FAITH has a Face

As I sat at my desk earlier this morning, I found myself wrapped up in the scriptures that  I was studying when the dog came in from the bedroom and gave me a funny look…  When I glanced over to him and then back to my desk… I realized that I had been tapping my colored pencils (one in each hand – like a drummer) to the rhythm of the upbeat Southern Gospel songs that I was listening to on Sirius XM’s Southern Gospel channel enLighten.

I also became aware that I was actually singing… rather loudly… “Scooby, Doobie, Doo…” repeatedly in syncopation between each measure of the music.  And with all of that, I began to laugh and turned back to the dog and declared “What can I say… I can’t help but to be happy and groove along with the JOYFUL music!”

But you know… that’s not the way my morning had begun.  After all the slipping and sliding that Fiver had done during our recent snowstorm, his hips and lower back became inflamed again and I had to put him back, temporarily, on his anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers… which tend to do the job of bringing him back to his normal flexible and active self… but also have certain side-effects that cause me concern.  So… when I took him out at 4:45 this morning and he wasn’t as sharp, steady and vigorous as he usually is... I definitely had to deal with some anxiety and a lack of JOY first thing!

Once we returned to our apartment and I got him settled in one of his favorite sleeping spots in the bedroom, with a treat, I climbed back into bed, picked up my little, first edition, 1945 Berkeley translation New Testament, that I have been enjoying lately, and dove into many of the familiar “JOY” scriptures in both Paul and James’ writings.  If I’ve learned anything over the many years of my Christian walk… I’ve discovered that the different fruits of the Spirit like “love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness” * don’t always manifest themselves automatically in times of need, but that we must endeavor to stir them up in order for them to take effect in our lives. 

Well… with that task completed… my mind and my heart were switched back from potential worry and refocused on the power of God’s love and JOY, and I fell back asleep for another hour and a half, got up around 6:30, brewed some coffee and began my daily Bible Study (on the subject of JOY, no less) with Southern Gospel playing softly in the background… or at least that’s what I thought… and somewhere during that time the dog came in and I guess my silly JOYFULNESS was caught!

Fiver was walking a lot slower than normal on our afternoon walk today, so it gave me a lot of time to think about the events from this morning… and I was reminded of something I believe that the Lord had shown me earlier in the week… on another walk that the pooch and I took.  I had been having a conversation in my head about some of the different aspects of FAITH, when I suddenly had the thought that: “Faith Has a Face” (or a look) and that Face or look is JOY!

And if that be true… then Paul’s writings in Philippians 3:1 take on an even more powerful meaning and charge to our lives, when he steadfastly declared:

“My beloved ones, don’t ever limit your joy or fail to rejoice in the wonderful experience of knowing our Lord Jesus! (and) I don’t mind repeating what I’ve already written you because it protects you—” (TPT)

That no nonsense command was so important to Paul in his life and ministry, that he made a point to tell his readers that he needed to repeat what he had already wrote to them (and demonstrated in his life – as he was in prison at the time he wrote this letter), because faith-based JOY was an important force of protection for them, in their personal lives.  He was and still is today… telling us that JOY has a direct effect of our daily walks of faith, where we are standing on His Word for the various situations we encounter.

JOY radiating from our faces is something that people around us can’t help but to notice… and more than not… want to have for themselves!  But like I described at the beginning of today’s post… JOY doesn’t always get up with the morning sunrise!  Sometimes… okay… maybe many times… we have to give it a little push or encouragement!  The best method I have learned is to build my faith each and every day by reading and speaking aloud, the exact same things that God speaks in His Word… and although I’d love to say that this is something that I thought up on my own… I can’t!  For I learned this infallible practice from God Himself in His Word, where He tells us:

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 - KJV)

Therefore, faith comes to us and increases in us when we HEAR the Word preached and/or taught in Church, on the radio, on TV, online and also… and maybe most importantly… coming from our own mouths!  I find that when I speak the Word out loud, that I tend to take it more personally and find myself uniquely applying it to my specific daily life’s experiences.

So… take a moment and think about it.  Where do you hang your faith-based JOY?  After reading and confessing the Word each day… I can’t help but hang mine right on my face… for everyone to enjoy and get built up by!  Even if it is the dog (or my very close in proximity neighbors) wondering what all the noise and action of beating pencils on the desk and singing without constraint first thing in the morning, is all about!  Hummm… I have gotten some strange looks from a few of my neighbors when I JOYfully say “Hi!’ to them in the hallway… You think that’s why???

What is being portrayed on your face RIGHT NOW?

Have a great new week ahead… and let me know how your week goes with JOY written all over your FACE!