Okay ladies and gents, this is the last blog of the three part series “Joy Unspeakable.” I hope you have enjoyed the first two, but now it is time for number three. My prayer is that it will unlock a new joy, a new freedom to experience all of the abundant life God offers.
We left off with me struggling to grasp the relationship between God’s holiness and our service to Him along with His love for us and our relations with Him. This question dominated my thoughts. I could feel the turmoil inside of me as each side fought for themselves. Who was right? Which voice was God’s? As much as I wanted to believe God was telling me to just rest and enjoy Him, I just couldn’t convince myself that was true.
I processed through all of my thoughts with my team Tuesday morning and they tried to convince me that God wanted me to not worry about doing things for Him, but instead just have fun. As good as it sounded, I did not want to dishonor God, so there was no way I could do that.
I told my friend Tyler I wanted to process through some stuff with him. Tyler has become one of my best friends here in Byron Bay, his knowledge of the Bible blows me away and he can’t stop talking about his relationship with God and how much he loves Him! I look up to him so much (you all should definitely check out his blog!) Anyway, I finally got back to the church we are staying at and found Tyler at the front door. I walked him through everything I was struggling with to find out what God would say through Him. He asked me a couple of questions that really hit me.
“Danny, do you believe that God is glorified by your happiness? That God feels pleasure when you are happy?” And honestly…I didn’t. How could God be glorified by me being happy if it doesn’t have anything to do with him? I went on explaining how confused I felt, and that there was angst in my heart. Tyler replied…
“Danny, God is not the author of confusion. God is the author of peace, joy, and life. If you are hearing any voices that are bringing confusion, that is the devil.”
Finally it clicked. It was as if this big rock rolled away and I could clearly see the truth. I had been hearing and believing lies ever since I got to Byron Bay. The enemy had convinced me that serving God meant that I can’t enjoy the beautiful creation God has given to me. Remember my chat with the demon…”you have to work, and work, and WORK!” While I rejected that lie in the moment, it had actually taken root in my heart. As I look back, the height of my confusion and struggle came after that conversation.
I immediately went to God to further understand this new revelation. I opened my Bible up to Hebrews chapter 4. In verse 9 its says,
“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”
A Sabbath’s rest…God rested on the 7th day from all of His works. And from that day forward He has been offering the same rest to His people. A rest of completeness. A rest of eternal joy. A joy unfathomable by man. This is what God is offering to US! The same everlasting joy that God entered into on the 7th day is given to us if we just rest from our works!
Can you see why this changed my life?? Ever since I can remember, I have known that my salvation comes by resting in Christ. But I had never known that my sanctification, my everyday living of life comes by resting in Christ. That God wants FOR ME, right now, to enter into the everlasting joy that He is in right now. God DOES care about my happiness. God CAN be glorified through me having fun. It is POSSIBLE to worship and serve God as I enjoy everything God created.
It was as if I could hear God telling me, “Danny, go surfing I made that possible, enjoy it. Go cliff jumping, I imagined exhilaration and excitement. Hang out on the beach, drink in my handiwork.” I felt my eyes getting bigger and bigger as God poured more and more understanding on me. God was giving me the whole world and saying, “I have created the whole world for my glory, go and enjoy it. You will worship me when you drink in my creation. When you experience excitement and laughter and joy, I will be exalted.”
Do you see how good our God is?? Here is God, worthy of all admiration, service, and worship. Deserving for us to spend every second of every day in grueling service to Him. Yet He loves us so much, that we can give Him the admiration, service, worship, through enjoying everything He created! Through having fun, laughing, dancing, being adventurous. He is glorified through us living in complete FREEDOM. Freedom from our works, freedom from the law, freedom from trying to repay God. Now that is a God worth talking about!
You see, this doesn’t make me want to share my faith less…the opposite! God is so good everyone needs to know about it! How could you not be overwhelmed by love and gratitude to know that this perfect and Holy God loves you so much? I have always preached that our ministry and service should come from an overflow of our love for God. But I don’t think that has truly ever happened until now. I am full to the brim, I cannot contain the goodness of God. It must reach the ends of the earth.
Ahhhhh, wow. God is just so good. I pray that this blog speaks to each and everyone of you. Maybe you have alread been enjoying life like God intended, but perhaps God wants you to experience even a little more of the fullness. Let us worship and praise our Father in Heaven together. Let us properly enjoy the beauties of this earth by allowing them to draw us near to Him and praise our God who loves us. But lastly, let us never allow the enemy to steal our peace, joy, or abundant life that God offers. Rest from your works, and enter into joy unspeakable. Life is good my friends. With God, every hope, dream, aspiration, and desire will be fully met and satisfied. Now that–is what I call the abundant life.
�Hope you guys liked the 3 part series! Thanks so much for reading my story, I do hope that it encouraged you and challenged you as much as it changed me! God bless you all so much.
