joy's reliable foundation

When our dear friends the Maher's left Korea in May, Elisa gifted me a book called "31 Days of Praise."  I have been going through it as I have been fighting for joy in Jesus Christ alone, regardless of circumstances or fickle emotions.

In the introduction, Ruth Myers quotes Hudson Taylor's reflections on John 7:37, "Who does not thirst?  Who has not mind-thirsts or heart-thirsts or body-thirsts?  Well no matter which one or whether I have them all (Jesus says) 'Come unto Me and'  remain thirsty?  Ah no! 'Come unto me and DRINK.'  What, can Jesus meet my need?  Yes, and more than meet it.  No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service, no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones, no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul yearnings -- Jesus can meet all.  All and more than meet."

Today's praise point said "I praise you that the Lord Jesus lived His life sinlessly, in total accord with reality, with no falseness, no self deception, no dark secrets, nothing to regret or be ashamed of...that He proclaimed the TRUTH, the one utterly reliable foundation for our thinking and living."

I find it so easy to base my thoughts (and thus my emotions) on unworthy foundations, on circumstances, on feelings, on whims, on my own thoughts, on the way others treat me, on how my day is going, on how rested I feel or how clean my house is (or more often isn't).  It's hard to have joy when you base your thoughts, feelings and emotions on an unreliable foundation.  I am striving (and mostly failing) to put my hope, my trust, my thoughts, my emotions and my joy on the reliable foundation of Jesus.  He is the only utterly reliable foundation for my thinking and my living.

"Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God,

In every part with praise,

That my whole being may proclaim

Thy being andd Thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,

Nor e'en the praising heart

I ask, but for a life made up

Of praise in every part."

~ Horatio Bonar

G'ma Hope's garden ~ July 2011