Jesus Christ: Our Chief Joy and Delight

     By A. W. Tozer

     Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and
     shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
      Psalm 32:11

         I must agree with the psalmist, even in our modern
     day, that the joy of the Lord is still the strength of His
     people.  I do believe that the sad world around us is
     attracted to spiritual sunshine the---genuine thing, that
     is!

         Some churches train their greeters and ushers to
     smile, showing as many teeth as possible.  But I can sense
     that kind of display---and when I am greeted by a man
     who is smiling because he has been trained to smile, I
     know I am shaking the flipper of a trained seal!

         But when the warmth and delight and joy of the Holy
     Spirit are in a congregation and the folks are just spon-
     taneously joyful and unable to hide the happy grin, the
     result is a wonderful influence upon others.  Conversely,
     the reason we have to search for so many things to cheer
     us up is the fact that we are not really joyful and
     contentedly happy within!

         I admit that we live in a gloomy world and that inter-
     national affairs, nuclear rumors and threats, earthquakes
     and riots cause people to shake their heads in despair and
     say, "What's the use?"

         But we are Christians, and Christians have every right
     to be the happiest people in the world!  We do not have to
     look to other sources---for we look to the Word of God
     and discover how we can know the faithful God above
     and draw from His resources.

         Why should the children of the King hang their heads
     and tote their own burdens, missing the mark about
     Christian victory?  All this time the Holy Spirit has been
     wanting to make Jesus Christ our chief joy and delight!

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     Yours in Christ,

     Paul N. F.