Classic TV at its Best!

While studying the Word first thing in the morning yesterday, I was eventually drawn to Hebrews 10:35 where we are told: “Don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward.” (God’s Word ©)  This morning when I sat down at my desk, I immediately opened up to the same verse and wrote it down at the top of my blank note page.  I then flipped back to yesterday’s notes and looked at what I had written down as to the Greek meaning to the word “confidence.”  Thayer’s defines it as “free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness or assurance.”  Of all those descriptions the one phrase that seemed to glow on the page was that of “cheerful courage.”

Last night as I got up off the couch to get something out of the kitchen, I stopped and looked at my wife who was sitting next to me.  She was watching the TV with a sort of bland look on her face.  In that moment of time I thought about how she was always such a happy individual.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions that it was her consistent smile, irresistible laugh and joyful countenance that captured my heart back as a Junior in English class in High School!

I am sure that anyone who knew her before this attack of Alzheimer’s would comment how they rarely saw Piper without a smile on her face and a funny comment emitting from her lips!  I have countless photographs (as she was always my favorite subject!) that capture that sassy sparkle in her eyes.

As I continued to look at her, she slowly turned and our eyes connected.  For a fleeting second I was tempted to be depressed, but I quickly fought back the lie and reiterated the truth of God’s joy as our strength.  With that I broke into a big smile, spoke gently but happily to her and stayed connected to her line of sight until she joined me with a broad smile!  And you know what?  She was a lot more alert for the rest of the night and that bland look never returned!

I think that this was an example of “cheerful courage” on both our parts.  I am positive that God doesn’t want us to make our various stands of faith with a scowl upon our faces.  I believe that He wants us to visibly rejoice in order to show the world -and probably more importantly - ourselves that our trust is confidently and therefore cheerfully committed to Him!

I also discovered as I studied this idea out this morning, that His joy working in and through us is a powerful force against the lies of the enemy.  The thought of “cheerful courage” led me to Nehemiah 8:10 where it is written that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” (KJV)  The word strength literally means: “force, ability and might.”  Our “cheerful courage” in the face of the lies of the enemy, releases a mighty “force” in and around us that the enemy can’t penetrate.  That “force” will eventually lead to your victory over the situation that you are facing!

Now please don’t ask me why… maybe it is just the way the Lord figures He can get to me… but when I looked up the original meaning to the word “joy,” I was instantly caught up in a time warp!  The Strong’s number for “joy” in the Greek translation of the OT is 5479.  Some of you probably know where I am going with this… That’s right… when I noticed 5479 I was suddenly back in front of our old black and white TV set in the living room of our new home when I was 8 years old.  On the TV I could see a wacky pair of New York policeman and heard the words to the theme song of the old sitcom “Car 54 where are you?”:

♫ There's a holdup in the Bronx,

Brooklyn's broken out in fights;

There's a traffic jam in Harlem

That's backed up to Jackson Heights;

There's a scout troop short a child,

Khrushchev's due at Idlewild!

Car 54, Where Are You? ♪

 

After slowly returning back from my childhood, I asked the Lord what He was trying to convey to me and I realized the message of that funny jingle.  While everything is in a mess around us, we can still laugh and rejoice because our trust and confidence is in the Lord.  And just as Toody and Muldune always got their man in the end… God will make sure that our “cheerful courage” will always lead us to get the promise from whatever Word of His that we are standing one!

So what will it be for you this week?  Will you give in to the pressure of depression leading to defeat, or choose to walk in “cheerful courage” which eventually gives you the upper hand?  The only difference is that we don’t have to cry out “Ooh! Ooh!”  as officer Toody would do, but instead proclaim our praise and KNOW exactly where our God is and how He stands when our faith is put into action!

Have a great week.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”