PATH OF LIFE - PART 4

MONDAY 30 JUNE 2025

Path of life is an illuminating indication in one's spiritual journey of gaining the full, transforming knowledge of God. More below!

Reference: Psalm 16:11 GOD'S WORD® Translation (GWT)

"You make the path of life known to me. Complete joy is in your presence. Pleasures are by your side forever."

In accordance with our referenced Scripture, the next versified segment to be expounded by my humble self is:

"Complete joy is in your presence."

Complete joy is a highly equipped branch of God's presence, and it equally implies that there is such a thing as incomplete joy. Why did I use the word, "branch"? This is plainly because there are other boundless treasures in God's presence, and complete joy is one of them. Other often-discussed treasures in God's presence are righteousness and peace that passes all understanding, and their established knowledge is emblematic as our justified true belief.

To briefly instantiate these two aforementioned branches, namely "righteousness" and "peace" respectively, Pauline epistolary expression says, "And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Philippians 3:9 NKJV). Now watch this: This Scripture clearly stated that this not Pauline righteousness. So where is this brand of righteousness from? The source is God, and its remarkably identifiable that we were born into the branch of His presence, known as righteousness. So apostle Paul is found in His presence, fully furnished with this righteousness. Got it?

As for the other branch, namely peace, we can access an abundance of this peace in His presence. To that effect, another Pauline epistolary expression numbered as Philippians 4:6-7 reads, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (NIV). Where will the peace of God, which transcends understanding happen to you? In His presence. Got it? This peace overcomes and swallows anxious thinking, and also empowers you with a mental reset that improves consecrated focus on God.

Coming back to the main focus for today's exposition, which is "Complete joy is in your presence", there is an important significance in understanding the structure and function of this treasurable joy found in God's presence and I will shed light on this truth in the upcoming articles. Into the bargain, consistent progress is attainable in the realm of divine joy, bearing in mind that "complete joy" is a high-capability fruit of the Spirit. The only mind that constantly exists in this joy is the mind of Christ, which is denotative of the mind that lives and operates by the Spirit.

Now watch this: To make conscious progress in the realm of complete joy, you must practically observe Galatians 5:25 (NLT) which reads, "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives." Once you have received the Spirit of God, who comes to reside in your inward being, you can live by the Spirit.

Notably, living by the Spirit has to do with developing our spiritual senses to be receptive or attuned to the things of the Spirit, but that receptive channel is just one side of our spiritual operation. There is another side or level of operation, which denotes keeping in step with the Spirit, where you can handle your steps to conform to His leading, by yielding completely to His government.

Simply put, to live by our spiritual nature is to be sufficiently able to perceive the matters of the Spirit, unlike the natural man. Moreover, beyond that, is the act of following the way of the Spirit or His leading process, which will in turn, inspire or condition our conducts and behavioural manifestations to conform to our spiritual nature. I personally acknowledge it as "Spirit-body" Pari passu.

Once walking in step with the Spirit is in place, the fruit of the Spirit, namely joy, will progressively be activated in your Christian walk or divine experiences - in all circumstances. Stay tuned for part 5. Shalom!

Scripture Reading -  Psalm 92:4; Psalm 71:23; Psalm 118:24; Isaiah 9:3.

Exuberant Declaration:

The joy of the Lord is my strength. Praise God!