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Manna From Messiah
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Pastor Ellen Mumper, Canada
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ellen.mumper@gmail.com
Lost
Joy and Fulness of Joy
A few days ago a friend I care about very much told me
that she has had no joy for a long time. This friend is faithful. She is always
studying the Word of God and witnessing to others. She talks of God's goodness
to her and even told me "I have so many blessings, more than most other
people. I should have joy. But I have no joy." I cannot count the number
of people my husband and I meet and counsel who suffer from depression. For
those that do not have the knowledge of salvation, I can understand this. For
believers who are going through a horrific experience such as illness or loss
of a beloved friend or family member I can understand this. But for believers
generally?
One Scripture that I have cherished as one of my
favourite verses is Psalm 16:11- "Thou wilt show me the path of life. In
Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand there are pleasures for ever
more." Many know this verse. But do they really see it scripturally?
Another friend of mine was going through a horrible
depression that my husband and I were trying to help her with. I agonized over
this friend as to how to help her. She eventually left following the LORD
altogether in sorrow, and turned to a way which is not right for a true
believer in Messiah. Before she left I had spent some time in prayer for her
and felt led to go get my coat on, drive in the snowfall to where she was
working, walk up to her and say "Dear friend, Psalm 16:11 (and I quoted
it) is what you need. You are not in the presence of GOD if you have no joy.
Get there. Do anything you can, break down every barrier to get there. Just get
there!" Her job was the kind of job (she was doing demos in a large store)
where I could approach her and say this. She stared at me and I left when she
had to turn to her work. I pray she eventually came back to HIM who loves her
so and found joy again.
"You will show me the path of life..." The
first part of Psalm 16:11 says that we have to first of all know the way of
life. This way is Yeshua. He is the "way, the truth, and the life" as
it says in John 14:6. He is the Way of salvation but there is a life much more
than knowing we have an eternity in His presence after we die. There is a daily
salvation from ourselves and from the holdings of sin which want to destitute
us and rob us of our joy. How do we find this way? Yeshua said "the Words
that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they ARE LIFE" in John 6:63. I
would strongly guess that those who have no joy in them are not really in the
Scriptures to the point where they change the course of our spirits and take
over the thoughts of our hearts and minds. Romans 12:2 states that we must be
'transformed by the renewing of your mind" which is done by appropriating
the Word of GOD. THIS is the path of life which we need.
"In thy presence is fulness of joy." So
succinct! So true! Where else is fulness of joy? surely not in this world and
its trouble. So get there! How can we draw near to Him? The concept of drawing
near to GOD is encompassed by the Torah and its teachings in the idea of the
sacrifices. The Hebrew word "korban" or "draw near" is from
a root word, karov, which is used when describing the sacrifices brought to the
Mishkan (Tabernacle) and then to the Temple. To draw near to GOD meant to bring
a sacrifice. In this obedience heart faith was demonstrated. The actual act of
bringing a sacrifice itself was not efficacious in bringing one to God unless
faith accompanied it. Remember David in Psalm 51? He was deeply remorseful for
his acts of sin against God and others. He longed for the joy of salvation once
again, in verses 8 and 12. THEN and only then did he know that God would hear
his prayer and receive his sacrifices as it says in the last verse. Draw near!
That is God's desire for us. Draw near to His throne! But come the right way-
come clean. Psalm 24:3 and 4 state: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the
LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a
pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully."
This means if you want to ascend to His holy mountain,
where His presence is, you have to come with a sacrifice. There is no more
sacrificial system- we have a Lamb, we have Yeshua. That is all that's needed
for salvation but not all that's needed to get into His close presence. Clean
hands! The priests after sacrificing at the brazen altar had to wash both hands
and feet at the laver before entering the Holy Place. So do we. We need
cleansing. A pure heart? Who can say they have a pure heart? Proverbs 20:9 asks
who can say that? Only Yeshua's blood can do that, with the searching of the
Ruach (Holy Spirit) in all the secret places we try to protect or hide. Vanity
and pride cannot come into the presence of GOD. Unpaid vows cannot go unpaid if
we want to come into the presence of GOD.
"At thy right hand there are pleasures for ever
more." In Scripture the reference to 'right hand' very often means Yeshua.
The mighty right hand of GOD! is Messiah. I read the book The Song of Solomon
and see where we as His bride, are supposed to be delighting in Him. The
Bridegroom so loves us! I think back to my wedding 29 years ago this month. All
my thoughts were centered on him. His were centered on me. The world faded
somewhat. Bad news in the news? A friend was unfaithful to me? The job
situation was not good? The money was not there? That did not matter so much as
we had each other to run to. We found joy and comfort in each other's arms.
That is what our Messiah, our Beloved, wants to do for us! He wants to hold us,
shelter us, bless us with good, and comfort us when bad things happen. In
speaking of his son Yoseph in Genesis 49, Ya'acov (Jacob) alluded to the evils
that had happened to him. They happen to us all in life I think! Betrayed,
thrown in prison, forgotten, misunderstood. So like Messiah! But Ya'acov said
this about Yosef: "The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him,
and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were
made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; from thence is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel. Even by the God of thy father who shall help
thee! and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee..." (Genesis 49:23- 25).
The word "stone" by the way, is 'aven' or
'eben'. It's spelled Alef, Beit, Nun (a, b, n). Alef and beit together spell
FATHER. Beit and nun together spell SON. The stone of Israel! This is where you
will find comfort, strength, blessing and joy.
In His presence is fullness of joy! It's not an empty
promise. Come! Come His way.
Ellen Mumper
