These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Joy Can Be Forever

Joy can be the greatest goal
we ever live, today.
Eternal life, forever whole,
blest to Christ obey.

For Jesus Christ endured the cross
to faithful be with faith to give.
He authored grace, redeemed our loss,
and gave His life, that we could live.

"Who for the joy all set before
endured the cross, despising shame,"
and now enthroned as the Living Door,
He paid the price to take our blame.

We look to Jesus, Greatest, Best,
the One, Who started, and finished our faith.
His Joy o'erflowed to face the test,
completing all the prophets saith.

"Despising shame," receiving joy,
this Jesus sits fore'er enthroned.
He gave us a pattern to employ,
that faithful lives be surely honed.

To sacrifice our wants on Earth,
we find forever the Joy-filled Day,
but the strength of Man brings not the new birth.
The value is Christ, forever assayed.

Let Joy reside in the human hearts,
who turned to Christ for life from death.
Let Joy begin as Christ imparts
the greatest life from His sweet breath.

Dethroning self, we find, that we
have a better life than we could choose.
Forever Joy we'll live, and see,
that His skill's more than we could use.

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“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Hebrews 12:2, KJV)

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by Jay O’Toole
on April 1st, 2022