ACCESSING FUTURE JOY

By Pastor Enoch Adeboye

Memorise: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24) Read: Matthew 16:21-28

God took some foundational decisions concerning you without seeking your opinion. For instance, your father, mother, siblings, place of birth, height, complexion, etc. were decided by God. If He could take such crucial decisions concerning you, why not allow Him to decide your tomorrow? According to Isaiah 3:10, it shall be well with the righteous. This is why I know that my tomorrow shall be great. My main concern is how to make it to Heaven. Do you share my sentiment? 2 Timothy 1:12 says if you can commit yourself to God, you need not worry. When the rapture comes, because your spirit is in good hands, you will make it. Jude 24 -25 says God is able to keep you from falling. If you think you are standing, it is only by the power of God. It is because the Advocate is interceding for you even though you are not paying for His legal services. He cares for you. I once preached a message titled ‘Joy cometh’. God told me that He is overseeing His church, and asked why I was carrying the burdens. ‘Who owns this church – you or me?’, He asked. So I replied, ‘But I thought you put me there to look after things for you?’ ‘I can take care of my own’ was His reply. From that moment, I stopped worrying. In the past, whenever I returned from a trip, my wife would be waiting with a list of problems that should be tackled. But after this encounter with the caring owner of the church, after she had reeled out all the issues on the list, I would ask for my food. She would think I just needed strength from the food so that I could tackle the problems. But after the meal, we would pray then I would go and sleep. Sometimes, she thought I was crazy. One day she asked why I was behaving that way and I told her it is because it is written that weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning. If joy is coming tomorrow morning, why waste time worrying tonight? Somehow by the following morning, the problems would have been solved. It is also possible to borrow from the future joy. In today’s reading, a woman came to meet Jesus for the healing of her daughter. She was turned down but refused to accept defeat. She said even if the time of the Gentiles had not come, yet she must get her miracle that day. And it was so. You can enter your joy before its time. Stop worrying. God cares for you. How surrendered are you?

Father, let whatever is limiting my joy be taken out of my way and let my joy be full.