November 18, 2024

What IS Joy?

December 18, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

As I began to study JOY, one question kept coming to mind – what is joy?  The more I researched…the more frustrated I became.  Oh, there is LOTS of information out there about joy.  Most of the information is very vague and I wanted concrete.

Then I stumbled across Rick Warren’s definition of joy:

“Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life,
the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright,
and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

I love that!  Joy is a ‘settled assurance…a quiet confidence’ in God.  Lexham’s Bible Dictionary defines joy as “a natural result of having received salvation.  Joy comes on account of what Christ has done, irrelevant of whatever circumstances are happening in one’s life”.

Psalm 92: 4 (NLT) puts it like this,

You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.

When I recall all He has done for me, I can look forward to what He will do with assurance and confidence. I trust Him.  That is true joy.  According to Matthew Henry, “From a joyful remembrance of what God has done for us, we may raise a joyful prospect of what He will do.”

As I continued to think about what Christ has done for me, two things came to mind:

  1. He has given me a future
  2. He has given me hope

Jeremiah 29:11 (HCSB) states “I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope….”

And Psalm 16:11 (HCSB) says “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.”

Happiness is often associated with joy.  Joy is so much more than being happy. Happiness is a temporary emotion while joy is an attitude, a state of being. Happiness often comes from external situations or material things. The joy of the Lord is found within and gives us strength no matter what we are experiencing.  Joy is the result of our choice to trust Him.

That’s where I find my joy – in Him alone.

   *    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, thank You for being the source of my joy. You are my Strength and my Portion forever. Remind me when I struggle that joy and happiness are not the same thing. May I always look to You and recall all You have done, and will do, in my life. That is my true joy. In Jesus’ name I ask this – Amen, so be it!

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JOY

December 17, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

You know when you have a lack of joy in your life.  I would say right now is such a time for me.  I am desperately in need of some joy.  Joy gives you true motivation to sanely make it through each day.  It’s what makes it easier to get out of bed. It is closely related to hope and peace.  If you are not at peace then it is hard maintain joy and hope.

My pastor says you choose joy. I believe this is true. Which means that the lack of joy I am experiencing right now is my own doing.  However, I’m lacking the motivation to do anything about my current situation.  You could say that I am weary—I’m tired and I just want a break from life.

Romans 15:13 is my prayer.

“Maythe God of hope fill {me} with all joy and peace as {I} trust in Him,
so that {I} may overflow with hope by the power of His Holy Spirit.”

See how closely related joy, peace, and hope are?  Joy, hope and peace are all things that are only possible when we keep our eyes firmly focused on God.  And even though sometimes we may get weary of doing right and good, pushing forward through our feelings is the way to go.  The Bible clearly tells us…

“Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9

My pastor says, do what you do know to do when you don’t know what to do.  And above all honesty helps…honesty and friends.

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The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength

December 16, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10b

Joy comes from deep down in the heart. It comes not because you have some good happenings around you. No, it comes whether all is well (or not). The truth that remains in your heart is you have a loving and caring Father who will take care of all issues.

This declaration of God’s Word accompanied by sincere desire to follow its instruction will result in a true heartfelt joy. This joy of the Lord is based on reconciliation with God and the presence of the Spirit in our lives. This joy is for everyone and we can only attain this joy when we are in His Presence.

This joy is promised to us by our God:

For his anger lasts only a moment but his favour lasts a lifetime, weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing <joy> comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalms 126:5 -6

I will clothe her priest with salvation and her saints shall ever sing for joy.
Psalm 132:16

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation…
Isaiah 12:3

…And the ransomed of the Lord will return, they will enter Zion with singing
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 35:10

We thank God for the many promises that follow us by being in His Presence where fullness of joy is found. I choose therefore to remain in His Presence to benefit all the promises written. I pray you choose this also for in His Presence there is, indeed, fullness of joy.

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord God, King of glory, blessed be Your Holy Name! How excellent is Your Name in all the earth. Clothed with righteousness, honor and majesty…we bless You. Thank You for Your promises to us which are Yes and Amen. Thank You for allowing us to be co-heirs with Christ Jesus that this fullness of joy should be our inheritance. Thank You for loving us this much. We adore You, Abba Father. By Your grace, Lord, sustain us in Your Presence all the time…in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Joy of Growth

December 15, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

You love Him even though you have never seen Him.
Though you do not see Him, you trust Him;
and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.
Your reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

My heart was filled with joy this past Sunday (December 7). Our daughter turned four just a little over a month ago. Now, at our church, they have nursery for those 4 and under during early and late services. We usually attend the early service. (Yes, I manage to get a 4-year-old and 6-year-old up early on Sunday mornings in order to make 8 am church service.) I decided to try something this past Sunday with our daughter…and I hoped that it would not backfire on me.

Now as I was saying, our daughter just turned 4. I decided to take her with us to “big” church this Sunday to see how she would do. I was nervous thinking she would be loud and wiggly like a lot of kids. However, I had faith. I also made sure to have a coloring book and pad of paper available for her to draw on to keep her busy. She surprised me, though. She tried to sing the first chorus with us, and the only major thing she did was she was a little wiggly and curious. She never did get loud. My heart really filled for joy when she put our Lottie Moon offering in the offering plate. It was the joy of being a parent and watching my child learn.

I can only imagine the amount of joy that Mary felt that first Christmas night. Her firstborn Son was born, but also her Savior was born. She was overjoyed that she had been chosen to be His mother. She would have the joy of watching Him grow and mature into adulthood. She already knew the pain and anguish that would come with being His mother, but she trusted God. Mary put her whole faith in God. By putting her faith in God, Mary knew that she was given a most glorious gift.

Just as Mary had faith in God, we should have faith as well. Our faith in Jesus can bring us joy all year long—not just during this time of the year. Our reward for trusting in Him and believing that He died on the Cross for us is the saving of our souls when Jesus returns. We will go to Heaven with Him and celebrate in great joy and peace.

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the birth of Your Son. Without Him we would be nothing. Thank You for the joy of watching our own children grow and for the chance to lead them in them in the right direction—to You. Watching them and guiding them brings its own joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Joy in the Night

December 14, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

For hundreds of years the Jewish people had prepared for and hoped for the Messiah to come. Finally the time had arrived, but it didn’t come as many had expected—with great fanfare and pomp. (Not that angels lighting perhaps a moonless sky wasn’t pretty fantastic!) But there was no big parade in the middle of the day down the center of town for all to see. Instead it came to a few. Instead it came to the forgotten of society. Instead it came in the darkness of night.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,
and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born….
Luke 2:8-11

The joyful news of the arrival (the Advent) of the long awaited Savior, the Messiah, came at night. Not only was the world dark with physical night-time. I quote from Reverend Billy Graham,

“It wasn’t night because the sun had gone down. It was night because the world was surrounded in spiritual and moral gloom. People were driven by greed, intolerance, and lust for power. Religion had become a device for the rich in the exploitation of the poor. Men robbed and swindled and profiteered under the cloak of religion; they even fought wars in the name of religion. In every arena of life, it was night when Jesus came.”

excerpted from Arrival, Preparing to Celebrate Christ’s Birth.
(click here for a free download of this devotional)

And all this is still true today. People still live in darkness—the darkness of all kinds of sin and its repercussions. But the joyful news is that Jesus came, and He brought light to all mankind.

The Rock of Israel said to me:
‘The One who rules righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
is like the Light of morning at sunrise,
like a morning without clouds,
like the gleaming of the sun
on new grass after rain.’
2 Samuel 23:2-4

Jesus, the Light of morning, came for all people so that none of us would have to walk in darkness.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world.
Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.
John 8:12

Jesus knew that His Light would bring life and joy to all who choose to follow Him. Even in His last major prayer for His disciples He said this:

“Now I am coming to You <His Father.>
I told them many things while I was with them in this world
so they would be filled with My joy.
I have given them Your Word.”
John 17:13-14

If you feel forgotten, if you are mourning, if you are still walking in darkness, then now is the time to allow Jesus, the Light of the world, to step into your world and give you His life and His joy.  Rejoice with great joy!  Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the Light of the morning!  We don’t have to walk in the darkness of night (sin), because JOY comes in the morning!

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
Praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment,
but His favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!
Psalms 30:4-5, 11-12

Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD has comforted His people
and will have compassion on them in their suffering.
Isaiah 49:13

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your great compassion.  Thank You for Your joy that comes when we walk out of our “night” and into Your Light.  For those who make that decision during this Christmas season, I pray they will experience Your Light and Joy like they have never experienced anything before.  For those of us who already walk in Your light, we thank You for Your Joy, unspeakable joy!  You are our Light of Life!  All honor and glory belong to You, our Savior and King!  IT IS SO!

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Peace Has Come

December 13, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Behold the star of Bethlehem
The Word of God has become flesh
Unto us a Child is born
The Savior of this broken world

Hear the angel voices
Sing ‘come let us adore Him’
Peace has come, for our King is with us

Fully God and fully man
He comes for all with open hands
He rules with love on David’s throne
All praise belongs to Christ alone

Holy, Holy, Holy
Jesus, we adore thee,
Peace has come, for our King is with us

Oh come let us adore Him,
Oh come let us adore Him,
Oh come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord

 

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This Week…PEACE (Advent, week two)

December 12, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Here on the Seeking Him blog this past week, we have focused on the subject of PEACE as part of our Advent devotionals.  Jesus came to be our peace…to bring the peace that comes from redeeming us from sin.  Here are some excerpts from this week’s devotionals…

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Tina reminded us in Sweet Peace of the angels’ words to the shepherds.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased. And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this Child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.
Luke 2:13-20 ASV

In her devotional, Peace Which Passes Understanding, Ann encouraged us to remember the following promise.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

 

Ahmee also reminded us of another of God’s promises…of great comfort in Peace, Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God!
Psalm 46:10a

 

Writing on the Prince of Peace, Cynda shared with us the prophecy that Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah.

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 AMP

At the conclusion of their devotionals,Tina, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee each shared a beautiful prayer or a blessing; and I thought it would be a joy to revisit them here at the end of the week.

May the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace this Christmas season and all year long.
2 Thessalonians 3:16

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2

~   ♥   ~

Father, we pray for Your peace during the Christmas season.  We want to understand and learn about You and Your Son in a new and unexpected way.  Holy Spirit, open our eyes and hearts to receive You in a new and exciting way.  Let us have a new passion for Your word and Your ways, Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray and ask these things, amen.

~   ♥   ~

Rest.
Be at peace.
Then ask the Lord what’s next so that you can tackle all you need to
…but at peace.

~   ♥   ~

Lord, I thank You for the peace that passes all understanding.  I thank You for the peace I have within that is moving me from one level of glory to another.  I really appreciate You, Abba Father, for this is not unto me alone, it is also to my friends who are reading this devotion.

May You give us the grace of increased faith in You which will bring peace into our hearts.  May our hope be in You as You are PEACE Yourself, Lord.  Blessed be Your name now and forever more.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.

Amen!!!

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Peace Peace

December 11, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

Peace, peace, it’s hard to find
Trouble comes like wrecking ball
To your peace of mind
And all that worry you can’t leave behind you

All your hopes and fears
All your hopes and fears, oh
All your hopes and fears
Are met in Him tonight

Peace, peace, it’s hard to find
Doubt comes like a tiny voice that’s so unkind
And all your fears
They conspire to unwind you

And in your dark street shines
The everlasting Light
And all your hopes and fears
Are met in Him tonight

Peace, peace
Peace, peace
Peace, peace

Singer/Songwriter: Sara Groves

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Sweet Peace

December 10, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest,  And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased.  And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this Child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

Luke 2:13-20 ASV

God so loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to be among us.  God wants a great relationship with us.  Speaking through the prophets and showing us His love through His kindness.  God has made the way easy for us.  All we need to do is to be willing to follow Him completely.

Prayer is…

  • Speaking our hearts’ desire to God.

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
Psalm 6:9

  • Expecting great things to happen when we trust.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect Him.
Matthew 24:44

  • Accepting God’s most excellent purpose for our lives.

You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.
Psalm 45:2

  • Contributing to God’s plan to further His kingdom.

I say to you that many will come from the east and the west,
and will take their places at the feast
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 8:11

  • Exceptional care for those that would believe.

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:18

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Father, we pray for Your peace during the Christmas season.  We want to understand and learn about You and Your Son in a new and unexpected way.  Holy Spirit, open our eyes and hearts to receive You in a new and exciting way.  Let us have a new passion for Your word and Your ways, Lord.  In Jesus’ name we pray and ask these things, amen.

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Peace Which Passes All Understanding

December 9, 2014 by

SHpeaceluke1

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

This peace I am talking about involves a firm conviction that Jesus is near and that God’s love will be active in our lives for good (Romans 8:28, 32).  How do I prove this sentence?

God gave us His only begotten Son, and allowed Him to die on the Cross for us—what a loving God He is!  He saw that with the all the sin around us, we are not at peace.  Sin robs us of peace but righteousness bring joy and peace in our hearts always.

What does this peace of God do in our lives?

  • When we call on God from hearts that remain in Christ and His Word, then God’s peace will flood our troubled souls.  Are you troubled?  Then please allow the peace of God to be present in you through Christ our Lord.
  • It is as an inner reality mediated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:15-16). And we all know that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor, Comforter, etc.  Therefore we can rest assured that through the Holy Spirit’s mediation we are going to be at peace even in times of the roughest storms and raging wars.
  • This peace is going to stand guard at the door of our hearts and mind, preventing the cares and worries of this life which undermine our hope in Christ.
  • If fear and anxiety does return, than through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving we will once again be placed us under the peace of God that guards our hearts.
  • It makes us feel safe and rejoice in the Lord.

The Lord gives us peace, good friends.  I therefore pray to God for you that He would turn His face toward you and give you peace.  We need peace in all areas of our lives (Numbers 6:26).  Others are thinking how will they pay their bills; and God has sent me today to tell you that He is making a covenant of peace with you (Numbers 25:12). And a heart at peace gives life to the body (Proverbs 14:30).

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord, I thank You for the peace that passes all understanding.  I thank You for the peace I have within me that is moving me from one level of glory to the other.  I really appreciate You, Abba Father, for this is not only unto me it is also to my friends who are reading this devotion.  May You give us the grace of increased faith in You which will bring peace into our hearts.  May our hope be in You as You are PEACE Yourself, Lord.  Blessed be Your name now and forever more.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen!!!

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