Listening to J Vernon McGee’s journey through the Bible one day he mentioned a plaque he saw in the State capital building in Salem Oregon. It read, “Joy is the flag that is flown in the heart when the Master is in residence.” Being a resident of Oregon it caught my attention.
No matter how hard we try to re-write our history the fact the United States was founded on God remains unchanged. We started our journey as a country with God and it needs to be our decision to continue to the end in the same way.
Whether we see this plaque on the wall of a government building or in the grocery story or local church the message remains the same. Joy is the flag that is flown in the heart when the Master is in residence. However, the Master present needs to be God.
Too often we wonder, “Where’s God?” when we were the ones who have slowly booted Him away. We’ve kicked him out of our schools, out of our daily lives then we sit on the curb of life with our heads between our knees wondering where in the world God went. Echoed everywhere are the questions, “Where was God on 911, where was God when New Orleans flooded, where was God when….”and the list goes on. If you listen to the witnesses of many people you find God was right there helping those seeking Him. He is where our focus is, our priorities lie, where we give Him permission to take up residence.
We’ve dethroned the King of King, our Lord and Savior and have taken over the role of master. It shows in our attitudes, it’s written in our hearts, it’s heard in our speech. Daily we scream, “this is my right, I have the right to do this, I have the right to do that, I can do what I want, its my life, I have the right to say what I want…..I….I….I…I….I”
It’s time to take off the crown we have claimed for ourselves and give it back to God where it rightly belongs. Until we do the flag of joy will only fly at half-mast. Our joy, the true joy that will last for all eternity comes from within. It is something only God can fulfill to its completeness. We’re all born with a hole in our heart that God designed for only Him to fit in. We can seek our happiness in money, sex, drugs, alcohol, sports, or whatever we want but it will never raise the flag of joy to its highest as the Master does when He is the one in residence in our hearts.
The time is now this Christmas season to make room in the Inn, the Inn of our hearts for the Lord to take up residence. What a blessing to have not just a guest who temporarily comes to stay over the holidays but a permanent resident occupying His own room. A room in our hearts swept clean through repentance of its clutter brought on by sin. A room nicely decorated with the garnishments of love towards the One living there.
There is room in the Inn, give it to Him today and watch the flag of joy rise as the true Master takes residents in your heart and life.
We love you Jesus! Thank you for loving us!
We have no host today. We're all doing our own thing. Go to others and take the adventure of what God has put in our hearts this day. Read and share with us. Some are sharing old favorite quotes, mine today was a new quote.
1 comment:
I enjoyed this post. Thanks for the encouragement. Reminds me of the song. Joy is a flag flown high from the castle of my heart.
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