Sunlight

1. I wandered in the shades of night,
   Till Jesus came to me,
   And with the sunlight of His love
   Bid all my darkness flee.
   • Refrain:
     Sunlight, sunlight in my soul today,
     Sunlight, sunlight all along the way;
     Since the Savior found me, took away my sin,
     I have had the sunlight of His love within.
2. Though clouds may gather in the sky,
   And billows ’round me roll,
   However dark the world may be
   I've sunlight in my soul.
3. 
   
   
   While walking in the light of God,
   I sweet communion find;
   I press with holy vigor on
   And leave the world behind.
4. I cross the wide, extended fields,
   I journey o’er the plain,
   And in the sunlight of His love
   I reap the golden grain.
5. Soon I shall see Him as He is,
   The Light that came to me;
   Behold the brightness of His face,
   Throughout eternity.
   -Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1897 

Love, Joy, Peace

 This is a little something I wrote about Love, Joy and Peace. Three fruits of the spirit. We are having a youth Sabbath at a church tomorrow and this is my little 'sermon'.
Love:

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love”. It is no surprise that love is the greatest. Love is the virtue of a Christian because love is the trait that characterized God most. Matthew 22:37-39 says, “..You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This love we are talking about isn't sentimental love and infatuation but selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love.  To love your neighbor as yourself is to love people with all your heart.  To love someone else the same way you love yourself is to care for someone as you care for yourself.  Love Does not envy, Love is not puffed up, Love is not rude, love does not seek its own, love is not easily provoked, love thinks no evil, love does not rejoice in iniquity.

The bible also tells us to love our enemies not just people who are good to us.   Matthew 5:43-44 says, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Luke 6:27-28 says, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” It is a lot easier to love someone who loves you then to love someone who doesn’t. Jesus is our perfect example on how to love our enemies. He was once hated by all men but He always treated them with love and compassion.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34.  

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 15:10.

“Love suffers long and is kind;…thinks no evil;…rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails”.

Joy:

The definition of Joy is- A lively emotion of happiness, delight, to be glad, rejoice, cheerfulness.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11.

“Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”Psalms 4:7. Joy is a everlasting joy that is deeper than pain or any pleasure. Inward joy defeats discouragement and despair, it focuses on goodness and the love of God.  Joy comes from knowing and trusting in Jesus. As long as we trust in Jesus joy is steady and lasting. “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalms 16:11

“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8. When Jesus comes again we will rejoice in being in his presence and the heavenly place prepared for us. But until than its a joy to know that God will supply all our needs.

I have found that there is no greater joy than to be obedient  to the will of God. Satan disobeyed God which brought war upon Heaven, sin, and death. All the sin and suffering in this world is the result of humans disobeying God and His law.  By obedience to the will of God by faith helps restore joy.  

“It is the duty of Christians to convince the world that the religion of Christ disrobes the soul of the garments of heaviness and mourning and clothes it with joy and gladness. Those who receive Christ as a sin pardoning Saviour are clothed with His garments of light. He takes away their sin and imparts to them His righteousness. Their joy is full.

“Who have better right than Christians to sing songs of rejoicing? Have they not the expectation of being members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King? Is not the gospel good tidings of great joy? When the promises of God are freely and fully accepted, heaven’s brightness is brought into the life.” A Call to Medical Evangelism and Health Education, p. 26 by Ellen G White.

Peace:

The definition of peace is- Completeness, or well being.

In John 14:27 it says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God doesn’t want us to be afraid, He wants us to put our trust in Him, that we may have peace in knowing everything is under control. When I think of peace in this manner, I think of letting go of something I may be worrying about and put full trust in God.  I think of having peace between someone I know, not having tension between me and someone else.   

We may not realize but it is the love of self that brings unrest. If we take Christ at His word, and surrender to Him, rest our lives in his Hands, we will find true peace. Nothing can make a shadow cross our face when Jesus’ presence is with us.

By dying on the cross, Jesus won peace for us.  It is a free gift we may have by earnestly asking Christ Jesus. But there isn’t a person in this world that doesn’t go through some trails, pain, and suffering.  Peace comes through full surrender in trust in the loving and caring God Almighty!

“ Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts….” Colossians 3:15