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Monday Muse ~ GOT JOY

  • Guest Writer
  • Sep 8, 2011
  • Series: The Monday Muse

On June 15, 2011 the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup beating out clearly the favorite and most deserving team….the Montreal Canadiens…in the first round.

All joking aside, if you watched that final game you would have witnessed much excitement and ‘joy’ from the bruins players and personal as the final buzzer blew and they eventually hoisted the Stanley Cup.   For many of us who enjoy the game of hockey, the ultimate experience and bringer of the greatest amount of joy would be to win Lord Stanley’s cup.   But does that joy last? 

 In the 1980’s when the Islanders and Oilers where winning strings of Cups, Laurie Boschman tells the story of the group of Oilers who met only days after winning their second straight cup.   Rather than celebrating what they had accomplished, they spent most of their time talking about what they had to do to win it back the following season.   Clearly there is something fleeting about it. 

 Where is your Joy at these days?  Where do you find your Joy?   

 Sports? Nature ? Parties ? Family? Food/Drinks? Work? Other?

 A quote from a book I read recently said this ‘The worlds version of battle and joy is striving and indulgence.  Push hard then reward yourself with a little something.  Work like a dog and then buy yourself a big screen TV.  It is a cheap counterfeit of Joy.  If you walk with God, you will find yourself called up to the real thing.  Intense Battle.  Authentic Joy.’

 I have been drawn to the word Joy of late and deepening my understanding of its importance in my life and for the life of the body in these days.  There is nothing wrong with winning the Stanley Cup (I wish the Leafs management would come to see this) or a big screen TV.   To run this race of life well though we need the real deal.

 A few of these reminders has been good for me.

 True, Authentic, Lasting Joy is only found in the Lord!  - Psalm 4:7 You have filled my heart with greater Joy than when their grain and new wine abound

  1. True Joy, is the Fruit of the Spirit!  - Galations 5:22 ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control’
  2. It is in what God has done, is doing and will do through Jesus! – Luke 2:10 ‘I bring you news of great joy that will be for all people’ John 15:11 ‘I have told you this that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

 We need Joy.  We need the Joy of the Lord.   How important is it as we face challenges and trials of many kinds?   I’ll have to save that for another muse. 

 For now my prayer for each of us and our church body is that the Lord would restore to us the Joy of his salvation in these days.  (psalm 51:12)

 Rejoice!

 Jamie Ramer
Hockey Chaplain and Chapel Coordinator

519.236.7766