Joy. Got any?

The Lord and I were having a conversation about the future. He noticed I felt a bit disheartened. (He’s good at that—knowing the thoughts of my heart.)

A while back, I’d asked, “What’s next?” He’d laid out an action plan, specific steps that would lead to a desired place.

“I don’t understand,” I told him. “I’ve been obedient, but nothing’s happening as I expected. I’m tired.”

As I reviewed the steps again to see if I’d overlooked anything, he said, “I didn’t say when.”

“So…waiting is all I do today. But what’s next?”

I paused, listening for clear instructions. His answer surprised me. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Okay. That simplifies it. I’ll keep doing what you’ve clearly said and trust you to handle the rest.”

I didn’t add this but he knew what I wanted to say—that my joy had been slowly seeping like air through a pinhole, leaving a balloon deflated. Weariness and discouragement do that.

Keeping my “joy” balloon floating required more energy that I felt like investing.

I didn’t need more energy. I just needed a smidgen of faith—about the size of a mustard seed.

There’s a direct correlation between my faith and my joy. I never have one without the other. Click To Tweet

There’s a direct correlation between my faith and my joy. I never have one without the other. So I stirred up a little faith to ignite my joy and plodded along, doing what I’d been doing. It wasn’t long until those stalkers caught up with me again—weariness and discouragement.

“Lord, I’m done!” I told him. I wasn’t quitting…just letting him know if nothing else comes, I’ll continue living in the moment, forsaking worry about the future, feeling content and grateful for my wonderfully blessed life today.

I think he accepted that as a fresh surrender. Things began happening that only he could have arranged, causing an explosion of my joy and faith—and praise. The stalkers fled in a cloud of dust.

It seems the Lord had been waiting for me to give up.

To quit trying to arrange circumstances…to relinquish control.

The Lord had been waiting for me to give up. To quit trying to arrange circumstances…to relinquish control. Click To Tweet

Andrew Murray writes in Absolute Surrender, “The condition for obtaining God’s full blessing is absolute surrender to Him…Give yourselves up absolutely to the will of God…what can God do to fill a vessel absolutely surrendered to Him?…God has prepared unheard-of-things, blessings much more wonderful than you can imagine, more mighty than you can conceive.”

I remember the day I surrendered wholly, acknowledging Christ as Lord of my life. A daily surrender renews my allegiance and sets my focus on him and his plan.

Familiar words come to mind. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Lord, my life is yours. Do with it as you please. I’m done. Done relying on myself to figure out the next step. The lamp of your Word provides enough light for my next step. I don’t need to know where the path leads. I only need to go forward, trusting you to fulfill your purpose in me. When? In your time.

Joy. Got plenty!

© Dianne Barker 2018

Many of us struggle with yielding control, like a child insisting, “I can do it myself!” Would you share your thoughts in the comment box? And please share this with your friend-list!