MATLOCK

Did you ever watch the popular TV series Matlock which premiered on NBC in 1983, moved to ABC after six seasons and then ended its nine-year run in 1995?  I don’t remember watching it too much when it was originally broadcast, but it definitely came onto to our radar after moving to Andy Griffith’s home state of North Carolina in 2014.

He is a most venerated favorite son in the state, having been born and raised in the small town of Mount Airy in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about three miles south of the Virginia State border in northwestern North Carolina.  Mount Airy is said to be the inspiration for Mayberry, the setting of Andy’s first popular series, the Andy Griffith Show… and capitalizes on its connection with many special museum buildings and related events throughout the year.

It seemed like we could hardly turn on the TV, read the Raleigh newspaper or go into town without seeing a program, article or advertisement for something to do with Andy Griffith and/or Mayberry!  So, once we settled into our new home in the country side between a couple of small towns south of the state capital of Raleigh, we couldn’t help but to watch reruns of both of his popular shows!

I especially enjoyed his presentation of the Matlock character.  He portrayed a very likable, easy going Southern Trial Lawyer with a folksy personality, some finicky, penny-pinching habits but yet with a strong sense of right and wrong.  Once in the court room his years of experience with the justice system and command of the law always shined forth.  And his dogged determination and dedication to the truth regularly prevailed by the end of each show… I mean… what else would you expect… right?

Well, I found something un-expected this last week as I continued to study on the subject of the JOY that we have in the Lord, based on the Old Testament scripture in Nehemiah 8:10, where Ezra the priest and Nehemiah the governor of Jerusalem encouraged the grief-stricken children of Israel after getting a first glimpse of the destruction of their beloved city of Jerusalem, saying,

“Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad because the JOY you have in the LORD is your strength.” (God’s Word ©)

I was led to a well-known scripture in the New Testament, written many years later by the Pastor of the Jerusalem church to his congregation, as well as to the Christians who were scattered around the known world.  Here James, like his OT predecessors, writes to encourage his troubled readers, who were experiencing persecutions and various trials, telling them to,

“Consider it pure JOY, my brothers (and sisters), when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  (&) Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4 / Berean Study Bible)

And you know me… I just had to dig into the meanings of the original Greek words in order to best understand what the writers… under the influence of the Holy Spirit… were trying to convey to us modern day readers some 1,980 years later (give or take).

So… I started off with the very first word in the verse “Consider” or “Count” in the King James Version where I found the something unexpected!  Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries defined it as “To lead, that is to command (with official authority)” While Thayer’s Greek Definitions described it’s meaning as “to have authority over; of regal power; to lead as respects to influence.”

Well… that wasn’t what I expected to hear!  It sort of threw my long-held theology on this verse for a loop… and yet… it EXCITED me at the same time!

James isn’t telling us to just think about or half-heartedly consider trying to have some JOY when we encounter the various trials that we face throughout our lives… He’s instructing us to take a much more proactive and authoritative approach!  I thought of Matlock at this point of revelation in my personal study, because the idea of having a more authoritative role in the testing times in my life, caused me to picture Christians feeling very confident as they go to trial, in a court of law, with a high-powered, brilliant attorney at their side.  But in these particular trial’s that we face in life, the high-powered attorney at our side would be the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Truth* of whom Jesus said,

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate [ie; lawyer], Strengthener and Standby), that He may remain with you forever.” (John 14:16 – Amplified Bible)

Once again, Pastor James is explaining to us that we can and should take on the trials and tribulations that come our way from a place of authority… because we have the full backing, resources, scope, rights and power of God’s TRUTH on our side!  No wonder we can experience and keep the cheerful, calm delight** of JOY about us when things may not look their best during the difficult times in our lives! 

We not only have the absolute TRUTH of God’s Word for our defense, but the best trial lawyer in the universe… in any realm… representing us!  For you see… all of the things that the enemy of our souls may try to throw at us in our low times are all lies from the pit of hell.  And the TRUTH of God’s Word will prove it so!  The enemy will call us all kinds of names and make many false accusations in order to steal our faith… and when that doesn’t work, he will attack our character!

But that’s exactly when the TRUTH of God’s Word, His LOVE for us and a powerful Attorney sitting next to us really shines forth!  So don’t ever give up but stay strong and EXPECT God’s TRUTH to prevail… every time… in every situation! 

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

I can’t remember MATLOCK ever losing a case… and while he may have been good… He’s couldn’t come close to the Spirit of Truth living in us!

Have a good fresh new week ahead!  They are forecasting the beginning of a fall weather pattern this week in our neck of the woods out here… and I’m excited about that!  What’s it like where you live?

 

*See John 14:17, 26

**the definition of JOY in Strong’s Greek Hebrew Dictionaries 

The PERSONALITY of JOY!

I mentioned in last week’s blog post of how JOY just seemed to emanate from my wife-to-be, when I first met her in high school.  It was the main (of many) attributes that caught and kept my attention on her throughout the years… until she took her last breath in 2018.  But you know… I wasn’t the only one whose attention was caught when she walked into a room.  She had… what I am learning lately to call… a visibly bright PERSONALITY of JOY! 

It seemed to precede her wherever she went and never dimmish in intensity… even as the first physically manifested effects of Alzheimer’s began to slowly present themselves in her body when we went to Oklahoma for Bible School between 2006 - 2009.  If you recall my personal, experience-based translation of our verse from last week’s post* in Nehemiah 8:10, I described the JOY that we have in the Lord… the kind of JOY that we take personal possession and ownership of as,

“The foundational STRENGTH of all our inherent ABILITIES and God given GIFTINGS and TALENTS.”**

The JOY that she had in the Lord was always on show for anyone to take advantage (in the most encouraging manner) of… And that JOY made her a very capable, willing and easily accepted minister of the Gospel of love.  Within a few weeks of us making our new home in Broken Arrow, she had made close friends with the elderly Walmart Greeter at the Super Walmart near our home as well with the young black manager at the Dollar Tree in the little strip mall next door. 

No matter where in the store the manager was when we walked into that Dollar Store, the manager would spot Piper in the mirrors around the interior and would literally yell out “Hello Honey!” in her thick Southern accent!  Then they would meet up and hug like long lost friends.

In John 15:11 Jesus had just finished teaching the crowd that had gathered around Him the importance of obeying the Word of His Father and thereby abiding in His love… and summed it up by explaining,

"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my JOY might be your JOY, and your JOY be wholly mature.” (The Message Bible) 

That word ‘mature’ not only infers the idea of “being complete and satisfied,” but also conveys the ability to “pervade someone or something with influence.” 

Now stick with me here… just what kind of influence are we talking about when we discuss “the JOY that we have in the Lord?”**  Well… it just so happens that the Apostle Paul gives us that answer in Galatians 5:22-23.  In these verses Paul names JOY as one of the first Fruit of the Spirit saying,

“But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine LOVE in all its varied expressions: JOY that overflows, Peace that subdues, Patience that endures, Kindness in action, a life full of Virtue, Faith that prevails, Gentleness of heart, and Self Control.  (and) Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.” (The Message/God’s Word ©)

So… when I read this in the understanding of the strength or “influence” that JOY carries with it when it walks into a room… through an anointed and yielded individual… I can’t help but to realize that JOY has a unique and specialized PERSONALITY!  And what are the unique capabilities and/or characteristics of that PERSONALITY type?

Well… as one of the first Fruit of the Spirit, the PERSONALITY of JOY is part and parcel of and includes characteristics of all the fruit including, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, VIRTUE, FAITH, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL!

I was reading an article in the summer edition of Country Living Magazine yesterday, and it colorfully described the effect of a re-decorated room in a lakeside cabin … as a brightly and JOY-fully decorated living space…  Writing that “it arrives in a riot of color and that,

There is a particular kind of JOY that announces itself before you’ve even crossed the threshold!”

And you know… I think that perfectly describes the same thing that can happen when you or I are operating within the anointing of the PERSONALITY of JOY and approach a room full of people!  I saw it over and over again when Piper and others like her walked into a room.  Eyes are instantly drawn to them and growing smiles can’t help but appear on other’s faces when the Peace, Patience, Kindness, Virtue, Faith, Gentleness and Self-control that’s associated with the PERSONALITY of JOY say’s “Hi!”

I’ll never forget the time when I wheeled my non-verbal wife from the waiting room of our Neurologist at the Brain Heath Center in San Francisco, into the doctor’s examination rooms and a female patient seated near the door leaned over and touched my hand with a big smile and gently said “Your wife has such a sweet spirit about her!”

With tears in my eyes, I profusely thanked the lady for her kindness and couldn’t help but realize that the PESONALITY of JOY that pervaded my wife’s being, was not subject to her physical ability to converse or even smile at that time… but was an inner strength and anointing that she had happily and studiously pursued her entire life... and it brightly and colorfully presented itself even as she lost her physical abilities.

That’s the PERSONALITY type that I also seek to continue to pursue, acquire and increase in my personal life… How about you? 

Have you ever noticed what happens when you walk into a room?

 

Have a terrific weekend and take a few quiet moments today – on the anniversary of the 911 attacks that happened 25 years ago – and remember the lives that were stolen as well as all of those who were directly and indirectly affected that day…

We’ll most likely talk about the subject of JOY for a few more posts to come… so keep an eye out for next week’s post!

 

 

*https://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2026/09/the-strength-of-your-joy.html

**Taken from The King James and Apostolic Bible Polyglot with Strong’s numbers versions and personalized from a word study on the original Hebrew and Greek translations of Nehemiah 8:10

The Strength of YOUR Joy…

Today marks the eighth anniversary of my sweet wife Piper’s Homegoing on September 2, 2018 at our country home in North Carolina, where we had lived for the previous four or five years.  And I see it as no coincidence that the Lord has been leading me on a further study of His kind of JOY over the last week… up to today.  For you see… I find it almost impossible to even consider the JOY of the Lord… without a direct reference or connection to Piper!

My very first memory of her was when she walked past my desk in eleventh grade academic English and sat down behind me… literally radiating with her big contagious smile, bright brown eyes and JOYFUL countenance.  And although she had been physically ravaged with the destructive results of Alzheimer’s in her body… as I stared deep into her eyes on that final evening back in 2018, I saw that same brightness and JOY radiating from her spirit that was actively present on that first day in class 49 years previous that night.

In the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, we see the priest and newly appointed Governor speaking to the children of Isreal as they faced the physical destruction of their beloved Jerusalem.  Things didn’t look too good… but the leaders encouraged the downtrodden people by saying,

“Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad, and do not faint, because the JOY (that) you have in the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10 – God’s Word©/Apostolic Bible Polyglot w/Strong’s Numbers)

First and foremost, I believe that it is of most importance that we understand the key point of this verse… which is the fact that God’s JOY is to be seen and employed as an important source of yours and my STRENGTH!  The word ‘STRENGTH’ in both the original Hebrew and Greek is defined as our force, power, means of safety, protection, refuge and our stronghold.  And likewise, it also refers to our personal abilities.  In my life, I have come to understand and experience the power of the JOY of the Lord as,

“The foundational STRENGTH of all my inherent ABILITIES and God given GIFTINGS and TALENTS.”

The other important part of this verse is the step of faith that actually activates that STRENGTH in our daily lives which in our verse, follows the word “JOY” with the phrase,

“YOU have in the Lord!”

In other words… JOY… Godly JOY… Is a level of JOY that is predicated, fully focused and solidly based on our utmost TRUST in the Lord and the truth of his Word… and is something that each of us have to personally appropriate and then use in our daily lives!

My unshakable understanding and reference to the JOY of the Lord in connection to Piper, is based on 48 years of seeing His JOY working in and through her on a daily basis… no matter where she was, whom she was with, what was going on around her or whether she was in a good mood or not… of which it was difficult to find her in a bad mood… occasionally maybe… but not too often… because she worked to keep God’s JOY strong and active in her life!

You see… the JOY she radiated was not dependent on the varying circumstances in her or our lives… but was deeply founded on her personal relationship with Jesus, her unrelenting faith in the truth of His Word and her consistent ability (through years of practice) to verbally PRAISE the Lord in both the good times as well as the stressful ones!  She was a steadfast student of I Thessalonians 5:16-18 which tells us to,

“Always be joyful.  Never stop praying. And whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.” (God’s Word ©)*

So… the activity, STRENGTH, power (and enjoyment) of JOY went together with Piper… just like Peanut Butter and Jelly!  (Of which she preferred with freshly ground peanuts from the natural foods section at our neighborhood Raley’s and Smuckers Strawberry Preserves on Ezekial Bread… just a bit of Piper trivia in case you wanted to know! Oh… and I liked to add raisins and a sliced banana on mine… Hmmm… now I have to go out and get a box of raisins… I’ve got everything else!)

And what about you?  Does the level of Godly JOY that is based on your close personal relationship with Jesus and your unshakeable trust in the truth of His Word go together with YOU like Peanut Butter and Jelly (or whatever your favorite sandwich might be…)?

Think about it… Godly JOY is a lot more enjoyable, constructive and powerful in and for YOUR life than is sadness, depression and fear…  Just saying!

Have a great rest of your week.  We are back into daily Heat Advisory’s with today’s ‘feels like’ temps projected to be near 106 degrees!  But you know what?  I’m choosing to be THANKFUL and to let the JOY of the Lord be my STRENGTH (and my sense of COOL…) today!

 

*The King James Version gives us a little more information by clarifying “In (not for) everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 

We are taught to give thanks and praise to the Lord with- IN the midst of everything – including the negative incidents in our lives… NOT because we are blaming HIM for the bad things… but instead, are TRUSTING Him to work in our behalf to give us strength, wisdom and resources throughout the situation.