Serving God Always

A double joy of obedience and communion is what David spoke of in a prophetic way in PSA 16:8-10. "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." In the most trying circumstances sometimes we have the greatest joy.

This joy of which David prophesied with regard to our Saviour was also his joy as we see in PSA 16:11. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." David understood what it was to enter into that joy. Every person has a talent, and the Lord is looking at us to see if we are using our talent for His service and for His glory or are we burying our talent in the dirt? If we want to enter into the joy of the Lord, we must put our talent to work in His service.

MAT 25:20-21 says, "And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Are we going to bury everything we have in the things of this life and expect to have the joy of our Lord? It is contrary to the teachings of Scripture.

"These things," which our text tells us Jesus has spoken unto us, refers to maintaining communion with Christ, and the conditions upon which they may be realized. We do not maintain this communion by serving Him one day a week and the world six days a week. We need to serve Him from our heart always.

When we stray from His service into serving sin, communion is broken, and His joy is lost as we can hear from David after he sinned. PSA 51:12 says, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." Salvation includes much more than just going to heaven. Salvation is to be delivered from the power and the tyranny of sin. Salvation is to be restored into the service of our Lord, and David had fallen from this. He had become barren. His fruit was dried up. He was no longer abiding in Christ. Re-entering His service, by repenting of sin and turning back to the Lord would restore his joy. We will not have the joy of salvation while serving self and sin.

David was not praying for salvation as though it had come into question, but the joy of walking in His service had been lost, just as we see of Peter in LUK 22:62, "And Peter went out, and wept bitterly." Now Peter was not walking in that joy because He had denied his Lord. His heart was now filled with grief and sorrow.

It is so important to realize that we need Christ in our everyday life just as much as we do for eternity. Much teaching says that salvation is something that happens after we die. That is not right. We need salvation every day. We need that perfect peace of Christ in our hearts under all circumstances.

The Father wants to be glorified by our sanctification in this life as well as by our salvation for eternity. JOH 15:8 says, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." When the Father is glorified, our hearts will be filled with joy, peace and love. Those are the fruits of obedience. The fruit is the evidence of a good or a bad tree. Notice MAT 7:18-20, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Are we good trees? Have we been planted in the garden of the Lord? Then we cannot bring forth evil fruit.

Walk with God
Do we know Him? There are only two ways: we either walk in rebellion, or we walk with Him. We must be careful that we are not presumptuous.

God's Love
The greatest power in the world is not the Hydrogen bomb, but it is the redeeming love of God. The Hydrogen bomb may destroy the whole world but only the redeeming love of God can make it anew.

Peace in Christ
What is a more blessed subject than to read of the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ remaining in you that your joy might be full?