July 25, 2018 JOY
Isaiah 55:12 “For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth with shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen that you may live;
In the day in which we live, with all of its troubles, can one actually live with a sense of joy? If we believe what the word of God says, the answer is a definite yes. Perhaps our understanding of joy is tied to our circumstances to a greater degree than we think. The truth is that believers face difficulties; 1 Peter 4:12 tells us not to be surprised with the fiery trials that come our way. How does one live with troubles and with joy at the same time? One thing that often robs us of joy is being focused on the immediate, what’s happening right now. God has the big picture in mind, the long term, and He has a master plan in place for those who trust Him as Savior. God is not restrained by time, but we are, so we tend to operate in the crisis mode or the right now mode much of the time. God has a purpose for our time on earth, and that purpose is to transform us into His image, and experiencing trials is a part of the process. Joy becomes a reality when our view of the present is based on the promises of God regarding our destiny. God is at work in us to preparing us for what lies ahead. We have been redeemed, but our redemption has not yet been fully experienced. God’s grand and glorious plan that will be accomplished, is the gathering of all of His followers in heaven, where they will forever be with Him and will enjoy Him forever. Do we often think about the fact that when we breath our last breath, we will immediately be with the Lord in heaven? Do we often think about how blessed we are to have all of our sins forgiven….about having the Holy Spirit living in us….about being a part of the kingdom of God? We must determine what we focus on. The salvation of God is much more than going to heaven when we die; our salvation in Christ is all inclusive, effecting every aspect of our life. Not only can we rejoice over the future that God has for us, we can rejoice over what God is doing in the present. Because Christ lives in us, we can live with an attitude of joy and of hope no matter the circumstances-that’s part of being new creations. The joy we are talking about does not mean that we are disconnected from the trials and difficulties of life. Romans 12:15 tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who mourn.” But even in our weeping, the peace and the joy of the Lord abides with us. May God open our eyes to see all that He has done and all that He is presently doing; when we see Him in everything, we will have joy.
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Isaiah 55:12 “For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth with shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen that you may live;
In the day in which we live, with all of its troubles, can one actually live with a sense of joy? If we believe what the word of God says, the answer is a definite yes. Perhaps our understanding of joy is tied to our circumstances to a greater degree than we think. The truth is that believers face difficulties; 1 Peter 4:12 tells us not to be surprised with the fiery trials that come our way. How does one live with troubles and with joy at the same time? One thing that often robs us of joy is being focused on the immediate, what’s happening right now. God has the big picture in mind, the long term, and He has a master plan in place for those who trust Him as Savior. God is not restrained by time, but we are, so we tend to operate in the crisis mode or the right now mode much of the time. God has a purpose for our time on earth, and that purpose is to transform us into His image, and experiencing trials is a part of the process. Joy becomes a reality when our view of the present is based on the promises of God regarding our destiny. God is at work in us to preparing us for what lies ahead. We have been redeemed, but our redemption has not yet been fully experienced. God’s grand and glorious plan that will be accomplished, is the gathering of all of His followers in heaven, where they will forever be with Him and will enjoy Him forever. Do we often think about the fact that when we breath our last breath, we will immediately be with the Lord in heaven? Do we often think about how blessed we are to have all of our sins forgiven….about having the Holy Spirit living in us….about being a part of the kingdom of God? We must determine what we focus on. The salvation of God is much more than going to heaven when we die; our salvation in Christ is all inclusive, effecting every aspect of our life. Not only can we rejoice over the future that God has for us, we can rejoice over what God is doing in the present. Because Christ lives in us, we can live with an attitude of joy and of hope no matter the circumstances-that’s part of being new creations. The joy we are talking about does not mean that we are disconnected from the trials and difficulties of life. Romans 12:15 tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who mourn.” But even in our weeping, the peace and the joy of the Lord abides with us. May God open our eyes to see all that He has done and all that He is presently doing; when we see Him in everything, we will have joy.
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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