26 Aug The Joy set before You

 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. – Hebrews 12:2

The Lord has been speaking to me about keeping joy set before us.  Now, He is not referring to a silly, made up, emotionally driven joy.  The joy He is referring to is Him and that set before us.  Jesus finished the His assignment on the earth because He kept the the Father and the focus of the assignment ever before Him.  When it got tough, He looked at the joy set before Him.  When He second guessed (Luke 22:41), He kept the joy set before him.  When He doubted (Matthew 27:46), He kept the joy set before Him.  

Are you keeping the joy set before you?

I think we have dumbed down joy to the point of just being an emotion as opposed to a motivation.  Jesus was motivated by joy. Not a good laugh, but a good Father.  Not a feeling, but a fiery desire to accomplish the will of the Father for Him on the earth.  Yes, joy lightens the mood, it stirs the heart with laughter, but the real essence of Joy is the awareness of God’s grace, favor, grace recognized (Greek word Chara). That is what is used above.  Jesus recognized the grace and favor that the Father had given him to complete the task at hand and that brought him great joy to be able to walk out the Father’s complete picture for Him.

Are you laughing hysterically via an emotional high, yet unwilling to follow through with what the Father has asked of you?  The joy is not set before you.

As you keep the Father and His focus for you front and center, He will cover you with the oil of joy/gladness (Isaiah 61).  He then anoints you with the Hebrews 1:9 kind of joy.  That joy is the greek word Agalliasis, which means “wild joy, ecstatic delight, exultation, exhilaration. He gives wild joy to accomplish the joy set before you. 

Run with joy. Work with joy.  Live with joy. Give with joy.  Focus with joy. He is the joy set before you.