The Joy of the Lord

The Swallow, who was involved in the children's ministry, was asked this question today, "What is your motivation in the ministry?"  For a while, the Swallow was stumped and unable to answer the person who asked her this question.

Why was the Swallow stumped?  Because the Swallow had never spent time asking herself this question.  From the time she first tasted of the Lord's goodness, and claimed Him as her personal Lord and Saviour, it was as if the gun at the start of a race had gone off, and she just ran...

There is nothing the Swallow needs to do to earn her salvation - Jesus has done it all!  Whatever she was doing, was out of a heart of gratitude for the One who has done so much for her.

However, there is a question that the Swallow asks herself time and time again, "What keeps her going?"  And the answer is 'The Joy of the Lord'.

Even though in the race of life, sometimes she is running alone, the Lord is with her; sometimes she is running with others, and they run faster, leaving her behind while shouting words of encouragement to her, the Lord is with her; sometimes she is running with others, but these shout words of discouragement to her instead, the Lord is still with her.

The Swallow can take courage that knowing the Lord God who is faithful, who will never fail her, who loves her in spite of who she is and what she does, she can have this joy that keeps her going, day and night, day in day out; that keeps her smiling at the storms of her life.

Nehemiah 8 : 10 (NKJV)
...Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

WITH CHRIST IN THE VESSEL (author unknown)

With Christ in the vessel,
We can smile at the storm,
Smile at the storm,
Smile at the storm,
With Christ in the vessel,
We can smile at the storm,
As we go sailing home,
Sailing, sailing home,
Sailing, sailing home,
With Christ in the vessel,
We can smile at the storm,
As we go sailing home!