Joy Series Lesson 2
by Brenda K. Hendricks
While considering a lesson of partnership, I thought I had little experience with the subject since for the most part I have always worked alone. Then I realized that in every aspect of life we partner with someone. As the old adage goes—no man is an island.
In my business, I partner with my clients. In my home, I partner with my husband. In my church, I partner with fellow believers. And most important, in my life, I partner with Jesus Christ.
God takes partnership seriously and lays before us His desire for us to share in the sufferings and calamities, as well as in the comfort of other believers. Read Joshua 1:10-18. This is a beautiful foreshadowing of the church.
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had received their portion of the inheritance for Moses before they crossed the Jordan River. Nevertheless, Joshua commanded them to partner with the remaining Hebrews until all had possession of the promise land. Verse 14—“you shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them.” When they conquered and possessed the land west of the Jordan, the LORD gave them rest. At that point, those men of valor returned to their homes and families on the eastern side of the river.
God never promised an easy road. He warned them of the battles that lay before them.
The passage reveals God’s plan of salvation and the role disciples of Jesus Christ play in it. When we accept Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior, we receive our inheritance on the other side of the “river.” We have guaranteed rest from the struggle of redeeming ourselves. (It can NOT be accomplished without Christ.) But we cannot remain in our “tents,” isolated from the rest of the world. God commands us to arise and go forth armed with the gospel of truth, conquering the enemy until all God’s children have entered the Promise Land. Then we will receive our complete inheritance and be at rest.
Until the appointed time of rest, we continually face battles and strife. Some are very deep personal struggles. Others are clearly fought for the benefit of another individual. But all change us. God designed our hardships to shape us into the likeness of Christ. In the middle of our trials, a well-intending brother or sister is bound to comfort us with Romans 8:28—God uses all things for our good—(paraphrased.) For whatever reason most never read beyond that point. To understand God’s intensions, we need to consider the entire verse--We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose (AMP). We are all called. . .His purpose is to offer salvation to the world.
Jesus clearly stated that His life, His message would bring discord among even the closest relatives (Luke 12:50-52). Read in context, Romans 8:28 becomes more clear as we conclude with verse 29—For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was [a]aware and [b]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren (AMP). Wow! My struggles are not simply providing me with opportunities to witness to others, but they are shaping me, Yes even Me, into the very image of Christ Jesus. I’m beginning to rejoice in my struggles. Are you seeing your bleakest moments in a new light too?
After surrendering to Christ, Paul saw things in a different light and rejoiced in his times of persecution because he knew God was using those very struggles to create the image of Christ in the former persecutor of Christians.
Even in prison, Paul labored unceasingly to further the gospel, and he expected the believers at Philippi to join him as his partners in Christ. Paul found joy in the battle. He gave up his own rights. It no longer mattered to him what man would do to him. The only thing that had significance to Paul was spreading the good news—Jesus died but now lives. The LORD suffered so that all humanity could be reconciled with Almighty God. We don’t see Paul pausing to consider the dramatic changes that occurred within him. His total focus remained on the battle and the cause and effect it was having on others.
As I fight spiritual battles, I admit that I don’t always focus my concern on the cause and effect it’s having on those around me. At times, I am so self-absorbed that I’m scarcely aware that others are in the battle with me. During the most intense point of my personal spiritual battle, I even lost focus of the purpose of the fight, and I doubted the very presence of the LORD. Where was my joy in serving the LORD then?
As Christians, we have treasures stored up in heaven that moths and rust cannot corrupt. Nevertheless, the enemy tries to steal these treasures, one of which is joy. And Satan was working overtime to snatch my joy. Every time I got a glimpse of it, he’d hide it.
Joy comes when we take the focus off ourselves, and through partnering with Jesus, place it on the needs of others. Easier said than done!
Although I struggled to even sense God’s presence, I clung to His word. I consumed Philippians 1:6, God will complete the work He began in me (paraphrased). God’s joy trickled down to strengthen me. Other scripture passages came to mind, “Lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5), “I have loved you with an everlasting love and with loving kindness I have drawn you” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Then came the clincher. Was I willing to die to myself and join Paul as he had joined Christ? I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20 AMP). When I partnered with Christ, I died to self and God began to create a new life within me. Now, I am relearning love, forgiveness, and joy. The LORD is equipping me for battle. Come what may, I have no desire to quit.
Through it all, I felt abandoned, but God hadn’t let me to fight the battle alone. He had called, not the ones I expected, but the ones He had prepared for the job. Individuals I didn’t even know at the time. Many that I haven’t met yet. The lesson was all about trusting God in all things rather than friends and even family.
Paul knew that trusting God, for He is able to do all that He says He will do, brings strength in the battle and joy in the morning.
For next week’s lesson: reread Philippians 1:1-10 and Joshua chapter 2.