Father, “in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps.16:11) “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents”—for they behold Abba’s unbounded bliss and great delight as his image bearers become his grace receivers. (pp Lk15:10). “We HAD to celebrate and be glad…” (Lk 15:32).
Most loving Abba, grant us the gift of sensing your eternal, constant, unwavering joy. There is no sweat on your Fatherly brow, no consternation in your huge heart, no anxiety around your throne of grace. We need your invigorating and liberating felicity as we journey Home. We don’t need you to tell us “Everything’s going to be alright.” Our theology tells us that.
To know you are over, with, and for us in joy is centering—make that astonishing and freeing. So how can we experience more of your eternal and current delight? It’s not a hidden mystery, complex riddle, or rocket science. To start with, we can take the Scriptures seriously. We can treat your Word as actual not metaphorical—as literal not wistful imagining.
Your Word tells us you HAD to rejoice when prodigals return to Gospel-sanity and come home—Oh how we love that record and image. And that angels—because they don protective “heavenwear,” experience the unfiltered intensity of your joy when sinners repent and receive fresh grace. SO, the more we are alive to our need of grace—the more we humble ourselves, repent, and receive grace … that’s when your delight in us will become more real to us. Abba, since your grace runs downhill, we choose to live low today, next week, through Thanksgiving and eternity. So Very Amen.