A song came to mind the other day and so, I had to listen to it. It was the lyrics to the bridge which grabbed my attention. They continued to weave through my thoughts for days.
“Joy unspeakable.”
Unspeakable >> unable to be expressed in words. We can experience joy, the overwhelming assurance of wellness, apart from the circumstances in our life. This joy cannot be expressed in words for it is unimaginable. We tend to notice this joy in the very times when we should be anything but joyful. 1 Peter 1: 8 (NLT) tells us, “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you will rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”
Reading my Bible Study, I find this thought:
Instead of collapsing under the weight of these attacks, the church will be unshakeable if rooted in unity.”
(from Fighting with Faith, by The Daily Grace Co.)
This was the other word which now had my attention, and I was totally aware the two phrases were going to somehow mesh.
Unshakable >>> unable to weaken. That has so spoken to me. When we suffer, or undergo difficulties, yes we would so much rather avoid them, but they serve the purpose of helping us to grow so that we will be unshakable, unable to be weakened in our faith.
But the two only collided when reading my morning Scriptures.
“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful. Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it. Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home!” (Proverbs 8:32-34, NLT)
That is the voice of wisdom calling to each of us from the very pages of our Bibles.
Wisdom. Do we cry out for it? Do we ask for it? We will experience joy as we do ask for it, and obey the Lord’s instruction. It will nourish our souls and cause us to grow spiritually.
Joy unspeakable,
faith unshakeable.
as we ask for wisdom and obey the Lord’s instruction.
Paul in writing Philippians, knew that whether God delivered him or not, his life was secure in His hands. In her post, Bloom? Here?, Lisa Brittain reminds us we are to bloom where He has planted us – to the glory and praise of His name.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Image by FaithGiant from Pixabay
I agree with your following statement Joanne;
“Joy unspeakable,
faith unshakeable
as we ask for wisdom and obey the Lord’s instruction.” Amen!
Blessings, Jennifer
I just finished reading and commenting on your last post, sharing my bible study from last Fall and then I came here and read the title of this blog post – it’s the same as our study – “The Way of Wisdom”. We each have a choice to make each day, learning to recognize godly versus worldly thinking. When we walk steadily in God’s ways, joy – unspeakable joy – follows! Thanks for that reminder this morning, Joanne! Happy Wednesday!
Joanne, those two words, “unspeakable” and “unshakeable” hold such hope for the believer. As you say, we would all prefer to avoid or shorten our suffering, yet Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:5 reminds us, ” For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” I believe our joy in suffering comes from knowing just this, Jesus is near, we are not alone, and we can rest in His goodness.