There are so many negative things on the news and on our social media pages today I thought I would try and bring you a little good tidings of great joy!
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJ) Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Psalm 16:11(NKJ) You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 27:6 …therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in the tabernacle;
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.
I researched the word, JOY, and found that it is referenced in the Bible 187 times! You knew it was coming, didn’t you? If you look at the few verses I have listed here you can see some different “joys”.
The first one says that the Joy OF THE LORD is our strength! So when you are feeling like a spiritual 98 pound weakling, put your hand in HIS and He will give you strength the way that Popeye got strength from eating Spinach!
I could use that from time to time!
Then we the Psalmist David writes about the fullness of joy! Think of having FULLNESS of joy all the time and he further says that at His right hand are pleasures forevermore!
I think we could all use a little of that!
This next one is the one I have had to struggle with it’s the sacrifice of joy! Face it, when something has happened that makes us feel like our world just turned upside down, isn’t it hard to just forget it and PRAISE the Lord?
If you said no, then come to talk to ME!
That is a big tool that the devil often tries on me to get me upset or distracted so that my praise is hindered, but would the Psalmist have used the word SACRIFICE if it were easy? But here is the best part, the part that gives us this sometimes elusive emotion of joy Tidings of great JOY, we are included in the “ALL people.” Isaiah 9:6 is foretelling the coming of Jesus and calls him the Prince of Peace and the angels said that it was good tidings of great JOY to know that Jesus was born!
If you don’t have the JOY in your life, pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart, you will find the inner peace and the joy that you are missing!
I pray for you to have JOY!
Harolene.com 