Hello My Beloved,
Sustained joy equals sustained gaze. Gaze on what you may ask? Gaze set on Me, your God and your Lover. Sustained means continuing for an extended period or without interruption. If you desire sustained joy in your heart no matter the circumstance, you must keep your gaze sustained; without interruption on me. It will be the difference between walking on water and succumbing to the storms life throws on you.
Take Peter for an example in Matthew 14:22-31:
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Broken gaze = broken joy. When Peter broke gaze from My Son, he sank. The joy of sustained gaze can cause you to walk on situations that could kill you and cause you to lose your mind, but if you fix your eyes on Jesus, you will walk right into His presence where there is fullness of joy forevermore.
The scripture is seeped with the connection between joy and vision:
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16:8-11
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 19:8
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened:and their faces were not ashamed.
Psalm 34:5
Beloved, joy comes with many benefits. Look at the outcome of joy in James 1:2-4:
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
My Son was an example of sustained gaze equaling sustained joy in Hebrews 12:1-2:
12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 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.
His gaze was set on the hope of you running to him and accepting his sacrificial love for you. What do you see? Do You see Me in and through all of your visions and thoughts, dreams and desires? Yes, I know the winds and waves are present, they are real, but where is your gaze sustained?
The importance of joy can be found in once sense in Proverbs 17:22:
22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
A joyful heart is medicine for you and others. Another and more rich reason for joy is found in the beginning words of Hebrews 12:1 where it say, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,” the lost are not going to want a God whose followers are joyless.
Beloved you have the best reason to be joyful, ME. Sustained gaze=sustained joy. Where is your gaze set?
Love, Abba Father
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