The Gift of Joy!
Basilea Schlink teaches that true and lasting joy comes from intimate union with Jesus, especially through suffering, repentance, and trusting in His eternal lordship.
In "The Gift of Joy!", Basilea Schlink explores the profound joy that comes from a living relationship with Jesus Christ. She candidly shares how suffering, repentance, and persecution can deepen our union with Him and produce a joy that no one can take away. Through biblical reflection and heartfelt testimony, Schlink encourages believers to choose Jesus as their eternal source of happiness and to live under His lordship. This devotional message offers hope and inspiration for those seeking lasting joy in a troubled world.
Full Transcript
God lives and works today. Whoever has experienced God's reality in his life has found a spring of ever-flowing joy and blessedness. But what can we do if we don't have this joy? Listen to the testimony of Basilea Schlink in today's meditation, The Gift of Joy.
The Gift of Joy Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, Chapter 16, Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. That is, the joy in and with him. But what is this joy like? From the moment of our foundation, the birth of our sisterhood, we were more like a child of tears.
On the one hand, there were many tears of repentance, because we were constantly shown how much trouble we caused Jesus and our Heavenly Father with our sins, and how guilty we became towards him and other people. Furthermore, we were born at a time of death and destruction, while bombs were raining upon our city. This too meant deep sorrow and tears.
Then God let persecution and disgrace come upon us. That too brought tears. And Jesus can still speak of the joy that no one can take from us? What does that mean? In another place, Jesus says, Those who weep here will laugh.
The blissful joy in Jesus comes out of suffering. Repentance and suffering drive us to him, into his arms, where his blood cleanses us and he draws us to his heart. Suffering, disgrace, and persecution bring us close to Jesus, and intimate union with him is the happiest thing there is.
What grace has given me Thy beauteous face to see Near thee to dwell always Like sweet celestial wine Drinks in this zone of mine Thy loveliness, O Christ When our sisterhood experienced all this, our joy was really the way Jesus said it would be. This joy constantly increases. It pervades our everyday life, and we experience it especially in our evening meetings when we sing of Jesus and his name and his glory, when we praise him as the Lamb upon the highest throne, the King of all kings, the Lord who will come again in majesty and glory, the Bridegroom of our souls who loves us a thousand times more than any human being could.
Who makes as happy Jesus as you? Therefore my heart rejoices in you Jesus, O joy eternal Jesus, my Lord, my God, and my King You fill my heart with praises to sing Jesus, O joy eternal Jesus, no one makes us as happy as he who is eternal joy. Therefore, choose him. Place your life under his will and his lordship, and you will become truly happy.
You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.
If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Reality of God's Joy Today
- God lives and works in the present
- Joy is a spring of blessedness for believers
- The challenge of lacking this joy
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II. The Origin of Our Joy Amid Tears
- Tears of repentance for sin
- Sorrow from persecution and suffering
- Jesus’ promise that joy cannot be taken away
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III. The Source of Joy: Union with Jesus
- Suffering draws us closer to Christ
- Jesus’ blood cleanses and comforts
- Joy grows through intimate fellowship with Him
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IV. Living in Eternal Joy
- Praising Jesus as King and Bridegroom
- Choosing Jesus leads to true happiness
- Submitting to His lordship brings lasting joy
Key Quotes
“God lives and works today. Whoever has experienced God's reality in his life has found a spring of ever-flowing joy and blessedness.” — Basilea Schlink
“The blissful joy in Jesus comes out of suffering. Repentance and suffering drive us to him, into his arms, where his blood cleanses us and he draws us to his heart.” — Basilea Schlink
“Jesus, O joy eternal Jesus, no one makes us as happy as he who is eternal joy.” — Basilea Schlink
Application Points
- Choose to place your life under Jesus’ lordship to experience true and lasting joy.
- Embrace suffering and repentance as pathways that draw you closer to Christ’s cleansing and comfort.
- Engage regularly in praise and fellowship to cultivate a joy that permeates everyday life.