In Search of Joy? Join us @ Chicklit Power for Coffee Hour!

 
Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and back to our Destination? Joyful! ™ series! I’m delighted you could join us. Grab whatever you’re having and let’s return to our theological hopscotch in search of joy and all of its contexts!                                                   
My husband and I have recently started to read a Psalm a day together, and on the 27^th day of the month – it happened to be our ten-year wedding anniversary – we were reading and I came upon this next joy stop, and I do mean stop. See, the phrase puzzled me so I thought what a great place to go next in our search for joy. It’s found in Psalm 27:6, but in order to understand its full context I think we should read the verse above it, which is such a soothing word for the soul, especially in the midst of an incredibly tough day: “For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me. He shall set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 (NKJV)

Don’t you just find sweet comfort in those words … in time of trouble, He shall hide me! Love it!
But let’s take a quick look at all these diamonds! We’ve just got to explore this for a minute to appreciate this next context of joy. See, David was a man after God’s heart, and he didn’t just seek God in times of trouble; he sought Him every day and the Psalms are replete with his cries to Abba. When I dug just a bit, I learned that sometimes David used tabernacle and pavilion interchangeably to also denote being in his/our Heavenly Father’s presence. I mean, look at the first words of Psalm 20: 5: “For in time of trouble”… Oh those words can soothe even the weariest of souls.
See, there is truly only one escape from our troubles that brings rest, peace and joy, and that is when we hide in His presence. Why is that so hard to do? I know when I finally do it, I think to myself, why didn’t I just do this sooner? See, our flesh will have us scurrying and worrying over our troubles, but our Father wants us to find rest in His presence. In His presence is how we escape our flesh! And we won’t be able to do it 24/7 until we get there!
Lately, I’ve been realizing some powerful truths in the form of analogies, and this particular verse in Psalm 27:6 (we’ll get to the actual verse tomorrow!) rings the bell of truth in each one of them. I hope the ringing resonates within your heart and reverberates down to your toes that you may experience that joy that surpasses all understanding and that they answer the “why” for a lot of scenarios in your life and the lives of those around you:

Without pain, how would we know the joy of true relief?

Without tragedies & trials, how would we know the joy of triumphs?

Without hatred from others, how would we experience the joy of His love for us?

Without war and chaos, how would we know the joy of peace?

Without freedom of choice, how would we know the joy of wisdom?

Without sorrow, how would we know the joy of happiness?

Without His Holy Spirit, how would we get thru any of this?

Without sickness, how would we recognize the joy of health?

Without challenges, how would we recognize the joy of victory?

Without despair, how would we recognize the hope?

Only God in His amazing sovereignty can work it all for good for you and me!
Rejoicing in the ingredients of joy,

Evinda