THE JOYOUS ROAD

 Greetings O Ye Road Warriors...how's the journey going.

The other day I was at Dr. Pete's (Revolution Chiropractics)...and after my adjustment...he said, "Remember...it's about the JOURNEY."  Of course...that got me to ruminating about the road that we are travelling upon...and how so many times we miss the scenery as we are so intent to get to our destination.

There are four aspects of travel...the preparation...the destination...and the journey...the arrival. 

I have this book in my collection about "The Mother Road"...Route 66 aka Will Rogers Highway, aka The Main Street of America (going from Illinois to Los Angeles.  It is a road that Brenda and I would love to travel one day (as much of it that is left). It is not just the starting point of the road...but all the places that you would experience along the way that made it so magical and mythical.  The road was immortalized in the Bobby Troup song...recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio)...encouraging us to "get your KICKS on Route 66."  The KICKS would be the JOY OF THE JOURNEY.
                                                                                     

As we travel on this JOURNEY...we are not alone.  And along the way...we see many people...going no where...lost in limbo.  One of my early favorite Christian rock groups is PETRA (Greek for massive rock versus petros/Peter which means little stone).  The massive ROCK that the church is built on is not the petros/Peter...little stone...but the MASSIVE ROCK OF REVELATION...that Jesus is the Christ...the Living Son of God. (See Matthew 16:13-20)  One of their early albums is COME AND JOIN US (1977)...and the song of the same title implores those along the way...to "come and join us."

"Come and join us in the sunlight...you've been sittin' in the shade too long...come and give us a chance to sing you a song...come and join us in the sunlight...if you would reach you could touch the sky...come and drink from the well that will never run dry." (Petra by Robert M. Hartman)  Part of the JOY IN THE JOURNEY...is bring along others in the JOYOUS JOURNEY.  This principle applies to every area of our lives...as we ENJOY LIVING...from our work to our life experiences (good, bad and ugly)...to our spiritual lives and in our secular lives.  If we don't have JOY IN THE JOURNEY...we are merely getting from point A to point B. 
                                                                

One of my favorite travelogue movies by Elvis Presley is the 1964 movie...ROUSTABOUT.  In one scene Elvis just had a fight with a bunch of frat boys...got into some trouble with the law...and was on the road again.  Of course as he is driving down the highway on his motorcycle (in real life Elvis was a Harley man)...the music cued...and he was singing a song.

"Gotta do some livin'...got the wanderlust...better clear the highway...'cause I'm gonna move some dust...Oh I got wheels... wheels on my heels...and I gotta keep rollin'...rollin' along." (Wheels on My Heels).  In other movies like Kid Galahad, Tickle Me, Blue Hawaii and others...the road and a song in his heart were standard.  Well...as we know...real life is not a movie...BUT...if we know the Lord...we can have a song of joy in our hearts.  Oh...this this NOT mean that the road is always easy.  As joyous as a vacation is...I have been told...that for parents...as much as they love their little ones...that traveling great distances with small children...can be less than joyous.  But for us...as believers...the joy is not found in the road itself...but in the Lord.  Many times the JOY that we experiences is NOT a feeling or an emotion but a CHOICE based on a WORD from Him.

"REJOICE in the Lord...ALWAYS...and again I say REJOICE." (Philippians 4:4)  On the long and winding road that we travel on...sometime we just have to REJOICE...in spite of ROAD CONDITIONS.

   "These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you, that My JOY  may be FULL IN YOU...and that YOUR JOY may BE MADE FULL." (John 15:11) On this long and winding road that we travel on...we have to lean heavily on the WORDS THAT JESUS HAS SPOKEN TO US...as we remain connected to the VINE.

Jesus travelled the road of obedience from the starting point of heaven...to planet Earth in Israel...and for 33 years...experienced JOY and SUFFERING...went to the CROSS...died...was buried...and rose again...and went back HOME.  "Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us...let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles/besets us...and let us RUN WITH ENDURANCE the race that is set before us...fixing our eyes on Jesus...the author and perfecter of our faith...who for the JOY SET BEFORE HIM..endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)  He had one eye on the road...and one eye on the destination...and PLEASED the Father on the journey.

As we are on this long and winding road...as Pilgrims on a pilgrimage...we pas through places of weeping and bitterness only to have them change into places of blessings and springs and strength as we reach our destination...the presence of God.  "How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are pilgrimage...the HIGHWAYS TO ZION!  Passing through the valley of Baca/Weeping, THEY MAKE IT A SPRING...the early rain also covers it with BLESSINGS.  They go from STRENGTH to STRENGTH...everyone of them appears before God in Zion." (Psalm 84:5-7)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

This journey...is really a FAITH JOURNEY...as we travel in the land of nitty gritty...to a land of milk and honey...a land of promise and blessing.  As we WALK BY FAITH...and NOT BY SIGHT (II Corinthians 5:7)...as we keep our FAITH TOWARD GOD (Hebrews 6:1)...and trust in the SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR AND CONFIDENTLY EXPECT...along with the EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT REVEALED TO THE SENSES (Hebrews 11:1)...and we COME TO GOD BELIEVING THAT HE IS and that HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM (Hebrews 11:6) and we LIVE BY FAITH (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38)...we come with JOY IN THE JOURNEY.  A great example of this JOYFUL JOURNEY is found in Psalm 100...where the people travel great distances to offer sacrifices unto the Lord...and as they enter in...they are ALREADY JOYFUL...with the CONFIDENT EXPECTANCY (hope) of the cause and effect of their sacrifices.

"Shout JOYFULLY (make a joyful noise) to the Lord, all the earth.  SERVE the Lord with GLADNESS...COME before Him (His presence) with JOYFUL SINGING (not a dirge)...KNOW that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not  ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with THANKSGIVING/THANK OFFERING...and His courts with PRAISE...GIVE THANKS to Him; BLESS HIS NAME.  For the LORD IS GOOD; His LOVINGKINDNESS is everlasting...and HIS FAITHFULNESS to all generations." (Psalm 100:1-5)

This thing called joy is...CHARA (khara-ah)=cheerfulness, that is calm delight, gladness, exceeding joy, joyful.  As we go down this long and winding road...on our journey...we need to remember...a journey is...well...a journey...and you can travel with grumbling and complaining or we can travel with cheerfulness and a calm delight and gladness that exceeds our problems...and is filled with JOY.

FINAL THOUGHT ...FINALLY...NO REALLY...THIS TIME IT IS FINAL

"For the KINGDOM OF GOD is not eating and drinking...but righteousness (right living) and peace (rest) and JOY (calm delight) in the HOLY GHOST." (Romans14:17)

Love and Journey Kisses
Rodney "Joy of the Lord" Boyd