Seeking daily the heart of God is a goal I don’t always accomplish, but it is where I want my heart to wander, as I wake up to start each day. Like the Psalmist who says, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8). Character calibration by Christ in the morning makes my heart align with heaven’s agenda, and gets me off on the right foot of faith. Time with God is a time saver that I am learning I can’t live without.

But I still struggle to stay consistent and true to trust Him. Life is messy and it tends to mess up my regiment of praise and prayer, but I persist because I know He knows I have to live life through the ups of answered prayer, and the downs of discouragement from unmet expectations.

Like Peter some days I want to stay with Jesus on the mountaintop of worship, and other days I trudge through the valley of despair. But my overarching desire is to be loved by my heavenly Father, so I can in turn learn to love others and myself from the over flow of His tender mercy and grace.

It is regular visits back to the cross of Christ that reminds me of God’s great love. The Lord’s transaction of grace covered my sin, and freed me into a relationship of intimacy with the Almighty. It is in the shadow of my Saviors suffering that I am able to deal with suffering. When I recall His unjust rejection, am I then able to handle rejection. His love for those who did not deserve love compels me to love without expecting anything in return. His unselfish service motivates me to not only serve, but also invite being treated as a servant. His trust in the face of fierce trials fashions my faith to focus on Him.

David was a man who sought the heart of God (Acts 13:22). He was not a sinless seeker, but one who needed a Savior. He sought the Lord in spite of his lies, his lust, his adultery, and his murder. Satan’s scheme is to get us to give up, or not feel worthy of worship or the wonder of His great grace. So we seek Jesus because we need Jesus, not just for our salvation but also for our sanctification. Because we are a work in process we stay in a prayerful process. Only when we quit showing up do we fail to see security in our Savior.

My devotional writings are somewhat autobiographical as they reflect real time the place I find myself at work and home, failures and successes, fatigue and rest, fear and faith, uncertainty and hope, hurt and healing, anger and forgiveness, rejection and acceptance, apathy and love, and gloom and gladness. I write out of real life to real people about a real God. I pray the Lord will love on you, as you linger before Him in meditation.

Seek Him even when you don’t feel like it, or when you are too busy, and He will reward your faithfulness. The Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

I am still learning and I have a lot to learn, but I know this one thing: like a farmer who day in and day out plows, plants and cultivates will one day by God’s grace be blessed with a harvest, so will you. The Bible says, “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart” (Psalm 119:2).

(Excerpt from Seeking Daily the Heart of God by: Boyd Bailey)

Joy is Gone … “Joy has gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.” Lamentations 5:15

What happens when the joy is gone? It is not fun anymore. What we are experiencing is not what we signed up for. Indeed, a joyless state is not a good place to stay over a prolonged period of time. It may be you just lost a loved one suddenly and without warning. You grieve because of your tremendous loss, but their great gain is they knew Jesus. It is not unusual for joy to rise from the ashes of our grief. Joy does come at dawn after the dark night of the soul. Your heart laments and longs for one more conversation and warm embrace from the dear one departed to heaven. But joy comes when you know they are with Jesus.

Jesus and joy go hand in hand. He understands that joy comes from obedience and faithfulness to God’s call. It was for the joy that was set before Him, that He endured the cross and despised its shame (Hebrews 12:2). Consider Christ, along with His model of endurance and obedience, in the middle of opposition and persecution. Do not grow weary and lose heart. The Lord is your lesson in joyfulness. Jesus never forgot the bigger picture of hope for a better tomorrow. Hope ultimately leads to heaven. Just the thought of heaven’s hallelujahs brings a smile to the face of faith. Joy is set before us in the person of Jesus Christ, reigning on His throne of grace. It is imperative that we stay fixed on Him. Our faith flees when it loses perspective from the Prince of Peace. Joy is found in Jesus. He wrote the book on experiencing joy in the midst of misery.

Joy, at the very least, lies dormant within every disciple of Jesus Christ. Therefore, awaken it from its slumber if you have slid into a joyless state. The Jesus that became your Savior at conversion is still the Jesus that currently is the Lord of your life. Look to the Lord for an infusion of His eternal joyfulness. Joyfulness is found in His hopefulness. Do not allow joy killers to rob you of hope and peace. A naysayer will always be around to remind you of his reality. But a definition of reality without hope is wrong for the follower of Jesus Christ. Indeed, joy is embedded in hope.

Therefore, reject these joyless jabs from revisionists of reality. Instead, seek out companions of Christ set on seeing Him for who He is. Jesus is a dispenser of joy. Yes, certain circumstances are joy crushers. Loss can logically lead to joylessness. However, within a community of faith, you can divert this default toward disillusionment. Allow your loss to lead you to the Lord. Navigate toward His lighthouse of love. Joy knows Jesus. You know His love; this is joy. You know His forgiveness; this is joy. You know His faithfulness; this is joy. You know His mercy; this is joy. Joy is not based on changing circumstances, but on knowing an unchanging Christ. Seek Him in your sad state and you will not have to search far for joy. When you find Jesus, you have found joy. Confusion will try to keep you from Christ, but want of joy motivates you to your Master. It is good to desire joy, because a desire of joy leads to authenticity with Almighty God. Make joy a juggernaut of obedience in your ruthless pursuit of Him. Give joy to the world. Jesus is joy. Giving joy brings joy. Therefore, be a joyful giver of joy!

Welcome to the NEW Wisdom Hunters site! Go ahead and hit ‘bookmark’ as this will be your hub for resources on Godly wisdom as you walk daily with Jesus Christ. It will also offer insight into the life of Boyd Bailey, author of Infusion: 90 Daily Doses of Wisdom, Truth & Encouragement! If you are familiar with Boyd’s “Right Thinking” daily emails, you’ll love this site!

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