, however, is eternal. 

So fill in the blank. 

Indeed, would you believe this: Joyful are those you discipline, Lord.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! That's our verse for today?! Discipline doesn't make me happy! I want comfort and encouragement. I want blessings -- lots and lots of blessing. 

I want birthday cake and Christmas carols. Indeed, I want the third verse of "Away in Manger," right? "Bless all the dear children in your tender care ..."

But wait, what's the next part of that hymn? "And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there." 

That's discipline. 

Discipline is being fit for heaven ... daily. 

To "fit" us, God like a tailor (or master quilter) must cut off some rough edges and stitch us to things our sinful nature wouldn't attach to naturally. When we trust him, we become a masterpiece. When we don't, the threads of our lives unravel. 

Quilting requires needles and pin pricks and pain ... and growth. But it's worth it, because heaven is the eternal sight of sunrises, the smell of honeysuckle, and the sound of morning birds. Indeed, heaven is that good ... or infinitely better. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who needs

to sing "discipline"

to the lullaby tune

of "Away in a Manger"