December 22, 2024

Shout For Joy

December 20, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

Pour out your fervent praise
There’s a song to raise
Like a banner high

Lift up your grateful heart
To the Morning Star
He’s alive and here with us

Shout for joy
For the Son of God
Is the Saving One
He’s the Saving One

Shout for joy
See what love has done
He has come for us
He’s the Saving One

All night in Bethlehem
Heaven came to man
Born the Son of God

Sing out the LORD has come
Oh Emmanuel
Now our God is here with us

There is no other God like You
We’ll sing the praises that You’re due
Jesus, You have saved us

There is no other God who reigns
You are the name above all names
Jesus, You have saved us

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Joy In Song

December 19, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphicJoy: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness; “tears of joy”

During this Christmas season, we are reminded of the reason for a commercial celebration. We get so caught up in buying things, baking things, making things and sending things.  But that is not what it is all about.
We all know that joy is a choice.  We can choose to be caught up in the hustle and bustle, or we can choose to be joyful.  Henry Van Dyke wrote a wonderful song that has been in my heart this season.  It is Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.  It is the perfect way to express our love and gratitude for what God has done for us.  He has given us His Son. He knew Jesus was going to die on the Cross for us.  But God knew the only way to reach us was for His Son to become like us—to walk among us, to speak to us, to cry with us, and to die like us.   But we know how He rose again to bring hope to our dying world.
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee
God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee
Opening to the sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
Drive the dark of doubt away 
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day

All thy works with joy surround Thee 
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays 
Stars and angels sing around Thee
Center of unbroken praise
Field and forest, vale and mountain 
Flowery meadow, flashing sea
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee

Thou art giving and forgiving
Ever blessing, ever blest
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest
Thou our Father, Christ our brother
All who live in love are Thine
Teach us how to love each other
Lift us to the joy divine

Mortals, join the mighty chorus
Which the morning stars began
Love Divine is reigning o'er us
binding all within its span
Ever singing, march we onward 
Victors in the midst of strife 
Joyful music leads us sunward 
In the triumph song of life


Henry Van Dyke ~ Ludwig van Beethoven ~ Arranged by Edward Hodges
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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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